Book Review: The Three Little Pigs

 


1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Wiesner, D. (2001). The Three pigs. Clarion Books.  ISBN: 0618007016

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

This version of the classic folktale takes the three pig brothers on a unique journey! This tale begins like the traditional story where the three pig bothers build their separate homes, one out of straw, one out of sticks, and one out of bricks. The fun begins when the bad wolf enters the story and attempts to blow the first pig’s house down. This causes the pig to exit the story pages and enters into an imaginary world.  As the second and third brother enter this world, they then create a paper airplane that takes them to the world of nursery rhymes and fairy tales. At the end of the book the pigs see a picture of the third bother’s brick home lying on the ground and go back home to find a happy ending.

3.CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Wiesner’s adds a modern-day twist to this classic.  His creativity is definitely next level and engages readers by including different nursey rhymes and fairy tales’ creatures. His use of dialogue helps readers understand what is happening throughout the story. This was the first time reading this book, and I have conflicting feelings about the story. Although it is a completely different story from the traditional folktale and it has a unique storyline, I think I prefer the original tale. As I was taking into the imaginary world of “white space,” I found myself getting confuse and lost in the plotline. The story in my opinion was not bad but it was definitely not my favorite.

Wiesner’s illustrations are amazing! He gave each little pig personality by choosing different colors for them. His choice of “traditional” colors at the beginning went well with the story and gave it the sense of tradition. As the story continued, he began to add a 3D effect to his illustration. His illustrations also changed as the pigs entered the land of nursery rhymes and fairy tales. Overall, his illustrations were genius, they were my favorite part of the story! It is easy to see why this book was awarded a Caldecott Award!  

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Caldecott Award Winner
Starred review in Publisher’s Weekly: “evokes a feeling that the characters can navigate endless possibilities--and that the range of story itself is limitless”

Starred review in School Library Journal: “Witty dialogue and physical comedy abound in this inspired retelling of a familiar favorite.”

5. CONNECTIONS

*Gather other books written by David Wiesner. Compare the illustrations and story lines. Does he tend to tie in different genres into his books?

* Lead students on a Think/Pair/Share about the differences between the original Three Little Pigs and this version. Encourage students to share which version is their favorite and why.

*Group students in groups of 3-4 and encourage them to rewrite their own version of a classic Folktale and then share their version with the class.  

*Other books Picture books written by David Wiesner:

Wiesner, D. (2006). Flotsam. Clarion Books. ISBN 0618194576

Wiesner, D. (1991). Free fall. HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 068810990X

Review completed for SHSU MLA course

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