In my opinion, The Three Little Pigs, retold by Nicola Baxter, is a great take on the traditional story. It grabs its readers by having a great plot and illustrations that support the text.

I like this story because of the plot. It is organized and well paced, making it an easy book to read and follow. It was organized so that we were able to follow all three pigs build their house, and then go back in the same order to see how their house held up against the big bad wolf. Organizing it in this way allows reader to easily follow the story line and not get mixed up with which pig built which house. This book is also very well paced. Readers are given the perfect amount of information on each pig and their house in order to support the conflict and suspense that arises. There wasn’t too much detail given to prove too much complexity the story, and not too little where the characters and plot weren’t able to develop.

I also like this story because of the illustrations. They fit the style of the written text because they are simple. They don’t have too much detail, which allows the reader to focus in on the main points of the story. They’re also appropriate to the mood of the story. When the wolf is able to knock down the houses of the first two pigs, he is illustrated as bigger than both the pigs and the houses in order to establish his power over them. However, when the wolf is next to the third pig and the house made of bricks, he’s his appropriate size. This shows that sometimes brains and hard work can be equal to if not more successful than something strong, big or bad.

The big idea of the story is that hard work and time on something pays off. Although the third pig spent much more time and labor on his house than the other two pigs, he was able to keep the wolf out because of the sturdiness of the home. It might be easier to do something quickly just to get it done, like the first two pigs did with their home, but that doesn’t mean it’s always the best or smartest way to go about something. ( )

I like and dislike this story for a few reasons. I like this story because it is a quick story and it is familiar. I remember reading it when I was little and I still remember it to this day. I like the different characters and the different voices used in the book. I also like how the vocabulary is simple and short. For example, one of the sentences in the story is, “Now the wolf is very angry.” Short and simple sentences make the story easy to read and retell. The illustrations are bright and colorful which is enjoyable. I do not like this story because what if students are unfamiliar with the animals. I know they are just characters, but some students may have never seen pigs. The wolf could also be scary. He says, “Ill huff and I’ll puff and I’ll blow your house down!” for each pig’s house. The pig is kind of disturbing and frightening in this story. The message of this tale is that if you take your time on your work, people are less likely to be able to tear it down. ( )