Scieszka, J. (1989). The true
story of the 3 little pigs. New York,
NY: Viking Penguin.
In this
entertaining children’s story, Alexander T. Wolf, better known in the
literature world as the “Big Bad Wolf”, shares his side of the popular Three
Little Pigs tale many of us have read and love. The story begins with A. Wolf
running out of sugar while making his Granny a birthday cake. He walks the
reader through what happens as he visits each of the three little pig’s homes
asking to borrow the cup of sugar he so desperately needs. He also wants the
reader to believe that he was not huffing and puffing as we are commonly told,
but in fact had to sneeze due to a terrible cold. A. Wolf does not deny eating
the little pigs but defends his decision and questions what the reader would do
in his shoes. The decision is yours, who do you believe?
As you can see in the images below, simplicity in the illustrations is
present throughout the work. The illustrator, Lane Smith chose to utilize dull
and neutral colors. I believe this allows the reader to focus on the story and
creates a calming mood. To complement the argument being made, throughout the
illustrations A. Wolf is portrayed as a favorable character with a suit, bow
tie, and spectacles across his nose.
The visual element
of line also seems to be relevant in
Smith’s illustrations. As the straw lays
blown all over the ground around the first little pig or the sneeze coming from
the wolf’s mouth as he is trying to break down the third little pig’s door.
Lines are being used to portray two very different emotions in these examples.
This is a book I would definitely
recommend reading for not only the enjoyment but also because of all the
opportunities it provides for reading instruction. One activity teachers could
use this book for is to discuss point of view and how it can change a story.
Another activity would be to compare and contrast using Venn diagrams the many
versions of the tale of The Three Little Pigs. The most engaging activity I was
able to think of for using this book in the classroom is to have older students
use it as a springboard for a debate. The debate would be made up of two sides,
one in defense of A. Wolf and the other for the pigs.
Common Core State Standards connections for 2nd
grade would include:
·
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.2.6 Acknowledge differences
in the points of view of characters, including by speaking in a different voice
for each character when reading dialogue aloud.
·
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.2.9 Compare and contrast
two or more versions of the same story (e.g., Cinderella stories) by different
authors or from different cultures.
Big Questions to ask students:
·
When was a time you were asked to share your
point of view on something you experienced? Were you able to convenience the
person listening that your side was the truth? If so how? If not how did you
feel?
·
Do you believe A. Wolf or The Three Little Pigs?
Why?
After James ‘parents are eaten by a
rhinoceros on a trip to London, James is forced to live with his two dreadful aunts.
You will feel James pain and heartache because of the terrible way he is
treated and wonder how he will ever escape this life. Then one day while
working in the garden, James meets a small old man with a white paper bag. The
objects inside that bag help to change James’ life forever.
