The Three Little Pigs (Hardcover)

~ (Adapter, Artist) "Once upon a time an old sow sent her three little pigs out into the world to seek their fortune..." (more)
Key Phrases: little pig

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Readers who grin when they pick up this title can be forgiven for correctly anticipating amusing antics within, especially if they are familiar with Marshall's other half-fractured fairy tales (including Goldilocks and the Three Bears , a Caldecott Honor book). Deadpan as ever, Marshall begins this one in a traditional way: the old sow sends her piglets off into the big world. Despite the protests of the tradesmen who sell them materials, both the first and second pig construct their flimsy houses of straw and sticks. In short order, they are gobbled up by the wolf. The pig who invests in bricks, of course, does the gobbling when he encounters the wolf, after a merry mass of near misses that blithely build suspense. There are fairy tales, and there are Marshall's tales. Readers can also be forgiven for preferring his over all the rest. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 3-- Marshall brings his own brand of humor to both text and pictures in this retelling of the popular nursery tale . He retains the classic format of the tale, including all of the familiar phrases ("I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house in"), but his own asides make the story fresh and lively. For example, when the first little pig decides to build a house of straw, and the straw seller warns, "That's not a good idea," he expresses just what all the worldly wise six- and seven-year-old readers will be thinking. Without a word of description, the colorful cartoon illustrations in ink and watercolor give the three pigs separate personalities. The lazy pig builds a house of straw which takes him "no time at all," and the artistic pig, a stick house which is "very pretty." The wolf, with his slouching posture and shifty, yellow eyes, looks just the sort of character who would lose his temper and jump down the chimney when force and tricks fail to capture the third little pig. Good stories can be retold endlessly, and Marshall's inventive version of The Three Little Pigs is an excellent addition for all library picture-book collections. --Karen James, Louisville Free Public Library, KY
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Dial; illustrated edition edition (September 29, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803705913
• ISBN-13: 978-0803705913
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #786,136 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As fabulous as the others, October 23, 1999

By A Customer

I just couldn't bear to let a middle school kid give this book an "average customer review" of one star. This book is a side-splitter. Absolutely hysterical. My children were rolling on the floor. Also get Marshall's "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" and "Red Riding Hood" for a set of some of the best retellings ever. Marshall's wry sense of humor makes him a favorite in our home school.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars every child should read a least one book about the 3 pigs, April 25, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Three Little Pigs (Reading Railroad Books) (Paperback)

My 2.5 year old loves this book. Now he asks everyone what their house is made of.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent version of a classic story, April 18, 2008

By	D. Smith - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Three Little Pigs (Reading Railroad Books) (Paperback)

This version of The Three Little Pigs is witty, engaging, and easy for younger listeners to follow. The illustrations are also fantastic; fans of James Marshall will not be disappointed. The only flaw to this book, in my mind, is the font. The font is fine for adult readers, but for novice readers just learning how to negotiate books on their own, it is a little distracting and unclear.