Desert Rose and Her Highfalutin Hog - Tapa dura

When gritty pig farmer Desert Rose finds a gold nugget just a-lyin' there in the mud, she decides to buy herself the biggest, fattest hog she can find. But getting that highfalutin hog home in time for the Laredo state fair proves to be more than Rose bargained for. When a cold-hearted coyote, a persnickety snake, a lethargic Texas longhorn, and a whole host of other southern varmints prove to be unhelpful, Rose must pair up with a shrewd armadillo to get every animal over the river and off to Laredo in time.

Alison Jackson has been a children's librarian for 25 years, in both California and Florida. Her book The Ballad of Valentine was a New York Times bestseller. She lives in Florida. www.alison-jackson.com

Keith Graves is the author/illustrator of Frank Was a Monster Who Wanted to Dance and Three Nasty Gnarlies, among others. Graves has several picture books in the works to become animated by both Nickelodeon and Disney. He lives in Texas. www.keithgravesart.com