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Showing posts with label Traditional Literature. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

THE THREE LITTLE WOLVES AND THE BIG BAD PIG, By Eugene Trivizas, Illustrated by Helen Oxenbury

Trivizas, Eugene. THE THREE LITTLE WOLVES AND THE BIG BAD PIG. Ill. by Helen Oxenbury. New York: Macmillian Publishing Company, 1993. ISBN 0590486225

In this mixed-up version of the classic tale, it is the three little wolves that are running around building houses, hoping to stay safe from the Big Bad Pig and his huffing and puffing. Three fluffy little wolves are warned by their mother to beware of the big bad wolf when they leave their home and go out on their own. Taking her heed to heart, they immediately set out building a sturdy house of bricks. Soon that big bad pig their mama told them about comes prowling at their door and starts huffing and puffing. When he realizes he cannot blow the house down, the pig does the next best thing - he knocks it down with a sledgehammer. The three wolves narrowly escape the destruction and turn to concrete when they build their next home. This time, the fearless pig’s pneumatic drill easily smashes the concrete to dust and leaves the wolves running away again. Determined to build an even stronger home, the wolves use a gamut of materials for their next dwelling, including iron bars, metal padlocks and Plexiglas. But again, that evil pig finds a way to destroy the house, this time quite literally blowing it down with dynamite. Convinced they are going about it all wrong, the three little wolves build their final house out of soft, colorful flowers. This time, when the big bad pig arrives and takes a breath to huff and puff, he is delighted by the fragrant smell. His big bad heart grows soft and he decides to become a “big good pig,” moving in with the wolves in their flowered home. They all – of course – live happily ever after.

Trivizas’s THE THREE LITTLE WOLVES AND THE BIG BAD PIG is a satirical take on the classic THREE LITTLE PIGS tale that uses humor and erratic details to keep readers laughing as they turn the pages. For example, throughout the story, the three little wolves meet a kangaroo pushing a wheelbarrow of bricks, play croquet in their garden, install a video entrance phone on their front door and soak in waterlily-filled bathtubs. Trevizas’s story is quirky and silly, almost going overboard on the unpredictability of the details. But the story’s charm makes up for its oddities and readers will surely enjoy the big bad pig’s exaggerated attempts at taking down the wolves. His methods of destruction will entertain any kid who likes to destroy things, and his array of tools and supplies will catch the interest of innovative builders of all ages. Triviza’s fractured fairy tale does stay true to its roots, offering several echo lines to encourage participation during a read aloud. The pig’s actions are always described with, “he huffed and he puffed and he puffed and he huffed,” and the three little wolves always tremble not only from their chinny-chin-chins, but all the way down to the tea leaves in their china teapot. This tale’s moral is not the usual THREE LITTLE PIGS theme of taking time to do things the hard way to make sure they are done right. Instead, THE THREE LITTLE WOLVES AND THE BIG BAD PIG teaches children to get along with each other and to be a good pig, not a bad pig.

Helen Oxenbury’s watercolor illustrations depict the three little wolves as friendly yet skittish animals who are always peering cautiously out their windows, looking out for the pig. They tip toe out of their destroyed homes and climb down piles of barbed wire. Oxenbury makes the three little heroes endearing and lovable, as they toss shuttlecocks across a net and work diligently to rebuild their house with an extra-friendly beaver. The big bad pig, on the other hand, is always depicted as scowling and grumbling, never appearing happy or satisfied. It is not until the very end when the pig has a change of heart that we see him smile, and even do a jig for the wolves. Once he learns that he can be friends with his foes, the pig looks carefree and relaxed, playing games with the wolves in a sunny field and relaxing at home with his new family.

PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY applauds THE THREE LITTLE WOLVES AND THE BIG BAD PIG, calling it “among the wittiest fractured fairy tales around.” SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL agrees, saying “children familiar with the Three Little Pigs will enjoy the turnabout, the narrow escapes, and the harmonious ending.”

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Children who enjoy the role reversal in this story will also enjoy reading other classic fairytales turned around, such as:

HONESTLY, RED RIDING HOOD WAS ROTTEN, THE STORY OF LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD AS TOLD BY THE WOLF, By Tricia Speed Shaskan, Illustrated by Gerald Guerlais, ISBN 1404870468

BELIEVE ME, GOLDILOCKS ROCKS! THE STORY OF THE THREE BEARS AS TOLD BY BABY BEAR, By Nancy Jean Loewen, Illustrated by Tatevik Avakyan, ISBN 140487044X

Young readers may be inspired to write their own fractured version of this and other classic tales. For help writing fractured fairytales, visit:

http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/fairytales

Or try reading:

