The Three Pigs by David Wiesner

Wiesner, D. (2001). The Three Pigs. New York, NY: Clarion Books.

This story begins as you might imagine... three little pigs build their houses out of straw, sticks and bricks and along comes the big bad wolf to blow them down.  However that's where the plot takes a surprise twist.  Not only does the wolf blow down the houses, he blows the pigs right out of the story!  Now that they are safe and have new found freedom, they decide to explore and find themselves adventuring through other classic tales where they make a few new friends and invite them back to the safety of the third little pig's brick house where they can all live "happily ever after."

Visual Element: Texture

This book is an excellent example of how the texture of the illustrations can create a sense of excitement and adventure in a story.  As it begins in the classic tradition of the Three Little Pigs story the pictures are two dimensional.  As the story progresses and the pigs are literally blown out of the story, they take on a three dimensional and more realistic look.  The contrast in the images as the pigs go about their journey allow the reader to follow along and feel as though they are part of the action. 

Lesson Plans for use with The Three Little Pigs