The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs! by A. Wolf

Bibliography:

Scieszka, Jon. 1989.THE TRUE STORY OF THE 3 LITTLE PIGS. Ill. by Lane Smith. New York. Viking Penguin. ISBN 0670827592


Plot Summary:

        The story of the three little pigs is told from the wolf’s perspective. “Whose fault is it that wolves like to eat little animals?” he asks. “It’s just our diet.”

On that horrible, unfortunate day Wolf was making a birthday cake for his granny. He didn't feel well; he had a terrible sneezing cold. Wolf realized that he’d run out of sugar. So, he went to his neighbors to borrow a cup. Well, his neighbor was Little Pig, and he’d built his house out of straw. When Wolf knocked, no one answered the door. As he was about to leave, Wolf sneezed a great sneeze. Disastrously the whole straw house fell down. Wolf was terrified to find a dead pig in the pile of straw. The least he could do is eat it.

       In his search for sugar, Wolf wanders to the house of Mr. Pig, Little Pig’s brother. Though this house was built of sticks, it didn't survive Wolf’s sneeze either. Nor did Mr. Pig: he was served as a second helping.

       Unlucky, poor Wolf, still in search of a cup of sugar, went to the third brother who had built his house out of brick. It just wasn't Wolf’s day: this third pig not only refused to lend him a cup of sugar, he started trash talking Wolf’s dear granny. No wonder that Wolf went a little crazy: tried breaking down the pig’s door and went making a real scene.

       The rest is history: the police came, arrested Wolf, and made up this story about a big, bad wolf.

Critical Analysis

       Jon Scieszka offers a new and refreshing twist on the story The Three Little Pigs: The True Story of The 3 Little Pigs! by A. Wolf. Readers will delight in Wolf’s reasoning as to why the whole situation with the pigs was just a misunderstanding.

        The story that has been told so many times before gets a new perspective, a new colorization filled with humorous remarks like:

 “Now this neighbor was a pig. And he wasn’t too bright, either. He had built his whole house out of straw.”

and

“And right in the middle of the pile of straw was the First Little Pig – dead as a doornail. It seemed like a shame to leave a perfectly good ham dinner lying there in the straw. So I ate it up.”

But, in the final analysis the story remains the same: a mean wolf eats two innocent pigs, before being stopped by a huntsman in the original and a police officer in Scieszka’s version.

         The illustrations by Lane Smith are a great supplement to the story. Smith’s realistic illustrations make the story that much more believable. They show the wolf as a well-dressed character wearing eye-glasses – a literary sign of intelligence and honesty. How can the reader doubt such an honest character? Touches of humor are seen in almost every illustration. How sweet and touching it sounds when we read that Wolf is making a cake for his dear old granny only to see in the accompanying illustration a mixing bowl containing not only the expected cake ingredients, but also bunny ears. My favorite illustration is the image of a huge cheeseburger layered with a rabbit’s ears, a rat’s tail, and a mouse’s whiskers.

         This quick-witted retelling of an old story, coupled with remarkable illustrations, creates a delightful and hilarious version of the tale.

   

Review Experts:

Caldecott Honor Award for illustrations.

Publishers Weekly said of it, “Smith’s highly imaginative watercolors eschew realism, further updating the tale, though some may find their urbane stylization and intentionally static quality mystifyingly adult. Designed with uncommon flair, this alternative fable is both fetching and glib.”

“One of the best books of the year, exuding vitality and energy.” The Bookseller

“A hilarious alternative version.” NATE News

Connections

Gather other books illustrated by Lane Smith, such as THE STINKY CHEESE MAN AND OTHER FAIRLY STUPID TALES (also written by Jon Scieszka) and MADAM PRESIDENT.

THE THREE LITTLE WOLVES AND THE BIG BAD PIG by Eugene Trivizas

Have the students either side with the pigs or the wolf and present evidence for their argument and have a debate (role play).

Dramatize the story with the teacher/librarian acting as narrator and the children portraying the parts.  Ask the children how being the Wolf made them feel.