The Three Little Pigs

In Steven Kellogg's inventive take on the storybook classic The Three Little Pigs (HarperCollins, 1997), brothers Percy, Prudence, and Pete find themselves in deep water, or perhaps syrup, when a sinister customer shows up at their town waffle cart hungry for something other than waffles. Having taken over the prospering waffle business from their mother, Sarafina Sow, the pigs are lucky enough to own individual homes in which they attempt to hide from the big, bad wolf, aptly name Tempesto. Tempesto's voracious appetite, however, moves him to violent action as he blows down not just one, but two, of their homes. Kellogg's action-packed illustrations capture the reader's eye with their attention to detail. Although younger ones may not totally take notice of the clever scenery, such as the Pablo Pigasso painting in one of the pigs' homes, they will surely smile at the book's humorous depiction of an animal village, while adults will take pleasure in the fact that the illustrations are more than just expressive colors on a page. Children will rejoice with the triumph of the miniature hog heroes of this tale and laugh out loud at the animals' comical battle involving flying watermelons and ending with a creative addition to the waffle cart's menu: the "wolffle."

Once there was a mother Serafina Snow, she had 3 piglets, Percy, Pete, and Prudence. One day Serafina had a brilliant idea to start a waffle making business. Soon her piglets were enrolled at school, played basketball, and were involved in plays. When they grew up the waffle business was handed over to them. Each of them built a house; Percy built a straw house, Pete built a log cabin, and Prudence made his cottage out of bricks. One day they met a wolf named Tempesto who didn?t want waffles but wanted to eat them! The wolf knocked down Percy, and Pete?s houses and moved on to Prudence?s. The three pigs bombarded him with watermelons, pumpkins, cantaloupes, grapes, and pastries. This caught Tempesto by surprise and he was knocked down. The wolf entered down the chimney but was soon turned into a waffle. In the end Percy, Pete, and Prudence married and had kids. I enjoyed this book because it gave a new idea to the story of the Three Little Pigs, it kinda jazzed it up a little and made it a little more interesting.

I've read and reviewed most of the basic tellings of "The Three Little Pigs", as well as most of the variants. Here's my take on it.This is quite possibly the best telling of "The Three Little Pigs" out there. Although it more or less follows the traditional storyline, it expands it greatly, having the mama pig start a waffle business, making the house of sticks a more believable log cabin, and giving all the characters names and personalities. Humor abounds, particularly in the artwork, such as "Pablo Pigcasso" and a "peopley" bank. It's subtle and may take you a frew readings to notice. Very good, nice twist at the end.

Steven Kellogg did a wonderful job. My five year old wants to read it over and over and over and over again. The story and illustrations are delightful.

This story is a refreshing change from the classic version of the three pigs story. The pigs, not only have names, but they also attend school and run the family business. Neither the pigs or the big, bad, thug-like wolf get eaten. Instead, there's a humorous and positive ending to this tale. The illustrations are fun and intricate and exemplify the great Steven Kellogg style. As a reading teacher, I have used this book as part of a study of classic tales. My students particularly enjoy the humor, illustrations, and details that they can compare to other versions of the same tale. This is a great book to share with students and readers of all ages!