The Three Little Puppies and the Big Bad Flea [Library Binding]

Ted Lish (Author), Charles Jordan (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up

A delightful new twist on an old favorite with an all female cast of characters. Beware though, the flea wins! She's clever, not like that old wolf who went down the chimney.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Lish makes his debut with what proves to be an inane twist on the Three Little Pigs. Warned by their mama to "watch out for the big bad flea," a trio of heedless puppies sets off to seek their fortunes. The First Little Puppy builds a house of feathers, the Second Little Puppy chooses leaves, while the Third Little Puppy selects cast-off shoes. Why a flea needs to blow down a house in order to get at a puppy goes unexplained, but there's huffing and puffing aplenty before the flea bites the first two pups and then sneaks through the keyhole of No. 3's house. The story ends limply, with the flea chasing out the pups and raising "billions and billions" of children in the house of shoes, and with the puppies "learn[ing] a valuable lesson about listening to their mama" and moving far away from the flea. Jordan's (The Whale Comedian) cartoonish colored-pencil illustrations, rendered in a dull palette, fail to redeem the proceedings. Ages 4-8.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

"An outrageously fun parody of the Three Little Pigs... brimming full of both laughter and lesson." -- Christian Library Journal, Spring 2002 - Starred Review (Rating: 5) --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Library Binding: 32 pages
• Publisher: Munchweiler Press (June 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0794000010
• ISBN-13: 978-0794000011
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,498,241 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A picturebook parable with a moral, September 18, 2001

By 

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

This review is from: The Three Little Puppies and the Big Bad Flea (Hardcover)

Now in its second printing with a playful new cover design, The Three Little Puppies And The Big Bad Flea by Ted Lish is a picturebook parable with a moral about how important it is for children to listen to their parents. A wry spoof on the more commonly known tale of the Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf, The Three Little Puppies and the Big Bad Flea features a terrible flea capable of blowing down houses - or sneaking into keyholes! The Three Little Puppies are ultimately forced to flee all the homes they have built, while the Big Bad Flea moves in and takes over. The Three Little Puppies, having learned a valuable lesson about listening to their mamma, move far away, and the Bid Bad Flea's children pester puppies everywhere to this very day. Delightfully illustrated by Charles Jordan, The Three Little Puppies And The Big Bad Flea is a lighthearted, whimsical, entertaining story, but with a more sobering message buried underneath - namely, that the "good guys" don't always win.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!, September 11, 2001

By 

Jennifer LB Leese "Author/Reviewer" (Maryland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Three Little Puppies and the Big Bad Flea (Hardcover)

Remember "The Three Little Pigs and The Big Bad Wolf" story, and how quickly it became one of your favorites? Well, Ted Lish's book THE THREE LITTLE PUPPIES AND THE BIG BAD FLEA is sure to become another one of your favorites, but this one has a surprise ending and hidden things to look out for.

Deciding that they are grown enough to live on their own, three little puppies leave their mama's house to seek their own futures, and soon find themselves in a heap of blown feathers and leaves caused by the big bad flea.

THE THREE LITTLE PUPPIES AND THE BIG BAD FLEA is wonderfully written and the charming illustrations by a talented illustrator, Charles Jordan, kept my children pointing and giggling throughout till the books end. It's a quality book all around, and I know children everywhere will love it. Included throughout the shiny pages are hidden Munchweiler elves. My children, including my ten-year-old-son, and me enjoyed searching for them. Reading it one time wasn't satisfactory for my little ones--we had to read it about five times in a row!
If you are looking for a children's book hidden with learning lessons, then you've found it. Children will learn to deal with adversity; they will learn that it pays to listen to their mentors/parents/guardians; and they will learn that sometimes you just can't win everything that life has to give you.
"Ted Lish teaches second grade in the Victor Elementary School District in Victorville, CA. He has long loved children's book and has written several. This is his first one to be published. Ted resides in Victorville with his wife, Vicki. Two of his four children are now school teachers as well.
"Charles Jordan is a self-taught illustrator who has illustrated numerous picture, chapter, and activity books. To his credit are The Whale Comedian, A Pile of Pigs, The Twiddle Twins' Music Box Mystery, and others. This is his first book for Munchweiler Press. Charles was born in Washington DC, raised in Maryland, and currently lives in Pennsylvania with his wife and two children... As an author of children's books, a children's book reviewer, and a mother to three children, I highly recommend THE THREE LITTLE PUPPIES AND THE BIG BAD FLEA by Ted Lish.

--Reviewed by Jennifer LB Leese, ASTORYWEAVER'S Book Reviews...

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderfully fun story, June 29, 2001

By 

Lisa Grogan (Southern California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Three Little Puppies and the Big Bad Flea (Hardcover)

What a great spin on the old classic! My 3 daughters aged 6-12 were completely involved in the story as I read it to them. The beautiful and colorful illustrations really compliment the story. I've read the story so many times we've almost got it memorized. Now I hear my 12 yr old reading it to my younger girls. They can't wait for a sequel ! Congrats to Mr. Lish for a job WELL DONE. A great story and hidden elves to boot.