Wednesday, April 1, 2009

The Three Little Javelinas by Susan Lowell


About the book: In this retelling of The Three Little Pigs set in the American Southwest, the cherished porkers are transformed into javelinas, the hairy, swinelike creatures also known as peccaries. Their pursuer, no longer the wolf of traditional lore, becomes Coyote, that ubiquitous Southwestern trickster. In her first book for children, Lowell spices the story with elements of Native American, Mexican and Old West culture. Javelina No. 1 builds his house of tumbleweed, while his brother relies on saguaro ribs. Twice Coyote huffs and puffs and the lightweight dwellings fall, but the peccaries are saved by their resourceful sister, who has had the foresight to build her home of stout adobe bricks. This clever and flavorful change of scene puts a diverting spin on an old favorite. Harris's lively, finely detailed illustrations, with the bristling, pink-nosed peccaries clad in cowboy outfits, amusingly contrast the villain's vigorous wiles with the title characters' cozy domesticity.
My thoughts: Loved it! The story was cute, the illustrations were great. Used this one in class and the kids did a venn to compare it to the traditional version. Funny note: One of my little girls said "It was the GIRL pig who was smart!"
View the author's site here.
Challenges:
100+ Reading challenge
RYOB Challenge
children's literature, children

No comments: