Where's the Big Bad Wolf? (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "I'm Police Detective Phineas T. Doggedly..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Christelow (The Great Pig Search) offers more animals who bamboozle slow-witted innocents in this rib-tickling take on the Three Little Pigs. Canine detective Phineas T. Doggedly asserts, "There's only one no-good rascal in this town... the Big Bad Wolf!" So when "a big gust of wind Hufffs and Pufffs," he sets out to round up the usual suspect, who's nowhere to be found. The fact that an odd-looking sheep named Esmerelda happens to be strolling by every time disaster strikes seems odd to the sleuth, but, he says, "I just can't quite put my paw on what it is." Young readers will likely spy the big gray nose sticking out of Esmerelda's white wool long before Phineas does, and will follow the action with relish. Comic-book-style panels alternate with full-bleed spreads as Doggedly's midnight stake-outs fail to produce results. When he finally nabs the wolf ("This no-good, pig-poaching, huffing, puffing, wolf-in-sheep's-clothing is under arrest!") the scoundrel spends a couple of nights in jail before he's back to his usual tricks. The familiar story line allows Christelow to include plenty of details and extra cast members; two elderly cows in bathrobes provide comic running commentary. Both adults and children will enjoy listening to Esmerelda urge the pigs to put down those bricks: "Build a cardboard house. It's so much easier!" Ages 5-8.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-2-A determined Detective Doggedly pursues the elusive BBW (Big Bad Wolf) in a delicious parody of the traditional tale. Three dim-witted and naive pigs, a wolf with a taste for unusual costuming, and three sharp-eyed residents of the nearby "Home for Elderly Cows" create a mystery worthy of the slightly befuddled detective: who is destroying the pigs' houses, when the wolf is currently hospitalized with mysterious flulike symptoms? Doggedly catches the culprit, but one doubts that this "egg-snatching, pie-pinching, chicken-chasing, pig-poaching" villain is ready to change his habits when released. Christelow's pen-and-ink and gouache cartoons show sticks and straw flying across pages, the not-too-bright protagonist, and a hilarious wolf in sheep's clothing. Characters comment on all the goings-on in dialogue balloons that add to the fun and humor. Pair this book with Jon Scieszka's True Story of the Three Little Pigs (Viking, 1989), another choice for lovers of fractured tales.
Mary Elam, Forman Elementary School, Plano, TX
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Clarion Books (September 23, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618181946
• ISBN-13: 978-0618181940
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #338,860 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars wonderful adaptation of the classic tale!, August 27, 2003

By A Customer

My sons (ages 7 and 5) absolutely love this book. Esmerelda is a wolf in sheep's clothing who tries to convince the gullible pigs to build ever-flimsier homes ("Build a cardboard house! It's so much easier"). Detective Phineas T. Doggedly finally tracks down the BBW (Big Bad Wolf) with the help of the elderly cows who live nearby. It's a great book with captivating illustrations and characters. So far as we're concerned, it ranks right up there with Steven Kellogg's "Three Little Pigs" and "The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig". Definitely a classic -- I'm really surprised that no one has reviewed it before.

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect picture book, June 25, 2009

By	Karen Wideman "Karen Wideman" (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I used this for my 3rd grade class when we studied mysteries and drawing inferences. I also used this with my grandchildren, 2nd and 4th grade. They loved it. There is a cute, cute story, but the pictures and are what really give the clues. There are so many spins on the Three Little Pigs story (I have them all) but this one is very unique. You will want it!

5.0 out of 5 stars Requires an accent to read, September 24, 2008

By	Emily Taylor "1st Grade Teacher/Scouter Gal" (Northern Utah) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

In zesty small town spirit this book tells the whodunnit mystery involving three pigs getting bad advice from a mysterious sheep, some badgering old cows, and a detective dog who works as the narrator. As one can probably guess, this is yet another angle on the whole Three Little Pigs story, and yet it manages to be its own plot altogether, what with poor detective Doggedly spending his nights watching the pigs' place for signs of suspicious activity.

It's hilarious, fresh, and amazingly complex as a mystery that keeps itself secretive even as it dishes out the rather obvious clues--making it a good read for kids. The writing is incredible and demands to be read aloud with a bit of twang in the voice (really, it makes it that much more fun.)

Brilliant take on an old fairy tale.