Traditional Literature: The Three Horrid Little Pigs

Pichon, Liz. 2008. The Three Horrid Little Pigs. Great Britain: Little Tiger Press. ISBN 9781589250772

Summary

In this fractured fairy tale, the three little pigs are different from those in the classic tale...they are troublemakers! Their mother sends them out of the house after "having enough of the pesky pigs." Each pig sets off to find his own land and build a home. A friendly wolf sees the mess that each pig makes while lazily building their homes. The wolf offers to help build a more secure home. Each pig rudely responds and says the statement "I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll kick you out!" After being rejected by each pig, the wolf returns home. Finally, after each house is somehow destroyed, the pigs discover the warm, comfortable house owned by the wolf, sneak through the chimney, and are welcomed in by the wolf. The pigs drop their horrid behaviors and learn to build a sturdy home.

Analysis

The characters in The Three Horrid Little Pigs are very enjoyable. The pigs take on a dynamic character role, being "horrid" through the majority of the book, then changing into friendly, helpful pigs in the end.  The wolf remains static, friendly and helpful throughout the story, even at the end when the pigs had treated him so poorly.

The plot and setting is very similar to the classic story. Each pig faces his own dilemma with the structure of his home, beginning with the least sturdy material (hay) and moving up to a more secure material (the already made chicken coop). A wolf visits each house, but does not destroy them in this case. Similar materials are used to construct the homes as in the classic story, and each illustration shows their homes being built in a pasture or on a farm.

Typically, a rendition of "The Three Little Pigs" is a cautionary tale. This doesn't seem as evident in The Three Horrid Little Pigs. The writing gives off more of a "love thy neighbor" message. The author's style is repetitive, much like the classic version. Each encounter with a pig is similar...difficulties with creating a home, a kind gesture from a friendly wolf, followed by an angry response from the pigs.

The colorful cartoon illustrations provide the reader with wonderful images of the mischievous pigs. There are captions included throughout the illustrations that show us what the characters are thinking. Another significant factor is the font size, which often changes based on the language. The more intense moments are depicted in a larger, bolder font.

Personal Response

As a big fan of fractured fairy tales, I thoroughly enjoyed The Three Horrid Little Pigs. I think it is a hilarious spin on the classic tale, placing the wolf in a kind light. This book would pair well with Jon Scieszka's The True Story of the Three Little Pigs.

Reviews

"The lively narrative, printed in playfully arranged text of varying size, is well suited for spirited read-alouds, as are the colorful illustrations that add to the hilarity with expressive characters. Children will enjoy the clever twist on a familiar story." -Booklist

"This picture book serves as another fine example of a fairytale twist that will be enjoyed by young readers." -Library Media Connections

Connections

After reading The Three Horrid Little Pigs and also reviewing the original tale, students can be challenged to write their own version of the classic story.

There are several versions of The Three Little Pigs available to readers. A whole grade level can take a rendition of the classic tale and turn it into a play or a reader's theater. Titles that can be used include, but are not limited to,  The Three Horrid Little Pigs, The Three Little Javelinas by Susan Lowell, and The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka. This would make for a fun performance night for parents!