From the Publisher
Life is pretty sweet for the three little pigs...until a hungry wolf named Tempesto shows up one morning. Percy, Pete, and Prudence refuse to let themselves become breakfast without a fight -- but can anything save the plucky pigs once Tempesto starts huffing and puffing? With his hilarious retelling and irresistible illustrations, Steven Kellogg masterfully updates the classic folktale for a whole new generation of readers.
Parents
. . . Witty plot twists ans pictures packed with visual puns make Kellogg's version of this old tale a pigtorial feast.
Publishers Weekly
Buoyant pictures and a pun-riddled text add gusto to Kellogg's lighthearted humor as he gives this classic caper more twists than are found in the average pig's tail. Pushing her waffle-making machine from "hamlet to hamlet," industrious Serafina Sow makes enough money to send her three little pigsa daughter and two sonsto Hog Hollow Academy. When she retires, the educated piglets build their fabled houses and run the wafflery until Tempesto the wolf (wearing a "Say Yes to Thugs" sweatshirt) arrives and instructs them to "butter yourselves and hop on the griddle." Serafina returns to bail out her brood and, in a final play on words, answers Tempesto's threat that "You'll soon be sausages!" with a triumphant "You'll soon be a WOLFFLE!" But the wry tale ends on a sunny note: rather than becoming brunch, this not-so-bad wolf gets to swap places with Serafina on a remote beach, sporting a new shirt (shown on the back cover) that proclaims "Thugs Need Hugs Too." Kids will have a jolly time poring over the particulars in the illustrations. And their mothers will cheer for Kellogg's decision to let his porcine matriarch hog the show. Ages 5-up. (Sept.)
Publishers Weekly
A mother pig makes enough money to send her three little piglets to Hog Hollow Academy, and when she retires, the educated trio takes over the family wafflery business-until the wolf tries to stand in the way. PW said that this "classic caper has more twists than are found in the average pig's tail." Ages 3-8. (Oct.)
Children's Literature
In this humorous updated version of the classic tale, the mother, Serafina Sow, plays a larger role in the lives of her three little piglets: Percy, Pete and Prudence. She is an entrepreneur who is inspired to start a waffle business. The "wafflery" becomes quite successful, and Serafina then retires to the "Gulf of Pasta" leaving the business to her three piggies. Along comes the wolf, Tempesto, who decides he wants ham, bacon, and sausage with his waffles. There begins the confrontation that culminates with Serafina Sow coming out of retirement to help her little piggies defeat Tempesto. In the end, Tempesto decides to give up a life of crime and he turns in his "Say Yes to Thugs" T-shirt for a tank top that says "Thugs Need Hugs Too", and becomes a mellow beach bum on the "Gulf of Pasta." Younger children will enjoy the action (particularly the food fight between the piglets and Tempesto). Older children will be able to appreciate the humorous twists to the story. As always, Steven Kellogg's illustrations are irresistible for all ages.
Children's Literature
After her 3 children graduate from Hog Hollow Academy, Serafino Sow leaves them her waffle business as she retires to the Isle of Pasta in this hilarious version of The Three Little Pigs. Percy, Pete, and Prudence prosper until the wolf, Tempesto, tries to topple their business and their homes. It's Mama to the rescue in this action packed story. Notice the details in each scene: A painting by Pigasso hangs over the Pig's mantle along with a statue of the famous Olympig Waffle Thrower. Mr. Kellogg's warm persona permeates the story with his rollicking humor and his sense of fair play. No one gets eaten and even the wolf changes. His T-shirt sports the slogan "Thugs Need Hugs, Too."
School Library Journal
K-Gr 3This contemporary retelling features Serafina Sow, whose mission in life is to bring waffles to the world. After building a highly successful wafflery, she retires to the Gulf of Pasta, leaving the family business in the hands of her capable offspring, Percy, Pete, and Prudence. The three operate the business and build themselves comfortable homes of straw, wood, and brick, of course. Enter Tempesto, a thugish, leather-jacketed wolf. He orders the three pigs to cook themselveshe isn't interested in waffles. Kellogg's usual busy, highly defined illustrations complement the humorous, clever text. In the satisfying, nonfatal ending, Serafina Sow returns from retirement to help her children defeat Tempesto, who has the meanness steamed out of him after coming down the chimney into the waffle iron. He is sent to the Gulf of Pasta in Serafina's place, where he spends his days as a mellow beach bum. A tempting choice to pair with Jon Scieszka's The True Story of the Three Little Pigs (Viking, 1989) and your favorite traditional version for porcine storytime fun.Lisa Falk, Palos Verdes Library, CA
Kirkus Reviews
Kellogg (I Was Born About 10,000 Years Ago, 1996, etc.) puts a master's spin on another familiar tale. These three pigs can afford to build new houses with profits reaped from their mother's mobile waffle business, which they inherit when Serafina Sow retires to the Gulf of Pasta. Tempesto, the big bad wolf (sporting a leather jacket and engineer boots), doesn't care about waffles; he sees the pigs as ham, bacon, and sausage. After devastating their straw and wood homes, he creates a hot-air balloon out of a garbage bag to descend down the chimney of the brick house. Luckily, Serafina pulls herself out of retirement just in time to stick the waffle grill under the descending wolf's bottom—a "wolffle." As usual, Kellogg's illustrations add to the story; intrepid readers will have fun finding art on the wall by Pablo Pigasso, perusing the long list of waffle flavors (among them, baloney and bubblegum), and giggling at the wolf's shirt, which sports slogans—at first, "Say Yes to Thugs," and later, "Thugs Need Hugs Too." A talent-strewn retelling that only enhances the original.
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