If you like children's books in the spirit of The Stinky Cheese Man--and I sure do--then this funny, modern retelling of the classic Three Little Pigs story is going to be right at home on your bookshelf.
Mark Teague's The Three Little Pigs and the Somewhat Bad Wolf is true enough to the original story that the lessons about planning and hard work still come through, but updated with enough 21st century details, and a sub-theme about nutrition, that even older kids will laugh when you're reading it to little ones.
From the first page, when the farmer tells the pigs that he and his wife are moving to Florida and paying the pigs for their labor, you know this isn't your ordinary fable. It's even got a not-so-subtle, but very timely moral about nutrition woven through the story. Let's just say the first two pigs spend less on their home-building supplies to be able to spend more on potato chips and soda, while the smart pig with the brick house plants a vegetable garden.
As for the wolf, he's got his own eating issues. The real reason he went after the pigs? Low-blood sugar. Fortunately the third pig is nice enough to invite him in for some broccoli. That's the kind of lesson I like my kids learning. -Liz
Pre-order The Three Little Pigs and the Somewhat Bad Wolf by Mark Teague at our affiiliate Amazon for a 4/30 ship date, or find it at an indie bookseller near you.
