The Three Ninja Pigs - Corey Rosen Schwartz

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Schwartz, C. R., & Santat, D. (2013). The three ninja pigs. New York: Scholastic.
ISBN 9780399255144

PLOT SUMMARY

A spin on the traditional three little pigs, these brothers and sister decide they will protect themselves learning forms of martial arts. When the wolf comes knocking, some find they are not as prepared as they thought. Following the original storyline, they run to the next sibling for protection. The wolf discovers that not all the pigs are lazy and eventually is taken down by the most dedicated to martial arts. The pigs open their own dojo to help further the protection of all animals.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The illustrations are vivid, graphic images, almost reminiscent of a comic book style. With words in bolded speech bubbles, it highlights dialogue and onomatopoeia descriptors like “KIYA!” Many of the pages have multiple scenes on them, inviting the readers’ eyes to roam to connect with the story. Many of the pages have a tame, solid color background to encourage the reader to truly focus on the characters in play. In true comic book fashion, frames set up certain actions or plot points that tie the story together. This allows us to view multiple vantage points of the same scenes. For instance, in one scene, the wolf has pig two cornered and we are able to see the wolf and the pig’s reactions simultaneously.

Those illustrations that are most dynamic have great depth. In almost all of the pages, there is something happening in the foreground as well as the background. Towards the end, we see pig three scare away the wolf. While her and her brothers are high-fiving, in the background we can see the shadow of the wolf fleeing.

The rhythmic, sing-song verse of the lines help readers with the cadence and fluency of the story. A struggling reader may find this book easier to read, as the words lends itself to being read a certain way. The illustrations help paint a vivid picture in their mind and the words help to flow naturally as they read.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

“Have the contact info for the local dojo handy—readers will want to try out these martial-arts styles for themselves.” – Kirkus Review Sept. 27th, 2012

“Corey Rosen Schwartz serves up a fun combination of smart-aleck dialogue and tongue-in-cheek rhymes that'll have kids howling, and rising star Dan Santat's spunky illustrations are sure to pack a punch!” – Goodreads Review

CONNECTIONS 

*Could be used to introduce poetry.

*Could be used to show how a student could take an existing story and transform it using the comic book style frames.

*Students could write their own variation of The Three Little Pigs using their favorite outside of school activity.