Traditional Literature Review-The Three Little Pigs

A. Bibliography:
     Watts, Bernadette. (2012). The Three Little Pigs. New York, NY: North-South Books. ISBN: 9780735840584.

B. Plot Summary:
This version of The Three Little Pigs begins with a poor widow pig who asks her sons to find their fortunes in the world.  Each pig encounters a kindhearted man who donates the supplies to each of them to build their home.  As with the traditional tales, the wolf comes along and blows the first two pigs' homes down.  When the wolf comes to the third pig's home, he cannot blow down the bricks. The wolf declares that he will come down the chimney in the morning.  Unlike the original tale, the wolf is not eaten, but instead gets smoke in his eyes from the chimney fire.  He then runs to the forest and is never seen again.  Finally, the mother and her pigs all move in together and live happily ever after.

C. Critical Analysis:
The Three Little Pigs by Bernadette Watts is a happy and feel-good version of the story.  This adaptation does not have much of a variation from the original tale, with the only two exceptions being that the wolf is not eaten at the end and there is a kind man in this version.  This gives Watts' book a traditional "happily ever after" ending.

The major highlight of this version is Watts' elaborate and delicate illustrations.  The beautiful sunsets, small forest animals and homes are striking.  The reader can see the details in Watts' brushstrokes. Her illustrations create movement on the pages where the homes are being blown down.  One improvement that I would've liked to have seen is for the kindhearted man to be incorporated into the end of the story.  It felt as if he didn't really fit into the entire story.  If he had appeared at the end of the story, the reader could have identified a clear theme.

D. Review Excerpts:
**Booktopia states, "It's power to the pigs in this fairy-tale favorite! Bernadette Watts brings one of the most beloved fairy tales to life with her colorful and delightfully detailed illustrations. Retelling it with all of the pluck and charm of the classic tale, Watts ensures that all ends happily and no one gets eaten! In addition to the adorable pigs and the expressive big bad wolf, a bevy of endearing animals befriends the little pigs and adds enchantment to this story time favorite. "
**Kirkus Reviews states, "A candy-colored version of the classic tale completely lacks teeth and claws. Sunny colors and lots of cute details make for pleasant page-turning.  Devoid of energy, but greeting-card pretty. "

E. Connections:
There are many variations of The Three Little Pigs that students can read to compare and contrast.  There are versions from the wolf's perspective, such as The True Story of the Three Little Pigs written by Jon Scieszka, which is a good lesson for point of view.  Students can also use this story to retell the book using their own animal characters, or write from the antagonist's perspective.