The Three Pigs

Bibliography

Wiesner, David. 2001. The Three Pigs. Ill. By David Wiesner. New York, NY: Clarion Books. ISBN 0-618-00701-6

Plot Summary

Wiesner’s version of The Three Pigs begins in the traditional way, but once the wolf huffs and puffs and blows the straw house down, he also blows the pig out of the story. The little pig goes to each of his brother’s houses and invites them out of the story with him. The three pigs go an adventure aboard a paper airplane made from the pages of their story. Along the way they encounter other characters in other stories, such as the cat and the fiddle. The rescue a dragon from being slain by a knight, and he continues on their adventure with them. The pigs eventually decide to return home, but not before devising a plan. The book returns to the traditional story world, picking up with the wolf knocking on the door of the brick house. However, instead of finding a defenseless little pig, he is surprised by a big dragon. The story ends with the pigs making soup with their new friends. And of course, they all lived happily ever after.    

Critical Analysis

This version of The Three Little Pigs has the traditional characters, but adds a few others from other stories. The story is told from the point of view of the pigs as they escape their book and travel to the pages of other tales.

At the beginning, the illustrations are full page and cartoonish. When the pigs are blown off the pages of the story, they take on a more realistic, three dimensional appearance. The traditional text at the top of the page is replaced by speech bubbles. When the pigs venture out, the illustrator uses blank space to focus the reader on the pigs and their interactions. This change in illustration and text also helps distinguish between the traditional tale and the modern twist. I enjoyed that the author didn’t follow the rules of a traditional children’s book.

The words on the pages don’t always match what is happening in the story. When the wolf blows the house down, the text says that he ate the pig up, but the pig isn’t even on the page anymore. By the end of the story, the pigs have had enough and start taking the words off the page. They use those letters to rewrite the book to say that they lived happily ever after.

I believe that children will enjoy the adventures that ensue when the pigs take matters into their own hands. It allows them to see how imagination can change things. They can realize that they too can become the authors of their own story, just like the little pigs.

Awards

2002 Caldecott Medal

Review Excerpts

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

Booklist starred review: “Wiesner's latest is a post-modern fantasy for young readers that takes Scieszka's fragmentation a step further: it not only breaks apart and deliciously reinvents the pigs' tale, it invites readers to step beyond the boundaries of story and picture book altogether.”

Connections

*This book could be used to encourage conversations about moral topics such as stealing, lying, and revenge.

*Write about a time in your life when you did something wrong and had to suffer the consequences of your actions.

*Other children’s picture books with a similar theme:

·         Klassen, Jon. I Want My Hat Back. ISBN 0763655988

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly

Bibliography

Taback, Simms. 1997. There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly. New York, NY: Viking Books for Young Readers. ISBN 978-0670869398.

Plot Summary

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly is a fun book based on a children’s folk song. It tells the story of an old lady who has an unusual appetite. It starts with her eating a fly, but no one knows why. She then eats a spider to catch the fly. When that doesn’t work, she eats a bird to catch the spider. Then she eats a cat to catch the bird. The feast continues until she finally eats a horse. Unfortunately, eating a horse resulted in her death.

Critical Analysis

This cumulative tale, with its fun rhyme and predictable text, is perfect for read alouds. Students will love repeating the phrase, “I don’t know why she swallowed a ______. Perhaps she’ll die.” The old lady’s crazy expressions and unusual appetite will have children laughing. They will also be able to recognize the sequence and pattern of animals being eaten from smallest to largest.

I remember enjoying this song in my elementary music class. When I discovered this book several years ago, I was delighted to read this new spin on a classic tale. Even though the words are the same, the illustrations really help take it to the next level.

The bold, colorful illustrations really accentuate the zany tale. Each page is busy and full of things for the reader to explore. The witty, rhyming comments made by animals will have the reader rolling. The die-cut pages help focus the reader and connect the pages. The die-cut expands to show the contents of the old lady’s stomach each time she consumes another animal. The words on the page are written on scraps like a ransom note with handwritten text. There is a collage page devoted to each animal that is about to be eaten. The dog’s page contains various breeds of dogs, and items that people associate with a dog such as a food bowl. The collage pages have little bits of humor hidden within, like a missing dog poster. Children and adults alike will enjoy searching the lively, detailed pages for these entertaining bits. 

Throughout the book, the old lady seems motivated to eat different animals in an effort to catch the previously eaten animal. Unfortunately this tactic ends in her demise. The last page spells out the moral of the story: Never swallow a horse.

Awards

2008 Caldecott Honor

Review Excerpts

School Library Journal – “The text is handwritten on vivid strips of paper that are loosely placed on the patterned page, thus creating a lively interplay between the meaning of the words and their visual power.”

New York Times Book Review – “The book is beautifully illustrated and lovingly designed by Simms Taback, and the publisher should be given enormous credit for the careful way it has produced the book and carried through his concept, which is a dandy.”

Connections

•   Math Connection: Students can estimate the weight of objects eaten in the book. 
•   Have students orally retell the story using props such as stuffed animals or puppets.
•  Write a new version of the “old lady” story. 
•  Other “Old Lady” children’s picture books:

o   Jackson, Alison.  I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie.  ISBN: 0140565957.

o   Colandro, Lucille.  There Was a Cold Lady Who Swallowed Some Snow!  ISBN: 978-0439567039.

o   Garriel, Barbara. I Know a Shy Fellow Who Swallowed a Cello. ISBN: 978-1590789469.