The Three Pigs

 

1. Bibliography

Wiesner, D. 2001. The Three pigs. Clarion Books. ISBN 0-618-00701-6

2. Plot Summary

The story begins like a retelling of the classic “Three Little Pigs” until the big bad wolf blows the first little pig’s house of straw down but blows the pig out of the story. After the same thing happens to the second and third little pig, the pigs find other nursery rhymes and fairy tales stories. They meet other characters along the way while trying to get back to their own story.

3. Critical Analysis

As the story begins, the reader thinks they are hearing the classic version of the tale, but the story takes a turn in an unknown direction. The words even match the classic story but the illustrations don’t match what is being told. The illustrations lead the reader into the new version. The illustrations are entertaining as you see the pigs hiding behind the “real” story to hide from their fate. The drawings from the other stories also match the genre of their classic tale to show how these characters are invading a new story. The star of the story is the illustrations as they control the direction of the story,

4. Review Excerpts 

Caldecott Medal Winner 2002

Irma Black Award 2002

Kirkus Review: “With this inventive retelling, Caldecott Medalist Wiesner (Tuesday, 1991) plays with literary conventions in a manner not seen since Scieszka’s The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales (1993).”

5. Connections

Compare and contrast this version with the classic version of The Three Little Pigs.

Read other versions of the “The Three Little Pigs” such as “The True Story of The 3 Little Pigs”

Read other stories by David Wiesner such as “Flotsam” and “Tuesday.”