Gr 1—2—Can a wolf and three pigs ever be friends? That's the situation Seabrooke puts forth in this early chapter book. Wilfong, dressed in purple pants, red-and-orange striped socks, turquoise shoes, and a hot-pink scarf, is clearly an unusual wolf. When the Pygg brothers refuse to let him in, he huffs, puffs, and then decides, "If you won't let me in, I won't let you out." Luckily the Pyggs are prepared to stay inside all winter. After watching them play games, listening to their stories, and joining in with their sing-a-longs, Wilfong abandons the idea of eating them. The Pyggs eventually accept the idea of a wolf friend and build him his own room attached to their house. The real moment of truth arrives, however, when a hipster gang of wolves (all in stylish boots) decides to eat the pigs. Wilfong comes up with a creative solution—one that may even inspire young readers to look at their vegetables a little differently. The pencil, watercolor, and digital-media illustrations, while funny, are surprisingly abstract. A flattened 2-D perspective is used for some of the buildings and the wolves' heads. Instead of profiles, the illustrator shows the whole head, unnaturally angled. While there is more text than image, the art is important in establishing the characters' personalities. Readers who are familiar with the traditional story will enjoy anticipating the twists in this more sophisticated version.—Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond, VA
This short chapter book plays with "The Three Little Pigs." Here, the wolf is eager to give up his mean ways and live with the Pygg brothers. After concessions on both sides, the wolf takes his place at the Pyggs' table. Newly independent readers will enjoy this take on the traditional story. Lively illustrations help break up the sometimes daunting text blocks.
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