The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by A. Wolf

The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by A. Wolf

As told to Jon Scieszka and illustrated by Lane Smith

 

Bibliography

Scieska, Jon. 1989. The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by A. Wolf. Ill. by Lane Smith.  New York, NY:  Penguin Group.  ISBN:  0670888443 

Plot Summary and Critical Analysis

In the charming and devious The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs, perspective is everything.  Told from the point of view of A. Wolf, or Alexander T. Wolf, this retelling of the 3 Little Pigs story contains the same plot and results as the original story we all know, but the way that things happen is very different.  As A. Wolf explains, the whole mess with the pigs was just a series of unfortunate, sneeze-related accidents, and he is at a loss to explain why no one will believe that he didn’t purposefully kill and eat the pigs.

The illustrations serve to portray the poor wolf as a sophisticated and decent fellow who just happens to like to eat cute things like bunnies and pigs and sheep.  With his horned-rimmed glasses and natty pin-striped suit, he is the very model of a respectable wolf just trying to fight off a cold and make a birthday cake for his Grandmother.

The illustrations of the homes of the pigs, helps to reinforce Mr. Wolf’s idea that they were silly to build their homes from such flimsy material and that he shouldn’t be blamed that a simple sneeze could knock down the house and kill a pig.  The large, painterly illustrations help to tell the story from Mr. Wolf’s perspective and to portray the pigs as silly or, in the case of the pig with the brick house, rude

Sometimes weaving the illustrations into the text, such as in Mr. Wolf’s title page where the letters are made up of drawings and bits of the artwork to come, or in making an N out of a drawing of sausages, the book seamlessly integrates the text and visuals to tell a complete story from one perspective.  The last drawing of Mr. Wolf, in prison, with a long white beard, and pig for a guard is hilarious and brings the reader back to the original story of the three pigs and casts doubt on Mr. Wolf’s account. 

This book is a very fun way to retell a story that most children have heard dozens of times.  They know the “huff, and puff, and blow your house down” refrain, which Mr. Wolf dismisses as media exaggeration, and will see right through Mr. Wolf and his story.

Review Excerpts

Parents need to know that the main character, Alexander T. Wolf, tells his version of the "Three Little Pigs" story from prison. (He's accused of killing and eating two of the three pigs.) The wolf presents his side of the story as the truth, but there's also the distinct possibility that he's lying. While adults will undoubtably (sic) draw larger lessons from this razor-sharp fairy tale parody, kids will probably just think it's funny. – Common Sense Media

… Here is the "real" story of the three little pigs whose houses are huffed and puffed to smithereens... from the wolf's perspective. This poor, much maligned wolf has gotten a bad rap. He just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, with a sneezy cold, innocently trying to borrow a cup of sugar to make his granny a cake. Is it his fault those ham dinners--rather, pigs--build such flimsy homes? Sheesh. –Amazon.com Editorial Review

Connections

Read a more traditional tale of the 3 Little Pigs to the children before introducing this version.

Ask them if they believe Mr. Wolf.  If not, why?

Have children draw what they think the houses of the pigs really looked like.

Dramatize the story with the teacher/librarian acting as narrator and the children portraying the parts.  Ask the children how being the Wolf made them feel.

In this version, two of the pigs die and are eaten by the wolf.  Ask the children how this makes them feel.  Do they see it as the natural order of things for a sheep to eat a pig, or do they see it as a bad thing.