Richard Johnson (10) (1976–)

This cozy story is a sweet read for to celebrate the new year. The wordless pages tell the story of a lonely boy and his father. Grieving the loss of the boy's mother and with no food to eat, the father takes his rifle and his son and sets out to hunt. The boy becomes lost in a white blizzard, where the snowflakes look like leaping stags and running foxes. Frightened and alone, he falls asleep in a sheltered part of the forest and awakens to find himself surrounded by the forest animals. show more They become friends, sharing what little they have together and celebrating until the boy misses his father. The kind bear takes him home and the boy tells his father of his adventure; the father puts away his gun and as spring slowly awakens the woods, the boy and his father become friends with the animals and their weight of grief and loneliness lifts.

The practical, unsentimental side of me would like to point out that if they don't hunt they're going to starve; that chipmunks and many of the animals portrayed actually hibernate (not to mention eat each other); and that there are a lot of odd inconsistencies in what historical time period is being portrayed. But this isn't a nonfiction nature story; it's a story about opening up to friendship and new life after grief and loss. The fanciful pictures light up the pages and this wordless story becomes a powerful metaphor for choosing friends and life.

Verdict: Not for every library and not necessarily a strong storytime choice, but a great book for a quiet family gathering with the right child to talk about new beginnings and new friends for a new year.

ISBN: 9780571339280; Published November 1, 2018 by Faber & Faber; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library show less

Summary
This is the same traditional story of the three little pigs with a few different twists. There are a-lot more details in this story of the three little pigs,but they still have the same happy ending.

Personal reaction
I really liked this story of the three little pigs and the way it was told. It gave more details than i had ever remembered from this story and a very different ending than the one I remembered.

Classroom Extension
1. i think this would be a great book to have the kids in show more the class act out.
2. You could read the children the book and have them draw a picture for each important scene from the book. show less

Summary:
This wonderful adaptation of this classic story follows the lives of three little pigs heading off to live on their own. Their mother warns them of the big bad wolf and tells them to be aware. The fist two little pigs build their homes out of materials all to easy for the wolf to blow away. The third little pig builds a strong and reliable home that the wolf can not destroy. The three little pigs set a trap for this wolf, and capture him in boiling water. Then all three little pigs show more build a sturdy home. The picture adaptations throughout this story are wonderful, and the flip up, and pop ups, just add to the "huffing, puffing, and blow your house down" aspect.

Personal Reflection:
This is a classic story I grew up on. I relate to this by thinking of all the times my parents warned me about strangers and the dangers of the world. It teaches you to be cautious and aware of your surroundings.

Classroom Extension:
1.) We could do a simulation string, paper, and blocks to act as the hay, sticks, and bricks used for making the houses in the book. We would then take turns huffing and puffing and blowing the house down to see which ones are easier or harder to knock over.
2.) We could design our own cartoon set and puppets and reenact the story for a puppet show. show less

Independent Reading Level: Grades 1-3