Genre 2 - (Traditional Literature) The True Story of the Three Little Pigs!

The True Story of the Three Little Pigs
 by: Jon Scieska

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Scieska, Jon. 1989. THE TRUE STORY OF THE 3 LITTLE PIGS!. by: Lane Smith. New York, NY. Scholastic Inc. ISBN 0-590-44357-7      

PLOT SUMMARY

Jon Scieszka’s The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs is an exceptional tale that defies the truth and proves that there are always two sides to every story.  Scieszka’s tale is the hilarious and entertaining  version  of the traditional tale of The Three Little Pigs that isn’t told by the Pigs themselves but is retold by the wolf, whose name is Alexander T. Wolf.  Alexander T. Wolf explains his plight by indicating that he was actually framed and that he was misrepresented by the three little pigs as well as the media.  The Wolf’s story begins with a simple and innocent journey to look for a cup of sugar to add to his Granny’s birthday cake and an unanticipated episode of a sneezing fit, which lands him in jail with still no cup of sugar for the cake.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Scieszka’s clever tale has created an opportunity for his readers to have compassion for the villain, which is usually infrequent among traditional literature. Scieszka uses another strategy such as “rational reasoning” to assist in eliminating biased opinions of Alexander T. Wolf that readers may have before reading the Wolf’s side of the story.  An example in the tale of Scieszka rationalizing with the readers is when the wolf stated after eating the first little pig, “It seemed like a shame to leave a perfectly good ham dinner lying there in the straw. So I ate it up. Think of it as a big cheeseburger just lying there.” Scieszka sneakily created an image that the wolf simply doesn’t want to waste food, portraying him as a good guy and not a mean big bad wolf that purposely huffed and puffed and blew the pigs' houses down.

Traditional tales commonly end “happily ever after”, which is perfectly fine, but sometimes you might want something different that represents a more practical ending. Scieszka’s retold version of the tragic story of The Three Little Pigs is a tale that doesn’t have a happy ending, which his readers may be able to relate to.  Even though Scieszka’s tale has such a gloomy ending, traditional literature roots still show in the beginning statement “Way back in Once Upon a Time time”, indicates to his readers that the mishap occurred long ago or that the event took place in a far away place, which is typical of many traditional tales.   

Lane Smith’s creative and original watercolor illustrations with tattered edges are a delightful addition to Scieszka’s tale. Smith’s illustrations depict a daily newspaper (Daily Wolf) which creates a sense that the wolf’s side of the story is urgent and important.  Smith’s detailed illustrations add an extra layer of humor to the tale that enhances the reader’s image of the innocence Alexander T. Wolf is attempting to portray.  Smith’s illustrations, such as the thoughtful gesture of Alexander T. Wolf baking a birthday cake for his Granny with her picture hanging in the background of his kitchen, is an image of the wolf’s gentler and softer side.

The original fairy tales of The Three Little Pigs among its many versions are fantastic additions to traditional literature that is shared from generation to generation. Scieszka’s tale is an excellent addition to the long lasting traditions of sharing fairy tales that emphasizes the other side of an unfortunate event.

REVIEW EXCEPT(S)

Publishers Weekly- “In this gaily newfangled version of a classic tale, Scieszka and Smith (Flying Jake ) argue in favor of the villain, transforming the story of the three little pigs into a playfully suspicious, rather arch account of innocence beleaguered.”

Children's Literature – “In this humorous story, Alexander T. Wolf tells his own outlandish version of what really happens during his encounter with the three pigs.”

School Library Journal- “Victim for centuries of a bad press, Alexander (``You can call me Al'') T. Wolf steps forward at last to give his side of the story.”

CONNECTIONS

Related Literature

The Three Little Cajun Pigs by Berthe Amoss -ISBN: 0803728158
The Three Little Javelinas by Susan Powell -ISBN: 0873585429
The Fourth Little Pig by Teresa Celsi -ISBN: 0811467406
The 3 Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig by Eugene Tirvizas -ISBN: 068981528X
The Three Little Tamales by Eric A. Kimmel -ISBN: 0761455191

Activity:

Resource for the following activities: http://www.teachingheart.net/truepigs.html

Before Reading:

-Read a version of the Original Three Little Pigs.
-Have student retell the original version as you write the key elements to the story on chart paper.
-Explain that you will read another version of the story, The True Story of The Three Little Pigs.
-Discuss how this story is told by the wolf and the original is told by the pigs.
-Generate discussion on a time when you saw a situation differently than a friend did. Perhaps you could bring up something that happened on the playground or in your classroom to get the ball rolling.
-Share with the students the story for today. Let them look at the front cover and let them predict what they think the wolf will say about the situation. Turn to the inside first page and have students also predict why he might be in jail. (The picture is of the wolf behind bars.)

After Reading

-Brainstorm with your class what more they would like to know about A. Wolf. What questions would they like to ask him about what happened to the pigs. Have the students write a letter to A. Wolf.

-Ask students what other fairytales they know and how they would change if they were told from another point of view. How would Cinderella's stepsisters tell her famous story? How would Snow White's stepmother explain what happened to her? Have children write their own versions of famous fairy tales with a twist.

-What point of view do your students feel is correct, the pigs or the wolf's point of view?

-Compare the two stories: brainstorm some things that happened in the Three Little Pigs story that did not happen in the True Story of the 3 Little Pigs!

Writing Prompts:

1.Were the pigs good little pigs?

2.Was the wolf really a bad wolf? Could it have been that the pigs were jealous of him? What if he was really a nice guy after all!

3.Can you really believe a pig?

4.Where would that pig have gotten all of the bricks? Did he have a job?

5.Could there have been a windstorm that blew the house down?

This story is rich in descriptive words & could be used for a lesson on adjectives. Take three sentences from the book and place them in your pocket chart. Have students highlight the adjectives for you. Have students volunteer to circle the nouns the adjective describes.

After you complete this as a group, split the students into groups of three or four and have them find three more sentences in the book that use adjectives.

Math Activit:
-Introduce students to skip-counting by three. Use counters (pig erasers) to demonstrate.
-Compare the weight of straw, sticks, and bricks, use a balance scale to demonstrate.