The Three Pigs

by David Wiesner

Book Overview

"Clever, whimsical and sophisticated." --New York Times Book Review
Taking visual narrative to a new level, this picture book from the creator of Tuesday and Flotsam begins a seemingly familiar tale of three pigs preparing to build houses of straw, sticks, and bricks. But when the Big Bad Wolf comes looking for a snack, he huffs and puffs the first little pig right out of the story . . . and into the realm of pure...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0618007016
• ISBN13: 9780618007011
• Release Date: April 2001
• Publisher: Clarion Books
• Length: 40 Pages
• Weight: 1.16 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 11.5" x 9.2"
• Age Range: 4 to 7 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 2

Customer Reviews

Awsome!

David Wiesner comes from the Chris Van Allsburg school of writing for children. Like Van Allsburg, his books are highly creative and imaginative, the story is absorbing and entertaining, and, quite apart from all that, the illustrations are in a class of their own-stark and startling yet warm and accessible.The Three Little pigs starts out as the classic story but then diverts down a very different, utterly delightful path before returning-sort of-to the traditional ending. The work, taken as a whole, is captivating and engrossing for child and adult alike. And, finally, like all great children's fiction, this is the sort of book one does not tire of-you are always ready to dive in yet once again with as great a sense of anticipation as when you tried it the first time.I consider Van Allsburg's Polar Express and Jumanji to be among the best children's books ever produced. This book is in both that mold and of that class of effort.A truly awesome book the whole family will enjoy for years to come.

A Postmodern Version for Children and Adults

Wow! This is one great book both for children and adults. The story is not The Three Little Pigs that we all know so well, but a postmodern version called The Three Pigs that expands laterally and not chronologically. The Three Little Pigs is a traditional modern tale whose moral is to postpone pleasure and protect yourself. The characters are flat, the story predictable, and, once you know it, dull. Here, in the postmodern version, the characters are multidimentional and the story not predictable. In fact, the pigs fall out of the text, complain about being eaten by the wolf, go on a paper airplane ride, meet up with the cat in the fiddle and a dragon, cutting across many different levels of culture. Adults may be puzzled, but the kids catch on right away and love it. Encouraged by the power of imagination, the kids start to make up their own versions. Parents, fear not. The pigs in David Wiesner's award winning version - all three of them - end up back at home in the brick house safe from the wolf and in famous company (dragon and cat), living happily ever after together.

No Ordinary Fairy Tale

Everyone knows the story of The Three Pigs. They build their houses of straw and wood and brick. The big bad wolf comes and huffs and puffs and... David Wiesner has taken this old tale and given it a clever and very inventive twist. Instead of being eaten, the pigs escape, take their book apart to confuse and keep the wolf away, build a paper airplane and fly off on a fairy tale adventure of their own. Mr Wiesner keeps his humorous text spare and simple and let's his marvelous artwork tell the story. Youngster's imaginations will soar as they examine the colorful, expressive and detailed illustrations. Perfect for children 4-8, The Three Pigs tells an old familiar story in a new, creative and innovative way and is a MUST for all home libraries.