The Three Pigs

The Three Pigs

A Review by Amanda Kendall

Bibliography:

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

Plot Summary:

It begins as a traditional "Once upon a time..." story that takes an unexpected turn.  The three little pigs venture out into the world and build their houses, however, when the wolf attempts to blow down the first Little Pig's house, the pig is literally blown out of the traditional story. Finding safety outside his story's pages, Little Pig coaxes the two other pigs to join him. Before long, the brothers are on a choose-your-own adventure between many classic stories and make friends with a dragon and a fiddling cat along the way. When they finally decide to return home, they bring their new friends along to live happily ever after in a most surprising way.

Analysis:

David Wiesner has a gift for crafting unique and imaginative stories that will stay with readers. The Three Pigs includes many of the classic elements of the quintessential western tale, while adding something unusual and fresh. The wolf cries his famous "I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house in!" while the Little Pig responds in a more casual tone through speech bubbles. This playful back and forth of two vastly different narrative styles develops both character and plot perfectly throughout the story.

Wiesner's illustrations capture the lively mood of the book. The stylistic changes of the pigs as they go between stories is particularly notable, morphing from cartoons to realistic drawings and back again. The large amounts of white space on selective pages show the pigs frolicking among story pages thus allowing readers to experience their joy as they travel between stories. Every minute detail has been considered to give the reader a feeling of full immersion when reading this wildly fun variant of a classic tale. 

Awards & Reviews:

• 2002 Caldecott Medal

From School Library Journal: “Witty dialogue and physical comedy abound in this inspired retelling of a familiar favorite.”

From Kirkus: "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)."

From The New York Times: “Wiesner’s dialogue and illustrations are clever, whimsical and sophisticated.”

Connections:
More Award Winners from David Wiesner:

• Flotsam. 0618194576
• Tuesday. 0395551137
• Sector 7. 0395746566
• Free Fall. 068810990X 
• Mr. Wuffles! 0618756612

More Fractured Versions of Three Little Pigs:

• Scieszka, Jon. The True Story of the Three Little Pigs. 0140544518
• Trivizas, Eugene and Oxenbury, Helen. The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig. 068981528X
• Teague, Mark. The Three Little Pigs and the Somewhat Bad Wolf. 1338157744

Suggested Curricular Connections:

• Read several variations of The Three Little Pigs and have students compare and contrast the different versions.
• Write your own version of a traditional tale with a twist (i.e. The Three Little Ducks or The Three Little Bunnies)
• Put the wolf on trial in a classroom mock trial. Students use text evidence to convince a jury of the wolf's crimes. For more fun, use different versions of the tale to change to change the facts and perceptions around the characters.

Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock

Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock

A Review by Amanda Kendall

 

Bibliography:

Kimmel, Eric. 1988. Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock. Ill. by Janet Stevens. New York: Holiday House. 0823407985

Plot Summary:

Anansi, an infamous West African trickster, discovers a most unusual rock in the forest one day. Without a thought says, "Isn't this a strange moss-covered rock!" and he immediately falls to the ground unconscious. When he wakes up, he devises a plan. Inviting each unsuspecting animal individually for a walk to cool off, Anansi walks them by the mysterious rocks and persuades them to say the magic words that knock them out. While unconscious, Anasi rushes to steal their hard-earned treasure for himself.  After many successful tricks, Anansi believes his trick to be unstoppable, but Little Bush Deer has been watching.  In the end, Little Bush Deer tricks the trickster and is able to return all the food to the good animals of the forest.

Analysis:

Kimmel's rhythmic language and well-timed repetition create a fun and predictable story that begs to be read aloud. Told simply and directly, the plot follows a natural pattern that shows Anansi's successful trick in a humorous and playful way. Readers will chant along as each animal is lured to the rock, tricked, and KPOM! falls to the ground.

The colorful illustrations not only capture the lush African forest, but develop the story and characters with each turn of the page. From the beginning and even included on the title page, sweet Little Bush Deer makes an appearance on ever page.  She watches Anansi repeatedly trick the animals out of their treasure and waits for the perfect moment to trick the trickster and teach him a lesson. Well planned and thoughtfully designed, the illustrations develop the story, emphasize the theme, and invite readers to examine this folktale more closely than they did before.

