The Three Pigs

Wiesner, David. The Three Pigs. Clarion Books, 2001.  ISBN 0-618-00701-6


Plot Summary:
Wiesner uses the familiar folktale of The Three Little Pigs only to have the wolf huff and puff where they end up “outside” of their story.  
This confuses the wolf very much. The pigs escape and take off in a paper airplane to explore different stories, and also end up rescuing
new friends in their adventure.  The Pigs and their new friends do end up back in “their” story and finish dealing with Wolf.


Analysis:
Definitely a familiar folktale turned upside down and shaken, and yet kept a similar ending as the traditional story.  Young readers
will enjoy the way that the pigs explore the space and even involve them in the story a bit with their conversation.  Wiesner uses a comic
book storyboard that help readers “see” how the pigs were able to escape their story and go exploring. The imaginative way that
the pigs interact with the story, like when they get caught under the storyboard boxes, and fold a storybox into a paper airplane to fly
to new worlds, will peak the interest of the reader.  The different illustration styles that Wiesner uses to show the difference in the worlds
that the pigs explore, from realistic drawings for their story, soft bold text with pastel colors and animated animals for the nursery rhyme
world, to pencil sketches for the dragon's world, is a good way for readers to see how the setting has changed.  
Review Excerpts:
CCBC Review - “It all starts out quite fine and familiar with "once upon a time," but very quickly in David Wiesner's original, brilliantly
conceived version of The Three Little Pigs things take a very unusual turn.”
ALA Review - “Wiesner uses a range of artistic styles and thrilling perspectives to play with the structure and conventions of traditional
storytelling, redefining the picture book.”
Caldecott Medal Winner 2002
Connections:
*Background-Reading a traditional version of this folktale is a great idea especially with younger readers.
*Technology/Coding-Using coding robots to play the part of the pigs as they go to the different worlds would be a great way to integrate the coding piece to this story.
*Great way to model traditional and alternative storytelling

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