ONCE UPON A TIME: WRITING YOUR OWN FAIRY TALE (WRITER’S TOOLBOX), By Nancy Loewen, Illustrated by Christopher Lyles

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Sources:

http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-689-81528-7

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/three-little-wolves-and-the-big-bad-pig-eugene-trivizas/1100630834#

Monday, February 11, 2013

THREE SACKS OF TRUTH, A STORY FROM FRANCE, Adapted by Eric A. Kimmel, Illustrated by Robert Rayevsky

Kimmel, Eric. THREE SACKS OF TRUTH: A STORY FROM FRANCE. Ill. by Robert Rayevsky. New York: Holiday House, 1993. ISBN 082340921X

There once lived a greedy king who declared that any man who brought him a perfect peach would be rewarded with his princess daughter’s hand in marriage. Suitors came from far and wide, all lining up with their best peaches for the king to try. A poor widow heard the king’s promise and sent each of her three sons with a peach from her own tree. The first two brothers failed at the task, due to lies they told to an old woman they encountered on their journeys into the kingdom. But when the third and smallest brother, Petit Jean, met the old woman with his basket, his honesty earned him a true perfect peach to present to the king, as well as a musical silver fife. However, the cunning king did not want his daughter to marry a small peasant boy, so he added an impossible condition to his prize of marriage: Petit Jean must also herd 10,000 rabbits for four days straight, never losing a single one. Thanks to the old woman’s magical fife, Petit Jean succeeded each day, while also managing to trick the entire royal family along the way. Clever Petit Jean convinced the young princess to kiss him seven times, talked the plump queen into standing on her head before him, and even tricked the shrewd king himself into kissing a donkey. Yet, the king still refused to let Petit Jean marry his daughter, this time insisting that the young boy now present him with three sacks of truth. Petit Jean calmly showed the princess in one sack, who confirmed to the kingdom that she did kiss the boy. The second sack held the queen, who verified performing an embarrassing headstand in front of Petit Jean. When the clever suitor asked the king to get into the third sack, with the question of what he kissed for Petit Jean, the king hastily interrupted him, finally insisting that he marry his daughter at once.

THREE SACKS OF TRUTH, an adaptation of Paul Delarue’s version, THE THREE MAY PEACHES, is a clever tale of wit and ingenuity. The story takes place “once upon a time” and follows a kingdom that exists in some far corner of the earth, leaving the details of the setting to the reader’s own creation. The story’s sly hero, Petit Jean, is an unassuming character who children will not expect to save the day. He’s smaller than his brothers and is his mother’s last choice to try for winning the king’s daughter and making a fortune for his family. However, unlike his rude brothers, Petit Jean is friendly and kind to the old woman by the holy well, which earns him his first prize and delivers the story’s subtle message of good triumphing over bad. As readers continue to follow Petit Jean’s quest to earn the princess’s hand in marriage, they will be impressed again and again by his skillful outdoing of the greedy king. Children will cheer Petit Jean on as he foils the king’s attempts to prevent him from succeeding at impossible tasks, all the way until the story’s end, when Petit Jean trumps the king once and for all, guaranteeing his happy ending with the beautiful princess.

Illustrator Robert Rayevsky complements Kimmel’s tale with his drawings of Petit Jean, the greedy king, and the story’s other characters. Rayevsky’s pictures are detailed and colorful, alternating between crisp white and darker gray or brown backgrounds. The illustrations give THREE SACKS OF TRUTH a whimsical feeling of an unknown place, as the old widow’s house is shown on the edge of a cliff with the king’s castle standing far away in the distance, and the vast field of 10,000 rabbits is shown spanning far out into the edge of an unknown, dark forest. Rayevsky’s textured drawings grab readers’ eyes and pull them into the story, immersing them in Petit Jean’s quest to out-foil the king once and for all. Audiences will smile back at the hero’s sideways glance to them on the book’s final page, where Petit Jean’s quick wit has finally earned him his happily ever after.

THREE SACKS OF TRUTH is an ingenious tale that will engage early readers and older children alike. Packed full of magical peach trees, a supernatural old woman who can transform fruit into snakes, 10,000 rabbits, 7 kisses, 3 magical peaches and plenty of cunning trickery that promises to keep readers laughing, Kimmel’s adaptation of this French folk tale will become a quick favorite. Young children will delight in hearing it read aloud, as the story and pictures create the feel of a favorite tale being told before bed. Older readers will enjoy being challenged by the book’s longer text and will find amusement in realizing the tale’s funny and clever surprise ending. Readers of all ages will appreciate the story’s theme of outsmarting evil and winning the prize in the end.

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL hails THREE SACKS OF TRUTH as a “well told tale with accomplished illustrations.” PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY calls this “crisp and sprightly interpretation” a story that “is at once traditional and fresh.”

