The Three Little Pigs

by Steven Kellogg, Steven Kellogg (Illustrator)

Overview

"Open up, Pork Chop! Or I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll flatten this dump!"

Three little pigs are happily working away in their delicious family business — making the best-tasting waffles in the world. Business is so good, in fact, that the three siblings can live comfortably in their very own homes — Percy in his straw bungalow, Pete in his log cabin, and Prudence in her brick cottage. Then Tempesto, the meanest wolf on the block, shows up and wants more than waffles for breakfast — he wants the three little pigs! Here is a zany retelling of a classic folktale from master storyteller Steven Kellogg.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780064437790
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	10/15/2002
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	473,800
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.08(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Steven Kellogg was "moved by the simplicity, the subtleties, and the poignance of the writing in this story." He welcomed the opportunity to reillustrate it in full color. Mr. Kellogg is an award-winning author and illustrator who has created more than one hundred children's books, including The Three Little Pigs, Paul Bunyan, Johnny Appleseed, and Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind Crockett. He is the illustrator of Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town and The Baby Beebee Bird. Mr. Kellogg is a recipient of the David McCord Citation and the Regina Medal for his distinguished contribution to children's literature. He lives with his wife, Helen, in upstate New York.

Steven Kellogg was "moved by the simplicity, the subtleties, and the poignance of the writing in this story." He welcomed the opportunity to reillustrate it in full color. Mr. Kellogg is an award-winning author and illustrator who has created more than one hundred children's books, including The Three Little Pigs, Paul Bunyan, Johnny Appleseed, and Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind Crockett. He is the illustrator of Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town and The Baby Beebee Bird. Mr. Kellogg is a recipient of the David McCord Citation and the Regina Medal for his distinguished contribution to children's literature. He lives with his wife, Helen, in upstate New York.

Editorial Reviews

. . . Witty plot twists ans pictures packed with visual puns make Kellogg's version of this old tale a pigtorial feast.

Parents

A mother pig makes enough money to send her three little piglets to Hog Hollow Academy, and when she retires, the educated trio takes over the family wafflery business-until the wolf tries to stand in the way. PW said that this "classic caper has more twists than are found in the average pig's tail." Ages 3-8. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

Buoyant pictures and a pun-riddled text add gusto to Kellogg's lighthearted humor as he gives this classic caper more twists than are found in the average pig's tail. Pushing her waffle-making machine from "hamlet to hamlet," industrious Serafina Sow makes enough money to send her three little pigsa daughter and two sonsto Hog Hollow Academy. When she retires, the educated piglets build their fabled houses and run the wafflery until Tempesto the wolf (wearing a "Say Yes to Thugs" sweatshirt) arrives and instructs them to "butter yourselves and hop on the griddle." Serafina returns to bail out her brood and, in a final play on words, answers Tempesto's threat that "You'll soon be sausages!" with a triumphant "You'll soon be a WOLFFLE!" But the wry tale ends on a sunny note: rather than becoming brunch, this not-so-bad wolf gets to swap places with Serafina on a remote beach, sporting a new shirt (shown on the back cover) that proclaims "Thugs Need Hugs Too." Kids will have a jolly time poring over the particulars in the illustrations. And their mothers will cheer for Kellogg's decision to let his porcine matriarch hog the show. Ages 5-up. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

K-Gr 3This contemporary retelling features Serafina Sow, whose mission in life is to bring waffles to the world. After building a highly successful wafflery, she retires to the Gulf of Pasta, leaving the family business in the hands of her capable offspring, Percy, Pete, and Prudence. The three operate the business and build themselves comfortable homes of straw, wood, and brick, of course. Enter Tempesto, a thugish, leather-jacketed wolf. He orders the three pigs to cook themselveshe isn't interested in waffles. Kellogg's usual busy, highly defined illustrations complement the humorous, clever text. In the satisfying, nonfatal ending, Serafina Sow returns from retirement to help her children defeat Tempesto, who has the meanness steamed out of him after coming down the chimney into the waffle iron. He is sent to the Gulf of Pasta in Serafina's place, where he spends his days as a mellow beach bum. A tempting choice to pair with Jon Scieszka's The True Story of the Three Little Pigs (Viking, 1989) and your favorite traditional version for porcine storytime fun.Lisa Falk, Palos Verdes Library, CA

School Library Journal

Kellogg (I Was Born About 10,000 Years Ago, 1996, etc.) puts a master's spin on another familiar tale. These three pigs can afford to build new houses with profits reaped from their mother's mobile waffle business, which they inherit when Serafina Sow retires to the Gulf of Pasta. Tempesto, the big bad wolf (sporting a leather jacket and engineer boots), doesn't care about waffles; he sees the pigs as ham, bacon, and sausage. After devastating their straw and wood homes, he creates a hot-air balloon out of a garbage bag to descend down the chimney of the brick house. Luckily, Serafina pulls herself out of retirement just in time to stick the waffle grill under the descending wolf's bottom—a "wolffle." As usual, Kellogg's illustrations add to the story; intrepid readers will have fun finding art on the wall by Pablo Pigasso, perusing the long list of waffle flavors (among them, baloney and bubblegum), and giggling at the wolf's shirt, which sports slogans—at first, "Say Yes to Thugs," and later, "Thugs Need Hugs Too." A talent-strewn retelling that only enhances the original.

Kirkus Reviews