Traditional Literature
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Scieszka, Jon. 1989. THE TRUE STORY OF THE THREE LITTLE PIGS. Ill. by Lane Smith. New York: Puffin Books. ISBN 9780670827596
PLOT SUMMARY
"I don't know how this whole Big Bad Wolf thing got started, but it's all wrong.'' According to his first-person testimony in this story of the Three Little Pigs. This tale is told from the point of view of the wolf who is currently in prison for murder. The wrongly accused wolf gives his side of the story that paints him in an innocent light. The wolf is trying to make his “dear old granny” birthday cake when he realizes that he needs sugar. The wolf goes to ask each of his three neighbors who happen to be the Three Little Pigs to borrow a cup of sugar. When he arrives to the first two houses the wolf feels a sneeze coming and he “sneezed a great sneeze.” When the house falls down on two of the three pigs the wolf had to eat them because he did not want the perfectly good food to ruin. Finally, Alexander T. Wolf encounters the Third Little Pig and becomes infuriated when the pig insults his granny by yelling, “your old granny can sit on a pin!” In is fit of anger Al tries to blow down the Third Little Pig’s house and the police come and arrest him.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This story gives a unique perspective from the point of view of Alexander T. Wolf, or as many children know him, the Big Bad Wolf. Readers of all ages will enjoy the humor of the narrator as he tries to give perfectly logical reasons on why he ate the pigs. Although the wolf is the villain some readers may be rooting for him because he dialogue is warm and inviting. The impressionistic artwork adds life to the characters and gives them depth that is not usually found in children’s literature. The storyline is dark and a little perverse and some may not want to share this story with the very young.
The setting in the story is recognizable as the tradition setting. The wolf goes to three different house made out of three different materials. Jon Scieszka gives the reader a glimpse of the different personalities of each of the pigs. The wolfs testimony about the pigs almost makes his story plausible. The humor is quite sophisticated for a children's story but is very enjoyable to read.
REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
School Library Journal (October 1989)
“Bespectacled wolf moves with a rather sinister bonelessness, and his juicy sneezes tear like thunderbolts through a dim, grainy world. It’s the type of book that older kids (and adults) will find very funny.”
Publishers Weekly (July 28, 1989)
In this gaily-newfangled version of a classic tale, Scieszka and Smith (Flying Jake) argue in favor of the villain, transforming the story of the three little pigs into a playfully suspicious, rather arch account of innocence beleaguered.
CONNECTIONS
*Writing: Students can use a Venn diagram to compare “The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs” to the traditional story.
*Have students act out the “huffing and puffing” while reading the story.
* Rewrite stories such as Hansel and Gretel and tell the story from the witches’ perspective or Jack and the Beanstalk from the giant’s perspective.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Zelinsky, Paul. 1997. RAPUNZEL. New York, NY: Dutton Children’s Book. ISBN 0525456074
PLOT SUMMARY
Rapunzel by Paul o. Zelinsky is a retelling of the German folktale. In this version of Rapunzel her pregnant mother is craving the herb rapunzel, which is in a sorceress’ garden. Desperate to make his wife happy, Rapunzel’s father, sneaks into the garden to get the herb and is caught by the sorceress and forced to choose between the life of his wife or giving up his unborn child. When Rapunzel is born she is immediately taking away and raised by the sorceress. When Rapunzel turns twelve he is locked in a tall tower and is visited by the sorceress who calls out, “Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair.” One day a prince hears Rapunzel’s beautiful voice and falls in love with her. He comes back daily trying to figure out how get into the tower to see Rapunzel. He finally sees how the sorceress climbs up Rapunzel’s hair to get into the tall tower. Rapunzel and the prince fall in love and get married only to have the sorceress banish Rapunzel to the “wild country” and blind the prince. By the end of the story the prince and Rapunzel are reunited and return to his kingdom where they “lived a long life, happy and content”.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This beautifully adapted German folktale with Renaissance style artwork has a mature nature but carries a great lesson about over coming adversity and being triumphant in the face of evil. The young heroine forms a bound with the sorceress who hold her captive but eventually finds out what true love is when she meets the young prince. The characters run the gauntlet of raw emotions such as, jealousy, rage, despair, joy and jubilation. These emotions are seen with great detail in the faces of the characters. Although, this tale is darker than the Rapunzel story most children know, it is told incredibly with surprising twist and turns in the storyline. The story, at first, seems like it will end in tragedy but eventually Zelinsky gives the readers their happily ever after.
REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Publishers Weekly (September 9, 2002)
"A breathtaking interpretation gives the fairy tale new art-historical roots, with illustrations that daringly-and effectively-mimic the masters of Italian Renaissance painting."
Horn Book starred (March, 1998)
“It takes a scholar's mind and an artist's insight to endow the familiar with unexpected nuances--which Zelinsky does with passion and dazzling technique.”
School Library Journal (November 1997)
What sets this Rapunzel apart from the others is the magnificence of the Renaissance setting. Readers will linger over the opulence and rich details of furnishings and fabrics, and admire the decorative patterns and architectural details of the tower and the rooms.
CONNECTIONS
· *Play emotional charades and have students act out the different emotions of the characters.
· *Have students try the herb rapunzel
· *Students can research other edible herbs and flowers.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bryan, Ashley. 1993. THE STORY OF LIGHTENING & THUNDER. New York, NY: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0689318367
PLOT SUMMARY
In this retelling of a West African story Ma Sheep and her rowdy son Ram Lightning are force to leave their kingdom and live in the sky. After several incidents where Ram Lightning reeked havoc on the townspeople the King forced the mother and son farther and farther out of town. The last straw came when Ram Lightning accidently started a fire and the villagers no longer felt safe with him living so near. The King proclaimed that Ma Sheep and Ram Lightning may no longer live on Earth but in the sky.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This tale is a great read-aloud with some rhymes and unexpected wordplay--the King scolds Lightning: "It is an outrage at your age to go on such a rampage!" Ashley Bryan does a great job of making the characters come to life. The drawings of Ma Sheep and Ram Lightning are a nice contrast of colors, dark and gloomy for the thunder and bright and vibrant for the lightening. Perhaps the one part of the story that seems unnecessary and repetitive is the phrase “Uh, uh”. When reading the story silently it interrupts the flow of the story, however the saying works better when it is read aloud.
This story would be great to read to young children who are afraid of storms. The explanation of why we have thunder and lightening might ease their fears. The playful Ram Lightning is very endearing character that is funny and very relatable to students who may have a hard time sitting still.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
Booklist (Vol. 90, No. 2 (September 15, 1993)
Bryan's swirling watercolors depict a bright African terrain peopled with decorative, colorful characters.
Kirkus Review starred (1993)
A delightful adaptation of a Nigerian folktale
CONNECTIONS
*Social Studies: Have students research Africa
*Writing: Partner up and have students write their own tale explaining why we have other types of weather.
*Science: Research the scientific reason for thunder and lightning
