A cute retelling of the classic tale, and also a reminder of the importance of practice and determination.

Independent reading level: K-3rd grade

Genre
Fractured fairy tales and folklore
Picture books for children
Stories in rhyme
Tone
Amusing
Illustration
Detailed
Location
Japan
Subject
Martial arts
Ninja
Pigs
Training

Pure fun! ( )

The Three Ninja Pigs by Corey Schwartz is a refreshing, modern take on the classic three little pigs story. The story begins like every version, with the big bad wolf huffing and puffing and blowing houses down. Three little pigs decide to stand up to the wolf; however, in this version, rather than building houses, they learn martial arts. The first little pig learns aikido, but does not train very hard. The second little pig learns jiu-jitsu, but drops out before he has finished his training. The third little pig, however, learns karate and becomes a master. When the wolf comes, the first and second pig run to the last pig’s house, who shows off some cool karate moves that scare the wolf away.

The story is told entirely in rhyme, and has just enough of a twist on the classic tale to make it new again. Interestingly, the third little pig in this story is not a brother at all, but a sister! The sister is the most dedicated of them all and promotes a strong – if unusual – female protagonist for little girls to admire. The story also has a nice moral about practicing hard and learning in order to become the best, but manages to tell the story with enough humor to offset any overt moralizing. In the back of the book, there is even a brief glossary of Japanese terms used in the book that may be unfamiliar to young readers, like sensei and sayonara.

The illustrations by Dan Santat, however, are the highlight of the book. With bright, colorful illustrations clearly influenced by cartoons and kung-fu movies, the artwork sometimes outshines the prose story. On one full-spread, a turtle attempts to throw an unfazed panda, a monkey successfully tosses a yak over his shoulder, and a crane and a goat wearing white gis stare at the first little pig snoring peacefully on the floor. The action scenes are done panel-style, with interesting compositions and angles reminiscent of Japanese manga. As an additional nod to cultural appreciation, the illustrations were completed with Sumi brush work on rice paper before being finished digitally.

Though probably not destined to become a cherished classic, younger readers will appreciate the bright, comic-style artwork filled with humor and action, as well as enjoy the unconventional retelling of this traditional story. ( )