The Three Little Pigs ∼ Los Tres Cerditos Review

by Allison Trippe

Bibliography

Escardó i Bas, Mercè. 2006. The Three Little Pigs/Los Tres Cerditos. Ill. by Pere Joan. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books LLC.    ISBN 978-0-8118-5063-6

Plot Summary

When three little pigs set off to live on their own, and make a home for themselves in the countryside, something unexpected happens. The brotherly pigs decide to each go their own separate ways. Each little pig searches for just the right materials to make their homes. One chooses to build his house of hay, another builds his house of wood, and the last builds his out of bricks. Meanwhile, a hungry wolf hears the news that three pigs were moving in nearby. One by one, the wolf visits each of the three pigs in hopes of a tasty meal. The first two brothers escape from the hungry wolf, and take up shelter at the home of the brother who built his house of bricks. Finally, the wolf reaches the third house and is outsmarted. The first two pigs learn a valuable lesson: take time to do something the right way. In the end, the three brothers decide to live together in the sturdy, brick house.

Critical Analysis

Author Mercè Escardó i Bas’ The Three Little Pigs/Los Tres Cerditos is an adaptation of the classic children’s folktale written in both English and Spanish.  As a beast tale, the anthropomorphized characters in this story embody the human traits of innocence and naivete  with the three pigs, and the predatory greed with the wolf. The characters are simple in nature making it easy for children to identify or connect with. While the plot is easy to understand, it contains action and a bit of suspense to hold the attention of the reader. Set somewhere in an ambiguous countryside, the context or clues given about the setting are in the detailed illustrations. Readers are left to interpret the setting virtually anywhere in the world.

The style of The Three Little Pigs/Los Tres Cerditos is simple with a formalized opening and satisfying resolution. The element of repetition is present in the dialogue easily making it a strong candidate for a read-aloud book. Young children will enjoy listening to the rhythm of the story, and may even join in as it’s read to them. With a motif of three distinct ways to accomplish a task, the theme that hard work pays off is undoubtedly relatable for children.

The illustrations are, perhaps, the strongest element in this version of the story of The Three Little Pigs. Children will be enraptured by the detail in the expressive, cartoon-style drawings. Illustrator, Mere Joan, uses movement lines to create a strong sense of action similar to a comic book artist. Characters are depicted in a caricature fashion with exaggerated features of the pigs and wolf.

Review Excerpts

From Booklist: “A strong addition to the publisher's bilingual fairy tale series...this book will be a good read-aloud for small children.”

From Adryan P. (age 7): “I recommend this book because each page is written in Spanish and English. It is good for kids that are learning English and kids that are learning Spanish. (Spaghetti Book Club 2017)”

Connections

• Since the text is written in both English and Spanish, this is the perfect book to read to a bilingual or dual language class.
• Gather other books in the series for students to read such as:
• The Ugly Duckling/El Patito Feo. ISBN: 978-0811844550
• Cinderella/Cenicienta. ISBN: 978-0811830904
• Little Red Riding Hood/Caperucita Roja. ISBN: 978-0811825627
• Pair this book with another version of The Three Little Pigs, and ask student to compare and contrast the two versions.
• For upper elementary students, pair the book with the fractured fairytale, The Real Story of the Three Little Pigs, and teach students about perspective. Create a mock debate where students have to choose a side and build an argument with evidence from the two texts.
• Read the story and discuss elements of folktales including characters, setting, plot, theme, motif.
• Teach students how to summarize fictional text using graphic organizers such as “Somebody Wanted But So Then,” a Story Map, or Plot Diagram.
• Students can adapt the story into a drama or play, then perform for classmates.

Reference

Spaghetti Book Club. 2017. “The Three Little Pigs/Los Tres Cerditos.” http://www.spaghettibookclub.org/review.php?review_id=7790

*Created as an assignment for a Texas Woman's University course.