Bibliography
Wiesner, David. 2001. The Three Pigs. New York: Clarion Books.
ISBN: 978-0618007011
Brief plot summary
The three pigs set out to
seek their fortune. The pigs build their houses out of the traditional materials
(straw, sticks, and bricks). However, when the wolf comes to blow each house
down the pig living in that house escapes from the pages of the book. The pigs
escape the wolf by folding a page of the storybook into a paper airplane and
flying off into other storybook worlds where they meet the cat and the fiddle
and a fairy-tale dragon. These new friends return to the house of bricks with
the three pigs where they all sit down to eat a bowl of alphabet soup and live
happily ever after.
Critical analysis
This postmodern retelling
of the classic tale reinvents the pigs’ story and invites the reader to follow
the pigs on an adventure outside the boundaries of the traditional tale and
into the pages of other storybooks. As the pigs make their escape from their
traditional reality, the pages of the storybook begin to deconstruct and when
the pigs and their new friends decide to return to the brick house they must
put the pages back together. Upon their return the letters begin to fall off
the pages signaling that a new ending will bring about a new chapter in the
lives of the three pigs.
The artwork plays an
important role in the story telling as shifts of perspective keep the story
flowing and underscores the humor in the story. The artwork was created using
mixed media including watercolor, gouache, colored inks, pencil, and colored
pencils. Weisner uses four
different visual styles in The Three Pigs: one for The Three Little
Pigs storybook, one for the Hey Diddle Diddle section, one for the dragon's
storybook, and then a more photo-realistic style when the pigs are traveling between
stories. On the last few pages of the book we are shown through the
illustrations the effect of the pigs’ adventures outside of their own story as
the text begins to break apart and drift down the pages.
This version will
fascinate and puzzle children. With its graphic novel frames and conversation
balloons, there is not a single linear way to read the story on every page.
Younger children may get lost trying to figure out why the words on the pages
say one thing, but the action shows another. Also, while the wolf is destined
to stay trapped in the book, the pigs are allowed to run away from evil and
their fears. Readers of all ages will find humor and much to be enjoyed in this
retelling of The Three Pigs.
Review excerpts
“Jon
Scieszka's The True Story of the Three
Little Pigs (1989) turned the favorite porkers' story upside-down by
allowing the grossly misjudged wolf to tell his side of the story. 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.” – Booklist
(starred)
"Witty
dialogue and physical comedy abound in this inspired retelling of a familiar
favorite.” – School Library Journal
“Wiesner's
dialogue and illustrations are clever, whimsical and sophisticated. – New York Times Review of Books
Awards / Best Books
Caldecott Medal Winner, 2002
Irma S. and James H. Black Award for Excellence in
Children’s Literature Winner, 2001
Reading Magic Award, 2001 – Parenting
ALSC Notable Children’s Books, 2002
Publishers Weekly Best Children’s Books, 2001
School Library Journal Best Books, 2001
Classroom Connections
Give students the
opportunity to explore stereotyping and bias by looking at representations of
the wolf in different versions of The Three Pigs (print and film). Have
students participate in an AVID-style Philosophical Chairs or Socratic Circles
to examine their preconceptions and stereotypes.
In the book the pigs
stumbled into other fairy tales and nursery rhymes such as the "Cat and
the Fiddle." What other stories might the pigs visit? How would they get
there? What might happen there and what characters might they rescue and take
back home with them? Write a short story telling what happens.
Compare and contrast this
telling of The Three Pigs to the Disney Silly Symphony cartoon of The Three
Little Pigs.
Use a Double Bubble
Thinking Map to compare and contrast this version with Jon Scieszka’s The True Story of the Three Little Pigs.
Pair this book with Roald
Dahl’s poem, “The Three Little Pigs,” and discuss similarities and differences.
Other popular versions and variants of The Three Little Pigs:
Galdone, Paul. The Three Little Pigs. ISBN: 978-0547370200
Zemach, Margot. The Three Little Pigs: An Old Story. ISBN: 978-1439584965
Moser, Barry, The Three Little Pigs. ISBN: 978-0316585446
Marshall, James. The Three Little Pigs. ISBN: 978-0613301565
Rounds, Glenn. The Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf. ISBN: 978-0823409235
Scieszka, Jon. The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs. ISBN: 978-0140544510
Trivizas, Eugene. The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig. ISBN: 978-0613021333
