Emmett loves pigs, especially King Emmett, a farm pig in upstate New York. Emmett is devastated when he discovers that King Emmett has been slaughtered. Compounding his grief, he and his parents move from their home in New York City to a small Ohio town. Emmett is determined to hate everything about the move and he does, until he makes a friend. From then on things begin looking up, culminating in Emmett's acceptance of a new pet (a dog), while realizing that he isn't being unfaithful to his memory of King Emmett. Stolz and Williams create a perceptive sequel to EMMETT'S PIG (Harper, 1959) in this expertly crafted, five-chapter narrative full of dialogue, short sentences, quiet humor and greater reading challenge than the earlier book. Stolz' characterization of a willful, even obnoxiously stubborn, child is surpassed only by the skillful portrayal of his parents' responses to their son. Six line drawings and paginations printed throughout in warm brown on creamy paper are combined with easy-on-the-eye typography. Page designs with lots of space encourage readers into this "older" book about an older Emmett, his first two-wheeler and his second pet. (Ages 6-8)

Emmett endures the death of his pet pig and his family's move from New York City to Ohio and finally comes to accept the thought of getting another pet.