Genre 2 - The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs!

The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs!

Scieszka,Jon. The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs. New York: Puffin Books, 1989.

ISBN: 0-670-82759-2

PLOT SUMMARY

The Wolf from the original Three Little Pigs story gives a high energy, very opinionated version of what really happened to the three little pigs when the pigs died a tragic death from according to the wolf, a very bad cold.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Just looking at the illustrations on the front of this story gives you a mischievous feeling. The reader can almost immediately see that they are reading a story that is unlike what they’ve come to know about the 3 little pigs.

The story is told from the viewpoint of the Wolf who likes to be called ‘Al’. Scieszka does a great job of keeping the dialog of the Wolf and all the Pig’s distinctively different and allows those of us reading the story aloud to have fun with different character voices. The illustrations are captivating as many of them expand over the threshold of the binding. The comedic aspect that Scieszka incorporates into this book is one of the best qualities of this story. Students find the pictures of the pigs funny and interesting, as they don’t resemble what they are used to seeing. Overall this story offers great educational opportunities as well as a creative take on a classic story.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

· School Library Journal: “It's the type of book that older kids (and adults) will find very funny.”

· Booklist: “t invites readers to step beyond the boundaries of story and picture book altogether.”

· Publishers Weekly: “"Imaginative watercolors eschew realism, further updating the tale."

CONNECTIONS

· Compare and Contrast: Students can become more familiar with graphic organizers by comparing The Three Little Pigs to The True Story of the Three Little Pigs.

· Morally there is a lot to learn from this story. For younger students it is really nice for them to understand that there is almost always more than one side to the story.