Cupig

October 15, 2023
A punctilious pig's job as Cupid goes awry. Cupig, a rotund porcine hero in heart-adorned undies, loves love. She adores it so much that every year on Valentine's Day, she takes her trusty bow and arrow and helps spread desire. This year, however, the weather affects her aim. Gray swirls of gusty wind blow her arrows astray, causing her to accidentally hit some familiar, well-established couples. "Now Peanut Butter stopped loving Jelly / and fell in love with something smelly." (The new pair is Peanut Butter and Anchovies.) Poor Jelly is tipped over, leaving a smudge shaped like a broken heart on the counter. "Needle and Thread had been a great team; / now they're falling apart at the seams." (Needle has fallen in love with a haystack; Thread is understandably unraveled.) Pair after pair are broken up and matched with new partners. Butterfly falls out of love with the sky and in love with a horse, and Paper's affections shift from Pen to a polar bear; love knows no bounds. After some reflection, however, Cupig realizes her mistakes and goes off to set things right. Some readers may be slightly uneasy with the implication that romance should blossom only between couples who seem "right" for each other, but it's mostly just a silly story of classic pairs reuniting. Tattersfield keeps a jaunty pace, and Sayegh's smiling (and distraught) inanimate objects are a delight. Sure to steal readers' hearts. (Picture book. 4-7)

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October 23, 2023
Move over, Cupid—a pink piggy competitor takes a shot at creating love matches in this mixed-up Valentine’s Day outing. On February 14, Cupig, who “loved love more than butterflies loved the sky above,” sets off with a full quiver to spread “love and cheer/ to every creature, far and near.” But a blustery thunderstorm sends the arrows wildly off-target, with heartbreaking results. Peanut Butter quickly dumps Jelly, getting goo-goo-eyed for Anchovies instead, and Fork leaves Knife to join a whisk in a different kitchen drawer. Luckily, when the weather clears, so does Cupig’s aim, and she reunites Salt and Pepper, Dog and Bone, and other temporarily split couples. Though Tattersfield’s rhythmic rhymes don’t always scan, asides and comical reshufflings amuse alongside Sayegh’s collage-and-digital art, which introduces a kicky cast of anthropomorphized characters, including a porcine protag sporting heart-embroidered underpants. Ages 3–7.