Last time for the pigs – I promise!
The True Story of the Three Little Pigs
As told to Jon Scieszka by A Wolf
Illustrated by Lane Smith
Viking, 1989
An alternate version of the 3 Little Pigs told from the wolf’s point of view
Main characters –
• Alexander T. Wolf, aka Big Bad Wolf 
Secondary characters –
• The three little pigs
Other characters –
• The police (pigs of course)
Very cute! Poor wolf, he maintains the press got the whole story wrong – that he was framed by the last pig left alive. All he wanted was to borrow a cup of sugar from his neighbor the pig(s) and ended up eating 2 suppers which landed him in jail!
Rating: 4 paws for laugh-out-loud humor!
The Three Little Tamales
Eric A. Kimmel
Illustrated by Valerie Docampo
Marshall Cavendish Children, 2009
Yet another version of the classic tale of the Three Little Pigs, this time with tamales!
Main characters –
• Three Little Tamales, two sister and one brother
• Senor Lobo, the big bad wolf!
Secondary characters –
• Runaway Tortillia who tells the tamales they’re going to be eaten!
Other characters –
• Tio Jose and Tia Lupe who owned a taqueria. Tia Lupe made the tamales.
This was another cute book with the twist being tamales instead of pigs. The tamales built their casitas out of sagebrush, cornstalks and cactus which meant Senor Lobo has some definite challenges – especially with the cactus one. No one dies in this version – even the wolf escapes being made into a tamale!
Rating: 3 paws for beautiful illustrations and a cute version of a classic.
The Three Little Javelinas
Susan Lowell
Illustrated by Jim Harris
Rising Moon Books, 1992
This is yet another retelling of the Three Little Pigs, this time in the Sonoran Desert with javelinas in place of the pig and a coyote in place of the wolf.
Main characters –
• 1st javelina built a house of tumbleweeds
• 2nd javelina built a house of saguaro ribs (the skeleton of a dried up saguaro cactus)
• 3rd javelina built a house of adobe bricks
• Coyote, full of tricks and magic as all coyotes are in Native American legends
This book is an excellent way to introduce the younger set to southwestern culture. The illustrations are lush and full of desert charm. The story itself takes the usual path all the way to the traditional end with the wolf down the smokestack. But it is a smart retelling and worth checking out.
Rating: 3 paws for the coyote’s magic and the javelina’s shrewdness at staying alive.
Reviewer: Simon
Authors
Jon Scieszka, The True Story of the Three Little Pigs
Eric A. Kimmel, The Three Little Tamales
Susan Lowell, The Three Little Javelinas
javelina – they’re real!
coyote, aka prairie wolf
wrapped and unwrapped tamales
If you want to continue reading various versions of the 3 Little Pigs, take a look at these books:
I could go on…but I won’t! There are just way too many…
Library of Cats 