196. Too Many Pigs and One Big Bad Wolf

Too Many Pigs and One Big Bad Wolf: A Counting Story. Davide Calì. Illustrated by Marianna Balducci. 2022. [September] 36 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Once upon a time, there were three little pigs. Then the wolf ate them. THE END.
This story is too short! I want a longer one! Once upon a time, there were four little pigs. The wolf ate the first three. Then he ate the fourth, but it took longer because that pig was bigger. THE END. This story is STILL too short. There must be other things happening! Once upon a time, there were five little pigs. The wolf ate the first, then the second, then third, fourth, and fifth. Meanwhile, there was a carnival in the woods. THE END. The little pigs always get eaten too fast! And what does a carnival have to do with anything?

Premise/plot: The big, bad wolf gets to eat a LOT of pigs in this imaginative retelling of the traditional folk tale. The little pigs are bantering with the narrator about the story, about how it is unfolding, and they are not at all happy. However, the narrator seems to be #teamwolf. The narrator mainly seems focused on making sure the wolf is HAPPY and FULL. How many pigs can a wolf eat???

My thoughts: I thought this one was SO MUCH FUN. Fairy tale adaptations can be a hoot. Not always. It's not a guarantee. There have been adaptations and retellings that have not been all that great. But this one, well, it is just fun. (As long as you are not one of the pigs]. 

The book is written as a dialogue of sorts. The text in red represents the pigs. The text in black is the narrator. Two people [adult and child] could easily read this one together. Of course, it doesn't have to be read that way. It would also, I imagine, be great to read aloud in a classroom or library setting. The story is VERY predictable which can be a great thing for this age group.

© 2022 Becky Laney of Young Readers