Awards & Reviews:

• Golden Sower Award Nominee, 1991

From School Library Journal: “The text is rhythmic, nicely building suspense to the inevitable conclusion. Stevens' complementary, colorful illustrations add detail, humor, and movement to the text"

From Bulletin of the Center of Childrens Books: "This book combines Stevens' knack for drawing funny animals with Kimmel's sense of rhythmic storytelling." 

Connections:
More Anansi Stories from Eric Kimmel:

• Anansi and the Talking Melon. 0823411672
• Anansi Goes Fishing. 0823410226
• Anansi and the Magic Stick. 0823417638
• Anansi's Party Time. 0823422410

More African Folk Tales:

• McDermott, Gerald. Anansi the Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti. 0805003118
• McDermott, Gerald. Zomo the Rabbit: A Trickster Tale from West Africa. 0152010106
• Cleveland, Rob. The Clever Monkey: A Folktale from West Africa.  0874838010
• Aardema, Verna. Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ear. 0140549056
• Gerson, Mary-Joan. Why the Sky is Far Away: A Nigerian Folktale. 1338157744

Suggested Curricular Connections:

• Read multiple Anansi stories to compare and contrast trickster exploits.
• Engage in an author's study of Eric Kimmel's work and read tales from around the world. Collect facts about world cultures and traditions and mark each place visited through a book on a world map.
• Write your own trickster tale where the trickster gets tricked back.
• Create your own magic rock with magic words. Write a story about what the magic words do.
  

The Tortoise & The Hare

The Tortoise & The Hare

A Review by Amanda Kendall

Bibliography:

Aesop. 2013. The Tortoise & The Hare. Ill. Jerry Pinkney. New York: Little, Brown and Company. 0316183563

Plot Summary:

Surrounded by an eclectic collection of forest animals, Tortoise and Hare plan a race. They move to the starting line and wait for the signal. The Hare explodes off the starting line, while Tortoise takes things at his own pace. He climbs over a tree, summits a mountain of rocks, and wades across a river without ever giving up. After taking a tremendous lead, the Hare notices a broken garden fence and is lured inside by the promise of fresh produce. He overindulges in the delicious greens and falls asleep. Meanwhile, having never given up, the Tortoise rounds the corner, moseys past the snoozing hare, and is about to reach the finish line when the Hare wakes up and upon realizing he is about to lose, makes one last attempt to beat the Tortoise, but it is too late. The Tortoise has won and in a show of good sportsmanship, the Hare joins his friends in congratulating the Tortoise on his victory.

Analysis:

Jerry Pinkney retells this classic fable through his exquisite illustrations and carefully chosen words. Although the text is sparse, it conveys the struggle, determination, and perseverance of the turtle as he moves, "slow slow slow and steady" across the many obstacles in his way. The repetition of slow and steady as well as the build up to the final sentence captures the story perfectly. Children will happily join in while reading the text, chanting "slow and steady wins the race."

The intricately designed illustrations not only captures the reader's imagination, but allows the reader to see and almost hear the characters come to life. Character expressions and Pikney's attention to detail clearly convey each character's mood. From the star of the tale, the Tortoise, to the patience and supportive field mice along the way, the characters fill the pages with genuine enthusiasm for the race allowing the fable's message of perseverance and grit to shine through until the very end.

Reviews:
From School Library Journal: "Pinkney has created yet another stunning interpretation of a classic tale in this virtually wordless picture book."

From Kirkus: "A captivating winner—start to finish!"

From Publisher's Weekly: "Pinkney’s portraits are so lifelike that the animals appear to breathe, and they present a peaceable kingdom in which predators and prey live in harmony."

Connections:
More Folktales Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney:

• The Lion and the Mouse. 0316013560

• The Three Billy Goats Gruff. 0316341576

• The Grasshopper and the Ants. 0316400815

More Tortoise and Hare Stories:

• Murray, Alison. Hare and Tortoise. 0763687219

• Watts, Bernadette. The Tortoise and the Hare. 0735842078

• Morrison, Tony & Slade. The Tortoise or the Hare & The Grasshopper. 0316400815

Suggested Curricular Connections:

• Read with a variety of illustrated fables to discuss theme and author's message. Create a fable and theme sort for students to match stories with themes.
• Compare and contrast the character traits and actions of both main characters with a Venn-diagram.
• Use paper plates and construction paper to create "slow and steady" turtles.  Then, create a list of real-life examples when "slow and steady" can help you win the race.