Module 6 - The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs!

Bibliography

Scieszka, J. (1989). The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs! (L. Smith, Illus). New York: Viking

Summary

This version of the “Three Little Pigs” is told from the perspective of the wolf, Alexander T. Wolf.  While making a cake for his grandmother, the wolf finds that he does not have enough sugar and so goes to ask his neighbor – the first little pig.  While at the door, Wolf feels a sneeze coming on, due to his “sneezing cold,” and when he sneezes, the straw house blows away.  This happens again at the second little pig’s house of sticks.  At the brick house belonging to the third little pig, Wolf was met with rude and impolite comments about his grandmother.  Of course this made Wolf mad, so as he is still sneezing, he tries to break down the door, and this is when the reporters come, making the story more interesting by making Wolf the bad guy.

My Thoughts

Very entertaining to hear this version of the “Three Little Pigs”.  I found the character of the Wolf amusing as he portrays himself as the innocent one, framed for a crime he didn’t commit, even though he did eat the first two pigs, claiming they were already dead.  I almost feel sorry for the pathetic, mistreated Wolf.  The illustrations help Wolf’s story by depicting him as a harmlessly innocent wolf suffering from a nasty cold; and the third pig looks like a mean thug!

Reviews

“Victim for centuries of a bad press, Alexander (“You can call me Al”) T. Wolf steps forward at last to give his side of the story.  Trying to borrow a cup of sugar to make a cake for his dear old Granny, Al calls on his neighbors – and can he help it if two of them built such shoddy houses? A couple of sneezes, a couple of dead pigs amidst the wreckage and, well, it would be shame to let those ham dinners spoil, wouldn’t it? And when the pig in the brick house makes a nasty comment about Granny, isn’t it only natural to get a little steamed?  It’s those reporters from the Daily Pig that made Al out to be Big and Bad, that caused him to be arrested and sent to the (wait for it) Pig Pen.  “I was framed,” he concludes mournfully, Smith’s dark tones and sometimes shadowy, indistinct shapes recall the distinctive illustrations he did for Merriam’s Halloween ABC (Macmillan, 1987); the bespectacled wolf moves with a rather sinister bonelessness, and his juicy sneezes tear like thunderbolts through a dim, grainy world.  It’s the type of book that older kids (and adults) will find very funny.”

Peters, J. (1989). [Review of the Book The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs by J. Scieszka]. School Library Journal, 35(14), 108

Ideas for Use

I think it would be wonderful to either act this out for children, or to have the children act out the story.