The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig

LoveReading4Kids Says

This much-loved picture book puts a comic and clever twist on the familiar fairytale. Three polite young wolves set off to make their way in the world and build themselves a charming little house in the country. But their rural idyll is interrupted by the arrival of the big bad pig. When they won’t let him in, and huffing and puffing doesn’t work, he takes up a sledgehammer and knocks the house down.

No matter how much bigger the wolves make their houses, he still manages to destroy them. So the wolves try a different tack, and build a house of flowers. Sniffing the fragrant scent, the pig’s heart becomes tender, and he changes his ways. The last page sees all four of them enjoying china tea and strawberries together, set to live happily ever after.

The twist will delight children, and the message is particularly timely: higher walls and barbed wire will never offer solutions, talking together probably will. Helen Oxenbury’s illustrations are masterful, the wolves dance across the pages, as they move from bright, happy countryside to drab concrete bunker, and back again. 

Reviewed by Andrea Reece
Andrea Reece has spent almost her entire working life in children’s books, first as publisher, latterly as consultant, project manager and critic.
More reviews by Andrea Reece

About The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig

It was time for the three little wolves to go out into the world, so they set off and built themselves a splendid brick house. But they hadn't reckoned on the big bad pig coming along with a sledgehammer...Witty, subversive and perfect for reading aloud, this hilarious twist on a classic tale has delighted children for decades.

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