The Three Pigs

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Wiesner, David. 2001. The Three Pigs. Ill. By David Wiesner. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN 0618007016.

PLOT SUMMARY
THE THREE PIGS is a classic tale that in David Wiesner's hands receives a twist. In this version the story begins the same as the classic tale with the wolf happening upon a pig in a house made of straw. He “huffed, and he puffed, and he blew the house in...and ate the pig up” except he didn't because the pig is no where to be found. The story takes an entirely new direction when the wolf walks up to the house made of bricks. Before the wolf can begin “huffing and puffing” the pigs escape to a new world, a literary world, full of recognizable characters such as the “the cat and the fiddle” and a dragon that is about to be slain. Eventually, the “cat and the fiddle” and the dragon accompany the three pigs back to the house made of bricks where he is frightened off. The story ends with the three pigs, the dragon, and the cat in the brick house enjoying a bowl of soup.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
David Wiesner's The Three Pigs is a fun and whimsical tale told with the pigs in mind. In this story the wolf is a minor character and the pigs get free rein of the story showing that with imagination, possibilities are endless.
David Wiesner's illustrations are done in watercolor, gouache, colored inks, pencil and colored pencil. The illustrations are fun and whimsical much like the story itself. One of the most notable features of the story is the illustrations of the pigs. On one page the pigs interrupt the story and say, “Let's explore this place.” Wiesner's illlustrations turn from a colorful page to a stark white background with the pigs soaring on a paper plane made of the traditional story. Another amazing feature about the pigs is their ability to fit into any story. When the pigs meet the “cat and the fiddle” they transform into a colorful cartoon and when they meet the dragon they are drawn in only black in white. The pigs get free rein of the book and the story and can go anywhere they please. They are not bound by this story and can pop up in other notable folktales.

REVIEW EXCERPTS
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, starred review: “Even the book's younger readers will understand the distinctive visual code. As the pigs enter the confines of a storybook page, they conform to that book's illustrative style, appearing as nursery-rhyme friezes or comic-book line drawings.”

KIRKUS REVIEWS, starred review: “With this inventive retelling, Caldecott medalist Wiesner plays with literary conventions. . . . On the last few pages, the final words of the text break apart, sending letters drifting down into the illustrations to show us that once we have ventured out into the wider world, our stories never stay the same.”

CONNECTIONS
This story would be an excellent for older readers who are familiar with the traditional folktale. The colorful illustrations would also be great for a story-time read.
Other stories like THE THREE PIGS:
Scieszka, Jon. THE TRUE STORY OF THE 3 LITTLE PIGS! ISBN 0140544518
Trivizas, Eugene. THE THREE LITTLE WOLVES AND THE BIG BAD PIG. ISBN 068981528X