Bibliography Wiesner, David. 2001. The Three Pigs. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN 0618007016 Plot Summary This story starts off in the tradition of the original “Three Little Pigs” tale. But, as the wolf begins to huff and puff, the pigs find themselves in a new place full of imagination. As the pigs travel through other classic stories they meet new friends along the way. Eventually they return to the original version, only to use their new skills and friends to subdue the wolf. The story ends with the pigs rearranging the letters from the story to spell “And they all lived happily ever after.” Critical Analysis This story is a fun spin on the classic tale of the three pigs. The story starts off with the same characters, setting, and plot, until the wolf blows the first pig off the page. From there, the story continues on, only to have the first pig help the second and third pigs escape from the story, as well. The pigs are mischievous and appealing to readers of all ages as they fold up a page of the story with the big, bad wolf, make it into a paper airplane and fly it into the classic nursery rhyme, “Hey Diddle Diddle.” From there, they venture into a fairy tale with a dragon, and return to their story (new friends in tow), only to rearrange what happens (including the words) to create their own happy ending. The characters of the three pigs morph from the simple brothers of the traditional tale into fun, mischievous, and endearing little pigs that give the poor old wolf a run for his money. The wolf is depicted at first in his usual sinister manner, but we quickly see the concern on his face when the first and second little pigs disappear, as well as when they fold up the page he is on and turn it into a paper airplane. Wiesner takes the simplicity of the traditional characters and turns them into characters with more depth, emotion, and interest. The plot of this version is more detailed than the original and will require more attention from young children to keep pace with what is happening as the pigs travel through various other stories. Even though the plot is a bit more complicated, it is entertaining and creates a sense of imagination and adventure that is engaging. The setting changes multiple times, keeping the reader on their toes, but does provide backdrops and characters that most readers will be familiar with. The style and theme of Wiesner’s version is much more fun and fantastical than the original. We are witness to the pigs changing the story and creating their own ending. The theme of this version is also a bit more complicated than the original, but through discussion and inference, even young readers will enjoy the idea that you are the captain of your own destiny. The Three Pigs is not only an interesting read, it is visually stunning as well. Wiesner uses a wide variety of illustration styles, as well as speech bubbles and text excerpts, to lead the reader on this fantastical journey. One minute the illustrations are traditional and mild, the next minute the animals are flying off the page and have morphed into realistic-looking pigs! This book is a gem that combines the traditional with the modern both textually and visually. An instant classic, readers of all ages are sure to enjoy this spin on the traditional tale of three pigs and a big, bad wolf! Response I was absolutely surprised when the story shifted from the traditional to the new. The illustrations added so much perspective and character to the story, creating a fantastical world where the pigs take control and outwit the big, bad wolf. The story is humorous, entertaining, raucous, and absolutely fantastic! I laughed out loud at several points, reading the speech bubbles and the interaction between the pigs and the big, bad wolf. Honors 2002 Caldecott Medal Winner 2002 Irma Black Award Reviews “Wiesner has created a funny, wildly imaginative tale that encourages readers to leap beyond the familiar; to think critically about conventional stories and illustration, and perhaps, to flex their imaginations and create wonderfully subversive versions of their own stories.” -- Booklist, ALA, Starred Review "Children will delight in the changing perspectives...and the whole notion of the interrupted narrative...fresh and funny...Witty dialogue and physical comedy abound in this inspired retelling of a familiar favorite.” -- School Library Journal “With this inventive retelling, Caldecott Medalist Wiesner (Tuesday, 1991) plays with literary conventions in a manner not seen since Scieszka's The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales (1993). The story begins with a traditional approach in both language and illustrations, but when the wolf huffs and puffs, he not only blows down the pigs' wood and straw houses, but also blows the pigs right out of the story and into a parallel story structure. The three pigs (illustrated in their new world in a more three-dimensional style and with speech balloons) take off on a postmodern adventure via a paper airplane folded from the discarded pages of the traditional tale. They sail through several spreads of white space and crash-land in a surreal world of picture-book pages, where they befriend the cat from "Hey Diddle Diddle" and a charming dragon that needs to escape with his cherished golden rose from a pursuing prince. The pigs, cat and dragon pick up the pages of the original story and return to that flat, conventional world, concluding with a satisfying bowl of dragon-breath-broiled soup in their safe, sturdy brick house. The pigs have braved the new world and returned with their treasure: the cat for company and fiddle music, the dragon's golden rose for beauty, and the dragon himself for warmth and protection from the wolf, who is glimpsed through the window, sitting powerlessly in the distance. On the last few pages, the final words of the text break apart, sending letters drifting down into the illustrations to show us that once we have ventured out into the wider world, our stories never stay the same.” -- Kirkus Reviews Connections
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorMy name is Mrs. Scott and I'm a secondary Media Resource Specialist (librarian) in Texas. This blog was created as part of my graduate coursework at Texas Woman's University. All reviews and opinions are my own.
Archives
July 2018
Categories
All
|