Wiesner, David. 2001. The Three Pigs. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN 0618007016
Plot Summary
It’s a common tale that begins familiar enough. “Once upon a
time there were three pigs. . .” but this time, the wolf blew a little too
hard, sending the first little pig right off the page! Once the lucky little
piggy has figured out there is life beyond the picture frames, he quickly goes
to rescue his brother pigs from the story. From there, they embark on an unexpected
journey through other childhood stories. With the help of their new storybook
friends, they enjoy manipulating the traditional tale into an ending that suits
them much better.
Critical analysis
Wiesner’s fractured version of the three little pigs takes a
dramatic turn from page three. The traditional illustrations start to give
way, starting with the appearance of word bubbles as the pig tumbles from the
frame. From there, the story becomes increasingly disjointed (though I found it
amusing to see the confused wolf left behind in the “normal” story) as the pigs
explore their
new-found freedom.
The creative play of the pigs nudging, folding, and flying
the pages of their story keeps the reader wondering what could happen next.
That ends up being the pigs’ self-insertion into other stories, starting with
the “hey, diddle, diddle” nursery rhyme. I love how it shows the transformation
of the pigs from the more realistic illustration into the cartoony figures
expected from nursery rhymes. I think the pigs don’t like it as much as I do, because
they soon move on to a black and white "dragon v. knight" story. After rescuing
the dragon (who saw that coming?), they return with their friends to their
original story, manipulating both pictures and words to create a new ending. .
. or a new beginning.
While the jump back and forth between traditional tale writing
style and more modern, comics-style narrative is very creative and enjoyable when
you’re on board with the story, it can also be a disappointment for those
looking for a traditional retelling of the three little pigs. There is nothing
in the cover or the title to suggest that this is a fractured version, which
could end up taking away the charm for some readers, especially those wanting
to share the traditional tale with young ones for the first time. This story
really only works if you are already familiar with this and the other stories
in the book.
Review Excerpts
Caldecott Winner (2002)
From Publisher’s
Weekly: “Wiesner's brilliant use of white space and perspective (as
the pigs fly to the upper right-hand corner of a spread on their makeshift
plane, or as one pig's snout dominates a full page) evokes a feeling that the
characters can navigate endless possibilities--and that the range of story
itself is limitless.”
Connections
Other award- and honor-winning books by David Wiesner:
Tuesday (2011) ISBN 978-0395870822
Mr. Wuffles! (2013) ISBN 978-0618756612
Flotsam (2006) ISBN 978-0618194575
Other fractured versions of The Three Little Pigs:
The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs, by Jon Scieszka (1996) ISBN 978-0140544510
The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig, by Eugene Trivizas (1996) ISBN 978-0689815287
The Three Little Javelinas by Susan Lowell (1992) ISBN 978-0873585422
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