The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs is "by A. Wolf as told to Jon Scieszka and illustrated by Lane Smith. It was published by Puffin Books in 1996. It is in the fantasy genre and is appopriate for grades 2-5.
Right from the start this book gives a very different flare. The book is "by A. Wolf" and is told from the point of view of the wolf in the classic story of The Three Little Pigs. The story is the wolf telling his side of the story and explaining how it was all a big mistake. The wolf explains that he had a terrible sneezing cold and needed to borrow a cup of sugar from his neighbor. He goes to the first pigs house, which was made of straw and knocks on the door. When no one answers he calls to the pig, but then he feels a sneeze coming on. He accidentally sneezes the pig's house down on him, killing the poor pig. The wolf explains what a shame it would be to leave a perfectly good dead pig lying there so he eats him! Then he moves on to the next pigs house, where a similar story occurs. He finally gets to the third and smartest pigs house which is made of brick. The wolf knocks at the door and recieves a rude answer from the pig inside. He asks for a cup of sugar to make a cake for his grandmother and when the pig gives a rude remark in regards to the wolf's poor grandmother, the wolf goes a little crazy. The police show up just as the wolf is screaming and yelling at the pig and also having a terrible sneezing fit. So in the wolf's story he is wrongly accused in the case of the three little pigs.
This story is written and illustrated by the same team who created The Stinky Cheese Man. It has the same story as that book, which is loved by children all over. The illustrations are all drawings and are very well done. You can tell that a lot of care was taken to create pieces of art for every page. I love that this book is like an exspose of a fairy tale that everyone knows. The familiarity will grab kid's attention, but the twist will hold their attention and keep them entertained. You could incorporate this book into a story writing lesson with middle to upper elementary kids. Students would think it was cool to try and think up an alternate plot to a story that everyone knows. This encourages imagination and writing skills.
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Katey,
I like the format you have been using; it flows nicely. Please change the genre from Fantasy to traditional literature; after your readings this week, you should have a better handle on folktales and fairy tales. Also, this is a post-modern fairy tale spoof; remember as we discussed in class, the characters are "talking" to the readers. You need to comment more specifically on the illustrations. In fact, for all of your entries, you need to focus on the following:
o Examine these picture books through characterization, perspective, illustrations, and the integration of the text and illustrations.
o Does the text alone hold the reader's attention?
o Is the art accessible and interesting to the intended audience? Do the illustrations communicate symbolically through the use of backgrounds, colors, framing, shading, texture, etc.? Discuss the artistic media used. Does the illustrator’s artistic medium enhance the fit between text and pictures for these books?
Thanks Katey.
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