SHSU Book Review for The Three Pigs by David Wiesner

Bibliography:

Wiesner, D. (2001). THE THREE PIGS. NY: Clarion.

 ISBN 978-0618007011

Plot Summary:

The story begins with a seemingly familiar tale of three pigs preparing to build houses of straw, sticks, and bricks. But when the Big Bad Wolf comes looking for a snack, he huffs and puffs the first little pig right out of the story and into the realm of imagination.  Dialogue balloons pepper a wide variety of illustration styles taking readers through a dazzling fantasy universe to the surprising and happy ending.

Critical Analysis:

The book cover is very captivating because of the images of 3 pigs in a more focused matter. The story starts off by sounding like the regular story we've all heard but quickly shifts gears. The wolf eats the pigs as he gets rid of the houses. But, in the pig's view they did not get eaten by the wolf. The illustrations show and mention how the pigs get out of the story, as if they are in another universe. This was very impressive and presented the story in a more satirical light. Thought bubbles are added to the pigs to show that they are indeed the ones telling the story. 

The added characters bring another level of imagination from Wiesner.  Students will be able to make those connections with other types of folktales mentioned in the story like, “Hey Diddle Diddle”. The added dragon that is presented towards the end of the story gives it a more suspenseful feel. Older students would appreciate this book and find the comedic part of it than an early childhood student would.

Review Excerpt(s):

Caldecott Medal

“In this postmodern interpretation, the style of the artwork shifts back and forth a few times, as Wiesner explores different realities within a book's pages. The story begins by following the familiar pattern, but the art and dialogue balloons tell another tale: the pigs actually step out of the panel illustrations without being eaten and the perplexed wolf remains behind. There's a lot going on here, but once you get your bearings, this is a fantastic journey told with a light touch.”- Horn Book

"A funny, wildly imaginative tale that encourages readers to leap beyond the familiar; to think critically about conventional stories and illustration, and perhaps, to flex their imaginations and create wonderfully subversive versions of their own stories." — ALA Booklist, Starred Review

Connection:

*Students can make inferences before reading the story and what will happen next.

* Students can do a readers’ theater acting out the parts of the story by having the faces of the pigs and wolf in a popsicle stick and role playing.

Other similar books:

Wiesner, David. MR. WUFFLES. ISBN 978-0618756612