Rosie and Roger by Rik Dessers, illustrated by Hilde Schuurmans ages 4-8 32 pages Tallfellow Press March 2002 Hardcover     Rosie the Pig is feeling sad. Unlike other pigs, her tail has no curl to it. Although her parents reassure her that they love her just as she is, the teasing ("A pig with a mouse tail!" the other little pigs shout) and ostracism keep her sitting alone after school under a big shade tree, trying not to cry. Even though his parents tell him that he's special, Roger the Mouse mopes around home with a long face. His tail is not long and straight like those of other mice - he has a big curl in his tail. "Oink! Oink! Here comes the mouse with the pig tail!" the other mouse kids shout, and they refuse to play with him. So Roger cries in solitude under a big shade tree. That's how Roger and Rosie meet, and they are immediately drawn to one another's tails. They share their loneliness and pain with each other, and soon become best friends, running through open fields, sharing snacks and Rosie's backyard mudbox. Though they know that they make an odd pair, they know that "friendship's about who you are - not which way your tail goes." Rik Dessers' simply poignant story, coupled with Hilde Schuurmans' not-too-cutesy cartoons against delicately color-washed backgrounds, teaches an important lesson about differences and acceptance without seeming at all preachy. Rosie and Roger is full of empathy and honesty, making it a great book for young children on either side of the playground survival-of-the-fittest divide. Highly recommended.     web reviews   Sharon Schulz-Elsing/2005 for curled up with a good kid's book   For grown-up fiction, nonfiction and speculative fiction book reviews, visit our sister site Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)