ALA Booklist

Two little pigs make themselves a den and a hut next door to each other in the woods. But when a big friendly bear moves into the first pig's den and a big friendly moose attempts to move into the second pig's hut, both homes are wrecked, and all four animals are homeless. Not to worry. They hire a crew of beavers to build them a real house in the woods, and when it is complete, they pay them with a stack of peanut-butter sandwiches. The story has a quiet, childlike charm, but it's the artwork that makes this large-format picture book come alive. An accomplished English artist who has illustrated picture books as well as classics such as The Wind in the Willows (2003), Moore uses pencils, pastels, and washes to create an idyllic woodland setting inhabited by distinctly different but equally engaging animals of various kinds. For readers who like their adventures rather cozy, it's a beguiling picture book.

Horn Book

This story (with a nod to "The Three Little Pigs") stars two pigs, a bear, and a moose that build a home for themselves with the help of some industrious beavers. Charming illustrations in pencil, pastel, and wash display detailed woodland scenes, with busy animals working, resting, and, finally, enjoying the fruits of their labors (by eating peanut-butter sandwiches).

Kirkus Reviews

Everybody needs a house that's just right. One Little Pig has a hut made out of sticks; it resembles a tepee. Next door, another Little Pig has a den; it's a hollow dug into some thick shrubbery. One morning, they go out foraging together; one finds a nice feather and the other an interesting stick. But when they get back home, they find Bear jammed into the den and Moose perched on top of the hut. Both are ruined! The new quartet of forest friends sits down together on a bench to figure a way out of this pickle. What if they all lived together in one big house? Moose calls the Beavers on the telephone (which is handily attached to a tree), and in no time the forest is turned into a construction site, with dozens of beavers in hard hats working alongside the housemates-to-be. They divide up the work and finish quickly, filling the house with furniture and curtains from the junkyard. What else is there left to do but throw a party for the Beavers? Moore's illustrations—in pencil, pastel and wash—picture the animals realistically (though on two legs and with expressively human body language) and have a warm cast, full of earth tones. They do the heavy lifting in telling the simple story of unlikely friendship and the virtue of industry. Modest and nicely quirky. (Picture book. 3-6)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

As with her illustrations for The Wind in the Willows and The Secret Garden, Moore-s artwork for this appealing book has a timeless quality. Her pictures-finely detailed, yet hazy and atmospheric-depict an inviting woodland setting and express the personalities of a group of animal friends who become an unlikely family. Two pigs don-t mind when Bear and Moose move into their cozy homes, though both are quickly destroyed due to the animals- size. Now all four creatures are homeless, a predicament Moore describes with the droll understatement that runs through the narrative: -This was a pickle. It really was.- Suggesting they build a proper house for them all, Moose (using a phone attached to a tree) calls the Beaver Builders, who arrive in pickup trucks and wearing hardhats. Moore makes every word count, as the industrious Beavers, aided by the future residents, build an inviting cottage. One can almost get lost in the full-bleed pages and spreads, many of which are wordless, evoking the peacefulness of the forest and the warmth of the animals- relationship. A charming tale that underscores the rewards of cooperation. Ages 3-up. (Nov.)

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 1 When Moose and Bear accidentally destroy their pig friends' modest digs, the foursome decide to bring in the local beaver construction crew to build a house they can all share. For the price of peanut-butter sandwiches, the crew agrees to the work. The cozy cottage is quickly built and furnished by the friends, who do indeed pay in sandwiches. After a supper and evening of storytelling, the four settle into their new home. The gentle arc of the story about a warm friendship is perfectly echoed by the large, detailed illustrations. The pencil, pastel, and wash art is full of autumn colors and delicate touches and details that bring the woods and the animals to life. Budding builders and tool fiends will enjoy the house assembly and the humorous elements within the illustrations. A comfortable story of friendship. Marge Loch-Wouters, La Crosse Public Library, WI