It's Not The Three Little Pigs

by Josh Funk, Edwardian Taylor (Illustrator)

Overview

Meet the three (ahem—four!) little pigs as they convince the narrator to tell a slightly different version of their fairy tale: First, there’s Alan, the one pig in the bunch who is actually a builder. He’s got a BIG problem with building a home out of flimsy straw. Next, there’s Alfred, who wants to be an actor and wouldn’t dream of getting his hands dirty. Then we have Alvin, whose dream is to be…a pumpkin. Last but not least is Alison, the fourth pig, who is ready to bring some flair to this story—if only she can get the narrator to agree to a few changes…And what about that wolf? Grab your jetpacks and get ready for this rollicking retelling of the popular tale.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781542032438
Publisher:	Two Lions
Publication date:	11/01/2022
Series:	It's Not a Fairy Tale , #4
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	376,708
Product dimensions:	8.70(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	540L (what's this?)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

About the Author

Like the characters in his books, Josh Funk doesn’t like being told how stories should go—so he writes his own. He is the author of a bunch of picture books, including My Pet Feet, illustrated by Billy Yong; the popular Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast series, illustrated by Brendan Kearney; How to Code a Sandcastle, illustrated by Sara Palacios; and Lost in the Library: A Story of Patience & Fortitude, illustrated by Stevie Lewis. He lives in New England with his wife and children. Learn more about him at www.joshfunkbooks.com and follow him on Twitter @joshfunkbooks.

Editorial Reviews

10/17/2022

A storyteller’s attempts to tell a traditional version of “The Three Little Pigs” unravel when the characters, including a fourth pig sibling, interject their own commentary. Things go off the rails almost immediately when sister Alison shows up and begins critiquing aspects of the original script (“It’s terribly written dialogue,” she says of the classic “chinny chin chin” line). Other characters prove equally unruly. The first brother—a would-be builder—deems a haystack house structurally unsound. The second, a triple-threat performer who dreams of becoming a star, uses the provided sticks to build a stage. The third, who wishes to be a pumpkin, gets hooked up with a gourd abode by Cinderella’s fairy godmother. Boisterous digital renderings capture the figures’ glee as they go their own ways for an effect that spotlights the twice-told tale’s whirlwind qualities. Ages 4–8. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

Those who love to make up their own stories will be inspired, and readers who march to the beats of their own drums will be delighted. Will leave readers as happy as a pig in mud.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Boisterous digital renderings capture the figures’ glee as they go their own ways for an effect that spotlights the twice-told tale’s whirlwind qualities.” —Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

2022-07-27
It’s good to embrace change.

Although an unseen narrator attempts to tell an accustomed version of “The Three Little Pigs”—here named Alan, Alfred, and Alvin Albert—their younger sister, Alison, wants to get in on the action because she’s a natural storyteller. The narrator grudgingly allows Alison to tag along, but her added bits of flavor and the unexpected personalities of her brothers soon send the story off its traditional tracks and into hilarious hijinks. For example, Alan’s love of building allows him to design a functional house made of plastic drinking straws, Alfred’s stick house is actually constructed by Alan because Alfred’s clearly a star and not stage crew, and Alvin’s shacking up in a pumpkin behind Cinderella’s castle because he’s…not the crispiest piece of bacon on the plate. Alison’s quick thinking leads the brothers to be one step ahead of the wandering wolf. When the narrator hits their limit, a conversation with Alison proves that collaboration can lead to unexpected but wonderful results. The story flows well, accompanied by energetic cartoon art, and the choice to color-code the speech bubbles of each character (and the text of the narrator vs. Alison) ensures readers will be able to follow the snappy dialogue. Those who love to make up their own stories will be inspired, and readers who march to the beats of their own drums will be delighted. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Will leave readers as happy as a pig in mud. (Picture book. 6-10)

Kirkus Reviews