From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3. This contemporary retelling features Serafina Sow, whose mission in life is to bring waffles to the world. After building a highly successful wafflery, she retires to the Gulf of Pasta, leaving the family business in the hands of her capable offspring, Percy, Pete, and Prudence. The three operate the business and build themselves comfortable homes of straw, wood, and brick, of course. Enter Tempesto, a thugish, leather-jacketed wolf. He orders the three pigs to cook themselves?he isn't interested in waffles. Kellogg's usual busy, highly defined illustrations complement the humorous, clever text. In the satisfying, nonfatal ending, Serafina Sow returns from retirement to help her children defeat Tempesto, who has the meanness steamed out of him after coming down the chimney into the waffle iron. He is sent to the Gulf of Pasta in Serafina's place, where he spends his days as a mellow beach bum. A tempting choice to pair with Jon Scieszka's The True Story of the Three Little Pigs (Viking, 1989) and your favorite traditional version for porcine storytime fun.?Lisa Falk, Palos Verdes Library, CA
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Ages 5^-8. Just as the pig family in this story soups up their old waffle iron with four wheels and various tanks, pipes, and hoses, so Kellogg takes a favorite folk tale and adds his own inventive touches of character, plot twists, and humor. Serafina Sow supports her three little pigs with her traveling waffle business, but when the children graduate from Hog Hollow Academy, she retires to the Gulf of Pasta and turns the business over to the next generation. Percy builds a straw bungalow, Pete a log cabin, and Prudence a brick cottage. When Tempesto the wicked wolf looks at the waffle menu and orders piglet, the traditional tale is off and running, with some entirely new details and no apologies to anyone. Much of the broad humor is carried in the lively, colorful illustrations, though there's wordplay aplenty in the text and pictures too: Tempesto slides down the chimney, lands on the waffle iron, is blasted with maple syrup, smothered in butter, and turned into a "WOLFFLE." Just as Serafina's customers flock to The Wheeled Wafflery, so children will greet Kellogg's latest picture book with eagerness based on memories of his many satisfying books. Pure pleasure for Kellogg fans.
Carolyn Phelan
