The Three Pigs

1. Bibliography

Wiesner, David. 2001. The Three Pigs. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN 0618007016

2. Plot Summary

This story begins when the first pig is building his straw house. The wolf comes to blow the pig's house down and eat him, but is surprised when the pig disappears after he blows his house down and the pig out of the story! He moves onto the next pig's stick house, where he encounters the same issue. The three pigs are then outside of their story and enter other stories where they encounter the cat and the fiddle, the cow that jumped over the moon, and a dragon. They then return to the third pig's brick house with their new friends and live happily ever after. 

3. Critical Analysis

This story is dynamic and innovative in its rendition of the classic tale of The Three Little Pigs. They start off in their own story of the wolf coming to destroy their new homes, but find a way out of their predicament and enjoy a great adventure of hopping into other stories and making new friends along the way. The three-dimensional drawings of the pigs climbing out of the pages of their story and folding them up give the story a new life and the different styles of illustration between the other stories gives this story a truly stand-out feeling. 

4. Review Excerpts

The Caledcott Medal winner
From Kirkus Reviews: "...once we have ventured out into the wider world, our stories never stay the same." 
From Publisher's Weekly: "...he takes the idea of 3-D characters operating independently of their storybooks to a new level here." 

5. Connections

Can use in class to compare and contrast this version of The Three Little Pigs with other versions.
Read other works by David Wiesner such as:

• Tuesday. ISBN 0395870822
• Free Fall. ISBN 0688055837