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For another adaptations of this French folktale, check out:

THREE PERFECT PEACHES, By Cynthia C. DeFelice, Illustrated by Irene Trivas, ISBN 0531068722

THE KING's HARES, Full text found here (Norwegian adaptation)

Children will enjoy author Eric A. Kimmel’s website at: www.ericakimmel.com. Here, they can ask Kimmel questions and even hear him read his stories out loud.

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Sources:

http://www.amazon.com/Three-Sacks-Truth-Story-France/dp/082340921X

Sunday, February 10, 2013

THE UGLY DUCKLING, By Jerry Pinkney

Pinkney, Jerry. THE UGLY DUCKLING. New York: Morrow Junior Books, 1999. ISBN 068815932X

From the time he hatches out of a large, oddly shaped egg, the ugly duckling knows he is different from the rest of his family. His long neck and dull gray feathers are clearly not the same as the other ducklings’ soft yellow fluff, and he struggles to fit in from day one. The other ducks and animals living near the pond taunt the ugly duckling relentlessly, insisting he is too ugly and a disgrace to the brood. Overtime, the duckling grows so tired of the pecking and chasing that he decides to run away from home late one night. Once on his own, the ugly duckling’s luck seems only to go from bad to worse. He stumbles into a mess of hunters and dogs, narrowly escaping the teeth of a persistent hound. Next he wanders to the cottage home of an old women and her pets, only to discover he is too antsy to live cooped up in a house. Feeling even more dejected, the ugly duckling spends a lonely autumn and winter fighting to survive the cold and hunger. He dreams of flying high towards the south with a flock of birds he sees above him one day, but fears he will always be miserable and alone. When spring finally returns and the earth begins to melt, the young duckling feels stronger in the warm sun. When he catches sight of the same beautiful birds he saw soaring away months ago he decides to follow them as they glide through a stream. Shocked by their welcoming friendliness, the ugly duckling is confused until he happens to catch sight of his reflection in the shimmering water. He no longer saw dull feathers and an awkward neck - he was now a beautiful bird, just like the flock of birds he admired. It turns out that our hero was not an ugly duckling at all, but a graceful, peaceful swan.

Jerry Pinkney’s award-winning adaption of Hans Christian Andersen’s THE UGLY DUCKLING presents simple characters that readers will relate to and sympathize with as they read along. The poor ugly duckling, who struggles to find his place in a world where he thinks he does not fit in, will be a familiar story of good versus bad to many. His journey through the seasons on his own brings the tale to its quick and predictable ending, when the duckling’s suffering pays off and he is rewarded with the revelation of his true identity. Good does triumph over evil, and the ugly duckling’s explicit theme reminds us to not judge others who are different than ourselves and to always remember that the hard times make the good times that much better.

Pinkney’s exquisite watercolor illustrations bring his adaptation of THE UGLY DUCKLING to life, portraying the tiny details of the pond and marshes as the duckling makes his way through the tale. From the sharp edges of a freshly hatched duck egg to the soft feathers of a newborn baby chick, Pinkney’s illustrations invite readers to imagine touching the images in his book. The muted colors throughout the pages also convey the title character’s feelings of distress and loneliness. When he is frightened by the loud bangs of a hunter’s gun, Pinkney shows a bustling flock of geese that are squawking and upsetting the water’s surface, causing a chaos of sound and fury. Later, when the ugly duckling is sad and alone for his restless swim, the illustrations are gray and dark, showing looming fish and plants moving slowly in the murky water. And readers cannot help but shiver when they see the cold white frost on the poor duckling’s feathers as he tucks his head, alone in the freezing water. Pinkney’s illustrations carry the tale forward, ending with a sunny depiction of the duckling-turned-swan soaring through the warm, shimmering water. The final pages of the book finally show bright and bold colors, from the lush green grass to the yellow light of warmth surrounding the book’s hero as he flaps his strong wings, surrounded by the other swans.

Jerry Pinkney’s THE UGLY DUCKLING is a Caldecott Honor Book and one of the AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION'S Notable Children’s Books. HARPER COLLINS praises “Pinkney's spectacular new adaptation,” that “brings it triumphantly to new generations of readers.” SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL attests that “the appeal of this tale is as strong today as it was 150 years ago, and Pinkney has done an admirable job of repackaging it for a new generation.” Pinkney’s THE UGLY DUCKLING’s clear message and lovable character will make this adaptation of a classic into a quick classic itself.
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For more of Jerry Pinkney’s takes on traditional tales, check your local library for:

THE LION AND THE MOUSE, ISBN 0316013560

NOAH'S ARK, ISBN 1587172011

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD, ISBN 0316013552