The Three Little Pigs [Hardcover]

Barry Moser (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2001 | Grade Level: P and up

The popular story of the three little pigs who set out to seek their fortunes in the wide, wide world gets a fresh and funny treatment from Barry Moser. Each pig in turn builds a house of straw, sticks and bricks, only to be visited by a hungry wolf determined to eat him up! Hilarious illustrations brimming with sly humour bring the story to a whole new level of entertainment as the wicked wolf gets his comeuppance from the smartest pig of all.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this unforgiving version of the cautionary classic, a scrawny wolf easily dispenses with two little pigs, but engages in a long-running battle of wits with their brother. At the outset, three blush-pink pigs set off to build their houses. The two pigs who build with straw and wood fall victim to a hollow-stomached wolf with mousy-gray fur and yellow fangs. Closely observed details attest to their grim fates; in a postmeal spread, the wolf dabs his mouth with the second pig's blue bandana as white bones protrude from a metal tool bucket and a jar of barbecue sauce (decorated with Moser's self-portrait) lies empty. Moser (Good and Perfect Gifts) then expands on the original. The author's droll product placement calls to mind Wile E. Coyote's preference for Acme equipment (the third little pig does construction with "Wolfe Pruf Cement"). Before the inevitable ending--in which the wolf winds up as stew--the villain invites the pig on three consecutive outings but gets outsmarted every time. Thus the old story gains abundant visual asides and a new subplot, but loses some of its appealingly repetitive "chinny chin chins" and huffing and puffing. What remain in Moser's tense account are a climactic one-two-three pattern and a constant threat of danger to the bald, vulnerable protagonist. Ages 4-8.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 2-With all the amusing alternatives to the traditional "Three Little Pigs," it is somehow satisfying to have a retelling that embraces all the best of the classic. Set amid Moser's marvelous illustrations are the familiar refrains of "let me come in," "chinney chin chin," and "huff" and "puff," and that safe brick house. Pig one and two pay the ultimate price for inferior building materials: a satisfied wolf reclines on the ground, a pail of bones behind him and an empty jar of "Bubba's No Cook BBQ Sauce" beside him. For reasons known only to the author, Big Mama Pig sends her little pigs off on Valentine's Day. Visual humor abounds: "Wolfe Pruf cement," a "Lupus ware" kettle, perky wolf slippers on the third little pig, etc. Though many versions of the story stop with the success of the brick house, Moser continues with the extension of turnips, apples, and a trip to the fair to show just how clever the last little pig is and how foolish the wolf. In the end, the very skinny wolf becomes dinner for a perfectly plump pig. Well written and cleverly illustrated, the book is the perfect choice for replacing tattered editions with inferior illustrations that may be cluttering library shelves or a fine first pick for a growing library.-Jody McCoy, The Bush School, Seattle, WA

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers (April 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316585440
• ISBN-13: 978-0316585446
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,998,473 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Barry Moser is the prizewinning illustrator and designer of nearly three hundred books for children and adults. He is widely celebrated for his dramatic wood engravings for the only twentieth-century edition of the entire King James Bible illustrated by a single artist. He is the Printer to the College at Smith College where he is Professor in Residence in the department of art. His work can be found in the National Gallery of Art, Washington DC; the Metropolitan Museum; and The Victoria and Albert Museum, London, among scores of other libraries and collections. He lives in western Massachusetts.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars With innuendos and tongue in cheek humor, June 8, 2001

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Three Little Pigs (Hardcover)

Moser retells and illustrates this story of three pigs who seek their fortunes, only to encounter a hungry wolf. Moser's innuendos and tongue in cheek humor is hilarious and many a parent will want to read this with their child to gain the maximum benefit.