The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs

The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs. Jon Scieszka. Illus. by Lane Smith. New York: VIKING, 1989. 30 pages. $14.95 (Hardcover). ISBN 0-670-82759-2. Grades PreK-3.

Potential Reactions…

The story of the three little pigs is know and loved by most children. They hear it in libraries, at daycare, at home, in school, etc. While the story is cute and can be told in many varieties, the outcome is always the same…until now. I think readers will love hearing the other side of the story and have fun debating its validity. I think that readers will be hooked from the very first page of this story because it is introduced mysteriously be an unnamed narrator, who they soon find out to be…Alexander T. Wolf. I think this new spin will have children laughing from the get go, either that, or rolling their eyes. Since kids have never really been introduced to the Wolf character in this sense, I think it is important and brilliant for Scieszka to let him introduce himself and argue the case for wolves and their innate calm behavior. I think kids will love the witty wolf, but still be skeptical when he does admit he eats “cut little animals.” Once the kids are on the edge of their seats the real story begins.

I bet some smart-butt kids will be convinced that sneezing would not knock over the houses or that the pigs wouldn’t actually die. This argument would just have them playing the devil’s advocate and against the original 3 little pigs in the first place, so this negative attitude can be ignored. I really think kids will enjoy the possibility and practicality that Al’s story is the truth. I don’t think, however, audiences will be completely sympathetic to him, since he did still eat two of the three little pigs. I think that the story itself will be a hit, but I think reactions will be livelier if they can see the brilliant illustrations. The newspaper article, for example, at the end of the story makes this world seem real, which makes it even funnier. The final pages with the pig guard and Al in jail with a beard will also bring a smile to children’s faces. The illustrations are unique looking and aesthetically pleasing, but most importantly they give a reality meets fiction vibe. I think they help the kids really see the story take place while reminding them it is still a fairy tale. I think all reactions from this book will be positive ones. I don’t even think the kids can be scared or disturbed because the ‘bad guy’ is in jail, not dead, and the little pigs met ‘accidental’ deaths. Right? ;)  

Also, I think kids would love The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales also by Scieszka and illlustrated by Smith, since they too offer other versions of common tales.