The Three Little Pigs (Railroad Books Series)

James Marshall was one of the most prolific and successful author/illustrators of children's books. He was best known for his series on the mischievous exploits of Fox, a debonair, lazy showoff; the uproarious adventures of the two Cut-Ups, Spud and Joe; George and Martha; and the misadventures of the Stupidfamily. He divided his time between an apartment in the Chelsea district of New York and his home in Mansfield Hollow Connecticut.

PreSchool-Grade 3-- Marshall brings his own brand of humor to both text and pictures in this retelling of the popular nursery tale . He retains the classic format of the tale, including all of the familiar phrases ("I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house in"), but his own asides make the story fresh and lively. For example, when the first little pig decides to build a house of straw, and the straw seller warns, "That's not a good idea," he expresses just what all the worldly wise six- and seven-year-old readers will be thinking. Without a word of description, the colorful cartoon illustrations in ink and watercolor give the three pigs separate personalities. The lazy pig builds a house of straw which takes him "no time at all," and the artistic pig, a stick house which is "very pretty." The wolf, with his slouching posture and shifty, yellow eyes, looks just the sort of character who would lose his temper and jump down the chimney when force and tricks fail to capture the third little pig. Good stories can be retold endlessly, and Marshall's inventive version of The Three Little Pigs is an excellent addition for all library picture-book collections. --Karen James, Louisville Free Public Library, KY
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