The Three Little Pigs and the Somewhat Bad Wolf

Teague (the How Do Dinosaurs books) throws his hat into the fractured fairy tale ring with a funny twist on this tale that's fit for the era of Michael Pollan. When the pigs' farmer plans to move to Florida, he pays them for "their hard work and send them on their way." The first two pigs forego solid home construction in favor of vast supplies of junk food ("Sticks are practically free so he had lots of money left over for sody-pop"), while the third pig, a female, readies a brick house that is "big, beautiful, and strong" and boasts a vegetable garden worthy of Michelle Obama. Readers familiar with the original tale will be amused by Teague's humorous meta-commentary ("I can't believe that worked!" says the famished wolf after blowing down the straw house), as well as the clever details in his creamy, textured oil paintings (one pig escapes on a Vespa). The happy ending brings the potential foes together, and although Teague gets in some jabs at the pigs' bad habits, it doesn't intrude on the story's sense of fun. Ages 3-5. (May)

PreS-Gr 2--In Teague's humorously entertaining and refreshing adaptation of the classic tale, two brothers and a sister are paid "for their good work...and sent on their way" by the farmer and his wife, who are moving to Florida. While the two boys each spend their wages on some inexpensive construction materials for their houses (straw and sticks), using the leftover cash for potato chips and "sody-pop," their more practical sister buys a load of bricks and builds a house that is "big, beautiful, and strong." The hungry wolf, rebuffed by the town's fast-food restaurants, is so amazed when he blows down the houses of straw and sticks that he allows his dinner to escape. Openly embarrassed when he collapses from hunger while huffing and puffing at the brick house, he apologizes, prompting an invitation to dinner, which leads to his moving in with the pigs, the farm cat, a hen, and four ducks. Teague's two-page cartoon oil paintings in warm fall colors feature contented-looking pigs infused with jovial good humor and a puzzled, very childlike wolf disarmed by his own success. The result is a thoroughly delightful reading experience.--Susan Scheps, formerly at Shaker Heights Public Library, OH