Bibliographic Data
The Three Little Pigs
by Paul Galdone
Clarion Books ©1970
ISBN: 9780395288139
Brief Plot Summary
Their impoverished mother sends
three pigs away each going their separate ways. The first pig comes to a man
with straw, asks for it, and builds his house. A wolf asks directly to enter
the home to which the pig denies entry. The wolf retaliates by blowing down the
home and eating the pig. The event reoccurs with the second pig except that
pig’s home is made of straw. The third pig, the clever one, uses bricks and the
wolf is unable to blow the house down. The wolf then resorts to trickery. He
asks the pig to meet him at various locales- a field of turnips, Merry Garden,
to pick apples, and the fair. After failing to eat the crafty pig the wolf
angrily charges down the chimney, but alas the pig is too cunning. He has boiled
a pot of water in the fireplace and the wolf falls in only to ironically become
the pig’s dinner.
Critical Analysis
The Three Little Pigs is
among the most well known folktales of all time. This variant is simplified for
younger audiences yet stays true to the original. The reader will notice that the text is often encased in
colorful illustration.
(Text surrounded by colorful art)
It features many elements of the
folktale. It is repetitive as the plot goes through each pig and each time the
wolf repeatedly tries to outwit the third pig.
(The second pig living the same fate as the first pig nearly word
for word)
It also displays rhythmic language
in classic verses such as, “not by the hair on my chinny chin chin.” There are
many types of folktales. The Three Little
Pigs is what we call a beast tale. These types of stories include animals
that act human-like. As most know, the creatures in this story converse, own
homes, and highly dexterous.
(Human behaviors: Mother pig wearing clothes and little pigs
carrying bindles)
Like typical folktales the
characters in this story demonstrate the forces of good and bad as well as the
smart and the naïve. The illustrations of the wolf reinforce the
characterization by making his eyes glow yellow and his teeth sharp.
(The wolf’s eyes are yellow and look like they are glowing)
The plot is also typical of the
folktale. There are many obstacles both for the wolf and the final pig. It
formulaically takes us through a lengthy journey of events, pigs seeking their
future, building homes, homes destroyed, picking fruit at various times of the
day, etc.
(Classic happy ending)
The themes in folktales are global
messages of good triumphing over evil. We ultimately enjoy a happy conclusion
featuring the pig outsmarting the wolf and living a good life. We also see that
this pig is smart unlike his brothers and we know what happened to them. It
teaches readers to make smart choices.
Review Excerpt(s)
“While the story does not spare
anything, it does not go into great detail; young readers can still enjoy the
theme of readiness, hard work and the third pig's triumph.” - Elizabeth Fronk (Children's Literature)
Connections
Read this book in a STEM program
about buildings. Talk about how materials affect the strength of a building
using the materials in the story as an example. Then have the audience build
their own structures out of newspaper, sticks, cardboard, etc. These structures
can then undergo various tests of strength.
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