Product Description

It was time for the three little wolves to go out into the world, so off they went and built themselves a splendid brick house. But they hadn't reckoned on the big bad pig who soon came along and knocked their house down.

The little wolves built a stronger house of concrete, in which they were sure to be safe. But that didn't stop the big bad pig, who made short work of it with a pneumatic drill. Even a house made of armor plates could not protect them. It was only a chance encounter with a flamingo bird that solved their dilemma in an entirely unexpected and satisfactory way.

Helen Oxenbury's enchanting watercolor illustrations, full of humorous details and visual excitement, are the perfect accompaniment to this hilarious retelling-in-reverse of the traditional tale.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #802480 in Books
• Published on: 1997-04
• Original language: English
• Binding: School & Library Binding
• 32 pages

From Publishers Weekly
A talented team ingeniously up-ends the classic tale of the three little pigs, and the laugh-out-loud results begin with the opening illustration--a mother wolf lounges in bed, her hair in curlers and her toenails freshly polished, with her three fluffy, cuddly offspring gathered round. The wolf siblings, amply warned about the big bad pig, construct their first house of sturdy brick, a medium which resists the pig's huffing and puffing but is no match for his sledgehammer. Their abodes become progressively more fortress-like, and the pig's implements of destruction, correspondingly, grow heftier, until the wolves try another tack and weave a house of flowers. The fragrance so intoxicates and tames the pig that he and the wolves live together happily ever after. In his English-language debut (see note, p. 55), Trivizas laces the text with funny, clever touches, from an ensemble of animals who obligingly donate whatever building materials the wolves require, to the wolves' penultimate, armor-plated residence replete with a "video entrance phone" over which the pig can relay his formulaic threats. Oxenbury's watercolors capture the story's broad humor and add a wealth of supplementary details, with exquisite renderings of the wolves' comic temerity and the pig's bellicose stances. Among the wittiest fractured fairytales around. Ages 5-10.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 3-"Once upon a time, there were three cuddly little wolves with soft fur and fluffy tails...." They go out into the world to build a house for themselves only to be menaced by a big bad pig. In a clever switch on the familiar counterparts, these sweet-faced innocents use brick, concrete, and steel constructions, but their nemesis is not called big and bad for nothing. With sledgehammer, pneumatic drill, and dynamite, the pig wrecks each structure. "Something must be wrong with our building materials," the wolves muse. Their final house is build from flowers, insubstantial yet beautiful. It is their lovely scent that causes the pig to change his nasty ways and all live together as friends happily ever after. The text has the repeating situations and phrases from the traditional version. Oxenbury's pastel watercolor illustrations combine the coziness of a nursery tale with tongue-in-cheek humor. They are animated and full of personality. Children familiar with The Three Little Pigs will enjoy the turnabout, the narrow escapes, and the harmonious ending. This may also be used to inspire them to develop their own adaptations of classic tales.
Karen James, Louisville Free Public Library, KY
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From AudioFile
Mama sends her three little wolves out into the world, but each time they build their new house--with bricks, then cement, then concrete blocks--the pig outsmarts them with modern destructive devices, until finally they win him over with flowers. The combination of Trivizas's refreshing and humorous version of the familiar story, the jaunty musical accompaniment, and the comprehensive sound effects is enhanced by Brian Bowles's delightful narration--especially his wonderful voices for all the characters, major and minor. His comic timing is perfect, and his lovely accent adds to the folksy tone of the story. Great fun for children and adults. W.L.S. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Customer Reviews

hysterical new twist on an old theme
I was looking at this book in our school library when a fellow teacher leaned over my shoulder, read the title, and said, "Oh, no! I bet this one is hysterical!"

She was right.

The obvious role-reversal of Wolf and Pig in the retelling of this old classic is sure to make any child giggle even before the book is opened. Once you DO start reading it, stand back! Three cuddly little wolves are sent by their mother out into the world to make their way (mom is painting her nails black and has curlers in her hair and tail--a very nice touch!). The three wolves, in a departure from the original tale, borrow some bricks from a passing kangaroo and build a sturdy brick house.

All goes well and they're out in the garden playing croquet when the Big, Bad Pig comes sauntering along. The wolves hid inside, won't let him in, and the Big Bad Pig tries to blow the house down.

He cant, of course. The house is brick! But, "the pig wasn't called big and bad for nothing. He went and fetched his sledgehammer and knocked the house down." The illustrations by Ms. Oxenbury of the pig smashing the walls with a hammer while the wolves flee through a window is worth the cost of the book alone. But, wait! There's MORE!

They build a succession of stronger houses, each which is demolished by the pig (he uses a pneumatic hammer and dynamite). Only when they try to change their tactics and make a house of FLOWERS does the pig change his ways and see how destructive and obnoxious he was.

This is a marvelous book, and no mistake. There are probably a good 200 versions of the Three Little Pigs, many of which end with the grisly death of the wolf. In the Three Little Wolves, not only is the reader immediately hooked on the role reversal of wolf and pig, but the text and illustrations are simply hysterical and the peaceful ending make it far more enjoyable than the original fable. This is a book that should be in everyone's library!!

Hilarious Remake of the Classic
As a parent with young children who like to be read to every night, it is very easy to quickly approach fifty readings of the same story. It can be painful, and all we as parents can do is try to introduce into the household books that we also appreciate. The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig is absolutely hilarious. There is the obvious role reversal and the introduction of modern building materials for the wolves, such as Plexiglas and video surviellance, and equally destructive tools are available to the big bad pig. The pig is a persistent menace who craftily wields a pneumatic drill and gleefully triggers the dynamite fuse, and it is easy to worry about conveying the wrong message to the kids while laughing so hard that I had to take a composure break. In the end, sensitivity wins over brute force and the positive massage is clear to all, but not before very clever entertainment through great illustrations and witty prose. It so apparent that the authors enjoyed writing this book, as we enjoyed reading it.

The best "Three Little Pigs" variant out there!
I've read and reviewed most of the basic tellings of "The Three Little Pigs", as well as most of the variants. Here's my take on it.

My favorite variant as a child, this is charming tale reverses the traditional plot. The pig is now after the wolves, who all live in a brick house, then a cement one, and then one of sheet metal. Each time, the pig manages to knock it down, until the wolves are forced to change their strategy. The art is bright and beautiful, not overly cartoony. The surprise ending is a delight.