The Three Little Pugs

PreS-Gr 1—Three little pugs try various tactics to remove a cat who has taken over their bed in this variation on the "The Three Little Pigs." The pugs love napping in their basket, but when they discover the big bad cat sleeping there, they hatch a plan. First they fill the basket with straw (drinking straws in this case), then sticks (knitting needles, a baton, crayons), and finally bricks (a pack of playing cards, a lego, the remote control) in order to oust the intruder. But the feline simply settles in over the objects. Finally, the pugs take a "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" tack and snuggle up close to their new furry friend. The text is slight and silly and the ending of "and that was that" seems a bit lazy. The author tried hard to make the story fit into the original tale and it doesn't quite work. However, the watercolor cartoon illustrations are appealing in mostly pastel tones and included on the endpapers are images of the pugs and the cat in frames that help to tell the story of their relationship.