The Three Pigs - David Wiesner

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Wiesner, D. (2001). The three pigs. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN 0329279815

PLOT SUMMARY

Three pigs go on a journey while escaping the traditional step of being eaten by the big, bad wolf. They are blown out of their story and go on to meet characters from other great literary works. With others joining in along the way, we see them live happily ever after their own way.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

How this story is written starts off similar to a comic book where there are pictures broken up by white space. The first pig being blown out of frame opens the story to a whole new wonder for the three pigs. They roam around using the folded pages of the wolf who is trapped in his story. They can escape their story and travel to other universes and help out other characters. The cat and the fiddle come along for the ride, as well as the cow. They also help a dragon escape his slaying.

The illustrations start out as a traditional flat picture style and then transition to a more realistic, textured appearance once they leave their story. When they are in another story, the illustrations adapt to a model that mirrors that story's style.

I love how the pigs can come and go from a story as they please. It is reminiscent of a reader. They can pick up and book and be immersed in that world and then put it down and immerse themselves in another world. Sometimes, once a book is finished and it’s one I truly loved, I find myself comparing characters from the old book to the new book. The pigs being able to take other characters and fit them into their story struck a chord in me.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

“On the last few pages, the final words of the text break apart, sending letters drifting down into the illustrations to show us that once we have ventured out into the wider world, our stories never stay the same.” – Kirkus Review April 23rd, 2001

“Satisfying both as a story and as an exploration of the nature of story, The Three Pigs takes visual narrative to a new level.” – Goodreads Review

CONNECTIONS 

*Great for introducing other styles of writing. 

*Could be used to take a story they love and create a project piece that shows their favorite characters out on their own adventure.

*This could also be used as a creative way to solve problems. Rather than staying and taking the traditional “being eaten” route, these pigs were able to think outside the box (quite literally) and find a solution that works for them.