The Three Ninja Pigs

Bibliography

Schwartz, Corey Rosen. 2012. The Three Ninja Pigs. Ill. by Dan Santat. New York, NY: G. P. Putnam’s Son. ISBN 978-0-399-25514-4

Plot Summary

In this modern retelling, three pigs get fed up with a wolf that has been blowing houses down. They decide to stand up to the bully and begin training at Ninja school. Each of the pigs chooses a different martial art to study, but only pig three finishes her training. The other two pigs quit their training and don’t put in the needed work. When the wolf comes, the first two pigs are unable to fight the wolf off since their skills were lacking. The third pig scares the wolf away after showing him her karate skills. This inspires her brother pigs to return to school to finish their training. After earning their degrees, the three pigs lived the rest of their lives wolf-free.

Critical Analysis

The Three Ninja Pigs stars three pigs that are terrorized by a wolf. The smart-aleck dialect and sassy rhymes will delight children and have them dying of laughter. While reading this, I could imagine my students busting out in laughter at some of the lines. Children will recognize some of the lines from the traditional version of the story. The author’s inclusion of lines such as, “hair of my chinny-chin-chin,” help to perfectly blend the traditional tale with this modern twist. 

Children can relate to this story because they understand the idea of having bullies in their life. The author is very mindful in how he has the characters deal with the bully. Pig three does not have to resort to violence to defeat the bully. She is able to stand up for herself by showing off her skills and scaring the wolf away. The book also gives young girls the opportunity to see themselves as the hero.

The moral of the story is that hard work pays off. Children can easily recognize that the pigs that quit were not successful in their endeavors. The third pig put in time and a lot of practice and she was victorious in the end. Kids can relate to the embedded lesson of dedication to their chosen craft, whether it is sports, piano, or karate. 

The illustrations are beautiful with their calming colors. While the pigs are the stars of each page, the use of subtle details help set the stage for the story. The illustrator included Japanese details such as cherry blossoms, mountains, and traditional rooftops to help develop the setting. The book uses traditional text and speech bubbles to help tell the story. 

While reading, I made a mental note to look up some of the words that I was unfamiliar with, such as “aikido,” so imagine my delight when I found that the author included a glossary at the end of the book. I think this is an essential inclusion because it helps the reader gain a greater understanding of the book.

Review Excerpts

New York Times Book Review - "A fractured fairy tale to out charm the original, “The Three Ninja Pigs” manages to one-up the well-worn story by setting it in Japan, sprinkling it with the language and discipline of martial arts. All in hilarious, impeccable rhyme."

Booklist – “Anyone who knows the original story will be well aware of what comes next, but this standout version has so much motion, action, and laughs, kids will feel like they’re hearing it for the first time.”

Connections

·        * Students can write their own fractured fairy tale based on The Three Pigs.

·         *Use this book to introduce a discussion about bullying.

·        * Art connection: Make origami ninja stars.

·         *Students can compare and contrast this version with another version of the tale. 

·         *Other children’s book versions of The Three Pigs:

o   Scieszka, Jon.  The True Story of the Three Little Pigs.  ISBN: 0140544518.

o   Kimmel, Eric A.  The Three Little Tamales.  ISBN: 0761455191

o   Ketteman, Helen. The Three Little Gators. ISBN: 978-0807578247