The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka, illustrated by Lane Smith

Genre 2 - Traditional Literature

"Read one picture book variant or version of “The Three Pigs”"

Plot Summary

This is the story of the three little pigs from the wolf's point of view. He's run out of sugar and must seek neighborly assistance to complete the cake for his dear granny, but his sneezing head cold causes problems when it goes off in the vicinity of straw and stick houses and leaves poor dead little piggie dinners lying in the middle of the rubble. Why let good food go to waste? The third piggie is rude and insults the wolf's dear granny, which makes our narrator a bit upset in addition to sneezing. When the news reporters get involved, it's the media that takes the blame for sensationalizing the story and making the wolf out to be so big and bad.

Critical Analysis

Lane Smith's illustrations feel like nostalgic old photos with their sepia tones, splotchy coloring, and thin, ragged black frames. This enhances the tone of the story as a retelling by the wolf, and lends a little more legitimacy to his plight.

This retelling of the story lacks the morality tale which more traditional versions maintain. Instead, the media is made out to be the bad guy, and the wolf and pigs are all innocent victims in this variation.

Connections

• Could be used to illustrate the concepts of point of view and/or unreliable narrators.
• Could be combined with other versions of the Three Little Pigs to compare and contrast style, morality, cultures, or story elements.
  

  The Three Little Javelinas by Susan Lowell
  The Three Little Pigs by James Marshall
  The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig by Eugene Trivizas
  The Three Pigs by David Wiesner
  The Three Little Pigs: An Architectural Tale by Steven Guarnaccia
  The Three Swingin' Pigs by Vicky Rubin
  Three Little Cajun Pigs by Mike Artell
  The Three Little Pigs by Steven Kellogg

Awards/Reviews

From School Library Journal:

It's the type of book that older kids (and adults) will find very funny.--John Peters, New York Public Library.

From Booklist:

wickedly illustrated and sophisticated retelling.

From Publishers Weekly:

In this gaily newfangled version of a classic tale, Scieszka and Smith ( Flying Jake ) argue in favor of the villain, transforming the story of the three little pigs into a playfully suspicious, rather arch account of innocence beleaguered. . .Smith's highly imaginative watercolors eschew realism, further updating the tale, though some may find their urbane stylization and intentionally static quality mystifyingly adult. Designed with uncommon flair, this alternative fable is both fetching and glib.

Bibliography

Scieszka, Jon. The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs!. Ill. by Lane Smith. New Ed ed. New York: Viking Juvenile, 1989. ISBN 0670827592.

Related Links

• In search of the real three little pigs - different versions of the story 'The Three Little Pigs' originally published in Washington Monthly, Nov 1996 by Steven Waldman
• Three Little Pigs 'too offensive'