Module Two: The Three Pigs written and illustrated by David Wiesner

Summary: The three pigs find themselves in different stories as they out smart the big bad wolf. They finally find comfort with a twist to the ending of the original fairy tail the Three Little Pigs. 

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

Impressions: This is a clever book that people of all ages will enjoy. I like how the author pulls in different aspects of other fairy tale stories. They pictures are beautiful and it would keep any audience on their toes. This is perfect for a young audience. They would roll with laughter.

Reviews:

“This is a unique retelling of the classic pig and wolf fairy tale. In this telling, there is not a happily-ever-after ending. Therefore, some younger readers might be disturbed. For some children, it would not be suitable because it might be too mature. Anyone who has a particular affection for pigs would probably not like this retelling either. However, this book would definitely prove popular among those persons who like irony and uniqueness in their reading material. Each page is filled with colorful illustrations. But what makes this book so unique is that there are some "off subject" pages--almost totally white, a dragon, a children's rhyme, and a comic-book look. One particularly humorous section is when the pigs just "kick out of the book" so they can escape from the wolf.”- Monica Irwin

Irwin, M. (2006). The three pigs (book review). The Lorgnette-Heart of Texas Reviews, 14(1). Retrieved from Children’s Literature Comprehensive Database.

“You know it’s not going to be just building materials and wolf exhalations when David Wiesner does the famous pig trio, and indeed it’s not. Things seem to go according to plan until the wolf huffs at the first little pig and blows him right out of the story; the oblivious text drones on, but the disappointed wolf looks in puzzlement at the pig-free ruins. The second pig flees the story prior to consumption too, and the first two pigs meet up with the third pig and go on a bookish adventure. First they turn a page into a paper airplane and fly through white space, and then they gambol through a library of picture books, finally fetching a dragon from a knightly coloring-book tale and bringing him back to give the poor wolf the surprise of his life. This isn’t the most innovative or tightly conceived metatextual folktale (Scieszka and Smith’s The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by A. Wolf, BCCB 9/89, still tops the porcine list), but it’s an amusing one nonetheless. The text is pretty much the poker-faced straight man here, with the art pulling the weight of the jokes. Wiesner uses style to great effect: initially, the wolf-and-pig drama unfolds in subdued, translucent watercolor with solid, simplified, literal lines; the pigs become fuzzy and beady-eyed mischief-makers when they exit their story, and they change character as they wander the books, most notably turning candy-sweet in the bland adorableness of the nursery-rhyme scene. Imaginative compositions include not only the airborne pigs in white space but one oinker hogging the page and sticking his nose out at the reader, saying, “I think someone’s out there.” This has the advantage over many postmodern reworkings of making a very light reading demand, so kids whose artistic sense is more sophisticated than their verbal perception will appreciate their chance to be in on the joke.”- Deborah Stevenson

Stevenson, D. (2001). The three pigs (book review). The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, 54(9). Retrieved from Children’s Literature Comprehensive Database.

Library Setting: Since this book is for younger audiences, the programmer could read the original Three Little Pigs. The programmer could then ask the patrons how the stories are different and alike. Next, the programmer could use patrons from the audience to play the pigs and the big bad wolf. Using props that have been made, reenact the story. The young patrons will enjoy participating.