Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews (Tue Jan 03 00:00:00 CST 2023)

Surfer pigs rise above aphorisms. The world is full of treasures. Concern for a friend trumps personal fears. Sometimes little brothers know best. Imagination is everything. Any of these might be the message behind this offbeat adventure, but none quite captures its goofy charm. Fergus and his baby brother Dink are anthropomorphized pigs—pink, plump and extremely expressive. They enjoy searching the beach, where they find interesting seaweed, oddly shaped rocks and bits of shell. Then they discover something extraordinary: a gleaming surfboard. Fergus is reluctant to ride it (he's afraid of the water and what "lurking, murky ickiness" might be hiding in it) but they manage to have fun anyway, tap-dancing across it, using it as a pretend boat and even giving it a name—"Dave." In a scene sure to give some parents fits, Fergus leaves Dink by the water's edge to fetch some ice-cream cones. That's when Dink decides that Dave should be returned to the ocean. Attempting to rescue his friend, Fergus discovers just how fun surfing can be. Sattler's bold, bright paintings add emotion and humor. They also carry some parts of the narrative, as in an almost wordless double-page spread that accompanies Dave's first appearance. The briskly paced text, meanwhile, offers alliteration and deadpan humor. Together words and pictures create an utterly engaging picture-book experience—eye-catching, thought-provoking and just plain fun. (Picture book. 4-7)

ALA Booklist (Tue Jan 03 00:00:00 CST 2023)

Beach fun and an exciting water rescue will draw children to this bright picture book, as will the elemental theme of overcoming scary scenarios. Along with his baby brother, Dink, piglet Fergus likes to collect the treasures that the waves leave on the sand. But Fergus is always scared of a "lurking murky ickiness" in the water, and the pictures, in acrylics and colored pencil, show the scowling, neon-colored big-toothed monsters he imagines in the deep. When a big surfboard washes ashore, it becomes the star of the boys' collection pet of sorts that they name Dave. Then Dink thinks Dave wants to return to sea, and after he frees the board into the waves, Fergus swims out to save their pet. The exciting pictures show Fergus clinging to the board in the huge waves d then he surfs. Young kids will enjoy the triumphant turnaround even as they recognize the truth of how hard it is to face fears.

Horn Book (Tue Jan 03 00:00:00 CST 2023)

When a surfboard washes up on the beach, pig brothers Fergus and Dink name it Dave and incorporate it into their sand play. After tenderhearted Dink sets Dave free in the ocean, Fergus must face his fear: "the lurking, murky ickiness factor of the water." Sattler's acrylic and colored-pencil art makes this humorous story about dealing with outsize fears even funnier--and surprisingly touching.

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

Surfer pigs rise above aphorisms. The world is full of treasures. Concern for a friend trumps personal fears. Sometimes little brothers know best. Imagination is everything. Any of these might be the message behind this offbeat adventure, but none quite captures its goofy charm. Fergus and his baby brother Dink are anthropomorphized pigs—pink, plump and extremely expressive. They enjoy searching the beach, where they find interesting seaweed, oddly shaped rocks and bits of shell. Then they discover something extraordinary: a gleaming surfboard. Fergus is reluctant to ride it (he's afraid of the water and what "lurking, murky ickiness" might be hiding in it) but they manage to have fun anyway, tap-dancing across it, using it as a pretend boat and even giving it a name—"Dave." In a scene sure to give some parents fits, Fergus leaves Dink by the water's edge to fetch some ice-cream cones. That's when Dink decides that Dave should be returned to the ocean. Attempting to rescue his friend, Fergus discovers just how fun surfing can be. Sattler's bold, bright paintings add emotion and humor. They also carry some parts of the narrative, as in an almost wordless double-page spread that accompanies Dave's first appearance. The briskly paced text, meanwhile, offers alliteration and deadpan humor. Together words and pictures create an utterly engaging picture-book experience—eye-catching, thought-provoking and just plain fun. (Picture book. 4-7)

School Library Journal (Tue Jan 03 00:00:00 CST 2023)

PreS-Gr 2 Surf's up! Pig Fergus and his baby brother, Dink, spend their time beachcombing for treasures-and, in Fergus's case, avoiding the "lurking, murky ickiness" of the water. When they discover an unclaimed surfboard, the siblings give it a face and name it "Dave." But when Fergus goes off to get ice cream, Dink decides that Dave needs to be wild and free and tosses it back into the sea. In an effort to save the board, Fergus plunges headlong into the water, swims out to it, and climbs onjust as a huge wave launches them back toward the beach. In the satisfying conclusion, the triumphant pigs continue their treasure hunting as newly minted and obviously happy surfers. The big-eyed, big-eared porkers, one in a loud Hawaiian shirt and the other in his dinky diaper, carry the story along against the sand and sea backdrops. The full-color acrylic and colored pencil illustrations have a sketchy, active feel that bounces merrily along and keeps the focus squarely on the expressive porcine pair. Children will appreciate the imaginative play that the pigs engage in as well as cheer when Fergus overcomes his fear to become the Pig Kahuna. Marge Loch-Wouters, La Crosse Public Library, WI