The Untold Story of the Three Little Pigs by Stephanie Lang has lovely illustrations by Ashley Belote to retell a classic story that is a delight for children of all ages. This is the story of three little pigs, but it’s not like anything you’ve read before. It’s the story of three brothers: Hampton, Piggie, and Porker who live next door to a wolf family and are best friends with the pup Gerald, a very special wolf that’s predicted to take their football team to the championship. Only this causes a very big problem for Gerald as between school, scouts and football, he is having a hard time getting his homework done. This pushes him to make a decision that could cost him his friendship with the three pig brothers. This is a unique and delightful retelling of The Three Little Pigs which weaves in a few familiar elements such as the three houses and the wolf huffing and puffing but is told from a fresh perspective that delivers viable lessons in friendship and honesty. The stunning illustrations depict the various animal characters such as the three brothers, Gerald, the principal that’s a mouse, and the sheep teacher. There are modern elements with school, sports, and studying seen through the daily lives of the anthropomorphic characters. The writing is playful with puns that play on pigs with names like Hampton, Piggie, and Porker, Baconville Elementary, and their last name being Loin. The names provide humor in the story that will make children laugh. Lang weaves several elements into the story as the characters are members of the scouts and working on getting their badges for riding bikes and picking up garbage. Though this is a subtle part of the story, it shows the characters doing more for their community and environment, a great example for children. The Untold Story of the Three Little Pigs is a great read for all ages with fun references to the fairytale, pig puns, humor, positive messages, and themes of friendship and honesty.
