Module 3: The Three Pigs

Module 3: The Three Pigs

Wiesner, D. (2001). The three pigs. New York: Clarion Books.

Summary

This book starts off in the traditional 3 Little Pigs fashion, but quickly becomes a new story when the first pig gets huffed and puffed right out of the story. The rest of the book is in the realm of imagination far removed from the original fairy tale. Wiesner writes this version with humor not contained in most fairy tales.

What Did I Think?

This version of the 3 Little Pigs is imaginative and novel. It is always a delight to hear a familiar tale in a new way and Wiesner sets the bar high with this truly unique version. The illustrations help to make this story come to life and make it an engaging and entertaining take on the story of the 3 little pigs.

Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Even the book’s younger readers will understand the distinctive visual code. As the pigs enter the confines of a storybook page, they conform to that book’s illustrative style, appearing as nursery-rhyme friezes or comic-book line drawings. When the pigs emerge from the storybook pages into the meta-landscape, they appear photographically clear and crisp, with shadows and three dimensions. Wiesner’s (Tuesday) brilliant use of white space and perspective (as the pigs fly to the upper right-hand corner of a spread on their makeshift plane, or as one pig’s snout dominates a full page) evokes a feeling that the characters can navigate endless possibilities–and that the range of story itself is limitless. Ages 5-up.Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Library Lesson

This book would be good to include in a display of many versions of different fairy tales, from the traditional to the fractured fairy tale versions. Students could compare and contrast, write about the best version in a their own book review, or create a book trailer of their favorite version.