07/01/2016
PreS-Gr 1—The three little pigs prepare for the Jewish holiday of Purim by making crowns to wear to the carnival. Rishon (meaning first in Hebrew) quickly creates a paper crown and then spends the rest of the day playing in the mud. Sheni, the second little pig, takes a little more time using poster board, foil, and glue. Shlishi, the third, spends all day constructing his elaborate papier-mâché crown and doesn't have time to play in the mud with his friends. The next day, the pigs attend the Purim carnival and encounter the big, bad wolf, who is desperate for a hamantaschen, the traditional three-cornered cookies made especially for the holiday. Afraid that no one will sell him one, he decides to steal a costume to disguise himself. "Little pig, little pig, give me your crown!" he growls at Rishon. "Not for all the hamantaschen in town!" is the pig's response. "Then I'll huff and I'll puff, and I'll blow your crown off!" The paper crown blows off the little pig's head but the wind blows it away before the wolf can grab it. An identical exchange occurs between the wolf and Sheni. Of course, when he tries his strategy on Shlishi, the sturdy crown doesn't budge. But Shlishi reasons with the wolf: "You may be big…but you don't have to be bad. Here—I'll lend you my crown." The wolf apologizes, the pigs forgive him, and everyone goes home happy. The cheery, textured digital illustrations depict an adorable cast of animal characters. Oddly, only the pigs, wolf, and lamb are named—the rest of the animals are referred to as children in the text. A recipe for hamantaschen is appended along with a simple explanation of Purim and a glossary of holiday terms. There is also an unfortunate error in the text: "Just then, a child dressed as Mordecai stepped forward…. He offered the wolf a black, three-cornered Haman hat." Mordecai, one of the heroes of the Purim story, does not wear the three-cornered hat characteristic of Haman, the villain. VERDICT Picture books about Purim aren't as prevalent as books for Hanukkah and Passover, so educators and libraries serving large Jewish populations may welcome this addition; however, it is likely an optional purchase for most.—Rachel Kamin, North Suburban Synagogue Beth El, Highland Park, IL
2015-11-17
The three little pigs of fairy-tale fame attend a Purim carnival and once again outwit the big bad wolf. Rishon, Sheni, and Shlishi ("First," "Second," and "Third" in Hebrew) live together in a brick house. Following the fairy-tale pattern, each spends more time and thought than the pig before in making a King Ahasuerus crown. Rishon uses purple paper, Sheni uses poster board, gold foil, and glue, and Shlishi's is a sturdy papier-mâché. Meanwhile, the big bad wolf smells hamantaschen and decides to go to the carnival to buy some. But wait—without a costume, the sinister-looking wolf with his curled mustache, bushy eyebrows, and fancy laced shoes will be feared and unwelcome. So he decides to steal the crowns, with this familiar-sounding exchange. "Little pig, little pig, give me your crown!" / "Not for all the hamantaschen in town!" / "Then I'll huff and I'll puff, and I'll blow your crown off!" The two lightweight crowns blow away, but when the wolf goes to grab Shlishi's relatively sturdy one, a child dressed as the good Mordechai offers the wolf the evil Haman hat; a bullying lesson ensues. Chernyak's bright, mixed-media, folk-art-inflected illustrations present an all-animal cast. Unfortunately, at its root this parody makes little sense. If the wolf was willing to steal a crown, readers will wonder why he didn't just go ahead and steal the hamantaschen? Irksome and even a bit dimwitted. (recipe, author's note, glossary) (Picture book. 3-5)
