THE THREE LITTLE PIGS by James Marshall

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Marshall, James. 1989. THE THREE LITTLE PIGS. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0-7587-3804-8

PLOT SUMMARY

In this humorous retelling of the traditional tale The Three Little Pigs, mother pig sends her three young pigs out to live on their own. Each one of them decides to build a house. Two pigs settle respectively into houses made of straw and sticks. The hungry wolf blows down their houses and gobbles them up. The third pig builds his home out of bricks, and the wolf cannot blow down the sturdy house. The wolf then asks the pig to get turnips, pick apples, and meet at the fair. Each time the pig goes an hour earlier, tricking the wolf. At the fair, the pig sees the wolf and escapes from him by rolling home in a butter churn. The wolf comes to the pig's house, climbs onto the roof, and jumps into a pot of boiling water. The third little pig outsmarts the wolf and eats him up for dinner.


CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This charming book is a modern retelling of the classic folk tale and recounts the fatal episodes in the lives of the two foolish pigs and how the third pig managed to avoid the same fate. The wolf, as a traditional archetype of the villain is menacing and dodgy, but still zany and laughable, while his round, pink pig opponent is surprisingly roguish and alert. Though many versions of the story stop with the success of the brick house, in this simple tale of wisdom Marshall continues with the extension of turnips, apples, and a trip to the fair to show just how clever the last little pig is and how foolish the wolf. Additionally, the personality of each little pig is illustrated not only in their choice of materials with which to build their homes but also in their clothing.

In this amusing alternatives to the traditional story, along with the familiar refrains of "let me come in," "chinney chin chin," and "huff" and "puff," Marshall embraces examples of more present-day language as in “mind your own business” and “Oh, pooh”. The illustrations in the book embellish the text with dynamic and set the story in contemporary times without losing its fabulist elements. Action-filed, cartoon-style sketches in full color offer a sophisticated modern twist. Pictures are silly and goofy, and the artist makes no attempt to make the art appear realistic. Bright color washes added to expressive line drawings directly convey the plot.

Known for his ability to add depth and substance to seemingly simple story, Marshall creates a version of The Three Little Pigs that is witty, engaging, and easy for younger listeners to follow.


REVIEW EXCERPTS

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: "Marshall brings his own brand of humor to both text and pictures in this retelling of the popular nursery tale….Good stories can be retold endlessly, and Marshall's inventive version of The Three Little Pigs is an excellent addition for all library picture-book collections.”

CHILDREN’S LITERATURE: “The Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator retells the story of the "Three Little Pigs" in the same silly manner of his previously released Red Riding Hood and Goldilocks and the Three Bears. His retelling minimizes the gruesome aspects of traditional versions but still portrays the three pigs building their respective houses out of straw, wood and bricks and then tricking the Big Bad Wolf.”

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY: "There are fairy tales, and there are Marshall's tales. Readers can be forgiven for preferring his over all the rest."


CONNECTIONS

• Children may explore a literary archetype, such as the wolf, by locating a variety of fiction and nonfiction books about wolves, and charting how many times wolves are portrayed positively and how many times they are portrayed negatively.

• Companion Rhyme: Read the nursery rhymes 'To Market, To Market' (accentuating the rhyming words 'pig and jig' or 'hog and jog') and “This Little Piggy”.

• Lead a discussion about the ways the third little pig outsmarted the wolf. Encourage children to try to think of other things the pig might have done to fend off the wolf. Have children consider what the three pigs might have done together to keep the wolf at bay.