The Three

Little Pigs
Level
F

About the Tale

Word Count

lthough well never know who invented the story of The Three Little
Pigs, historians credit James Orchard Halliwell with being the first
person to publish it. In 1849, he included the tale in his tome Popular
Rhymes and Nursery Tales. Since then, the classic has been retoldand
interpretedby everyone from the Brothers Grimm to fractured-fairy-tale
specialist John Scieszka. Today, this engaging story of three house-building
pigs and the huffing, puffing big bad wolf is probably the most widely told
childrens story in the English-speaking world.

243

Vocabulary
chimney, cozy, dashed,
stew, straw

Supportive Features
repetitive, patterned text;
familiar story

Challenging Features
long sentences, use of
commas, phrases such as
Quick as a wink

Discussion Questions
1. Why did the big bad wolf want to blow down the pigs homes?
2. The pigs put a pot of hot stew at the bottom of the chimney. Do you

Comprehension
Use this book with the
Problem/Solution Chart
on page 24.

think that was fair? Why or why not?

3. The are three pigs in this story. Can you think of some other stories that
have three characters?

Phonics
short vowels (a : bad, and, as,
ran, at, back, that ; e: yelled,
then, them, when; i : pig, big,
quick, sticks, bricks, in; o:
upon, not, pot, hot, bottom;
u: huffed, puffed, lunch,
jumped, up)

Notable Retellings
B The Three Little Pigs by James Marshall (Puffin Books, 1996).
Via funny dialogue and exuberant cartoons, Marshall breathes new
life into this favorite.

B The Three Pigs by David Wiesner (Clarion Books, 2001).

Writing

Dont miss this Caldecott Awardwinning retelling stocked with incredible

pictures and a super-zany plotline.

Invite children to pretend

they are the big bad wolf
and write a letter to the pigs
explaining his point of view.

B The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs! by John Scieszka

(Puffin Books, 1996). Get kids giggling and teach point of view with this
fractured classic told from the wolfs perspective.

Fluency
Name ______
______

____________

____________

Build a House

Companion Reproducible

___________

The three little

pigs used straw,

sticks, and bricks
What would you
to build their home
use? Fill in the
s.
poem. Then draw
inside your house
a picture of yourse
!
lf

To keep the
Big Bad Wolf
away,
I would not build
a house of hay.

Focus Skills: Critical and Creative Thinking, Making Personal

Connections, Writing

Instead, Id build
a house of _____
_______________

Then in my happ
y home Id stay!

38

__ .

Scholastic Folk
& Fairy Tale Easy
Readers Teaching
Guide page
38

Distribute copies of the reproducible on page 38. Then invite

each child to complete the poem and add an illustration.

(object)

Folk & Fairy Tale Easy Readers Teaching Guide Scholastic Teaching Resources

Have partners reread the

story, alternating each
page. Circulate and listen
in. Model how to read
dialogue that is in all caps,
such as OUCH!

37

Name _______________________________________________

Build a House
The three little pigs used straw, sticks, and bricks to build their homes.
What would you use? Fill in the poem. Then draw a picture of yourself
inside your house!

To keep the Big Bad Wolf away,

I would not build a house of hay.
Instead, Id build a house of ______________________ .
(object)

Then in my happy home Id stay!

38

Folk & Fairy Tale Easy Readers Teaching Guide Scholastic Teaching Resources

The Three
Little Pigs
A retelling by Violet Findley Illustrated by Keiko Motoyama

After that, the three little pigs lived safe and

sound in their cozy house of bricks. And the
big bad wolf never bothered them again.

Scholastic Folk & Fairy Tale Easy Readers Teaching Guide page 39

16

When the wolf came down the chimney,

One day, each pig decided to build a house

he landed right in the pot.

to keep safe from the big bad wolf. You see,

OUCH! OUCH! OUCH! he yelled.

the wolf loved to eat little pigs.

14

Once upon a time, there lived three

Then, quick as a wink, he dashed out the

little pigs.

door and ran far, far away.

2

15

You see, they had put a pot of very hot stew

at the bottom of the chimney.

The first pig built a cozy house of straw.

4

13

Scholastic Folk & Fairy Tale Easy Readers Teaching Guide page 40

Please do! said the pigs sweetly.

Im coming down the chimney to eat you

But the big bad wolf huffed and puffed and

for dinner! said the wolf.

blew the house down.

Scholastic Folk & Fairy Tale Easy Readers Teaching Guide page 41

12

The third little pig built a cozy house of

bricks. He invited the two other pigs to live

The second little pig built a cozy house

with him.

of sticks.
10

The big bad wolf huffed and puffed and

Quick as a wink, the first little pig ran away

huffed and puffed. But he just could not

before he became breakfast.

blow the brick house down.

11

Quick as a wink, the second little pig ran

blew the house down.

away before he became lunch.

8

Scholastic Folk & Fairy Tale Easy Readers Teaching Guide page 42

But the big bad wolf huffed and puffed and

Making the Mini-Books

3. Position the pages so that the lettered

le
The Litt
Red Hen

Cravath
by Lynne
Illustrated
Findley
by Violet
A retelling

spreads (A, B, C, D) are face up. Place

the B spread on top of the A spread.
Then, place the C and D spreads on
top of those in sequence.

1. Make doublesided copies of the

I will just
not help,
use you did
said
No! Beca
by myself,
this bread
have to eat
hen.
red
little
top!
the
jam on
did, with the dog.
she
so
And
said
Not me! 16
said the cat.
Not me!
.
said the duck
Not me!

mini-book pages.

at was tall.
, all the whe
d
Before long
this? aske
help me cut
Who will
hen.
the little red
5

12

(You should have

page 33
Teaching Guide
Tale Easy Readers
Folk & Fairy
Scholastic

copies for
each one.)

page 35
Teaching Guide
Tale Easy Readers
Folk & Fairy
Scholastic

two double-sided
.
said the dog
Not me!
said the cat.
Not me!
.
ed.
said the duck
lazy.
d was bak
Not me!
e all quite
, all the brea
wer
d
long
they
re
Befo
this? aske
You see,
said
3
help me eat
it by myself,
Who will
have to cut
hen.
I will just
the little red
said
hen.
14
by myself,
the little red
to grind it
7
have
I will just
hen.
red
the little
10

Before long, all the wheat was cut.

Not me! said the dog.
Who will help me grind this? asked
Not me! said the cat.
Notthe
me!
dog.
Before
the the
wheat
was ground.
littlesaid
redthe
hen.
Notlong,
me!allsaid
duck.
Not me! said the cat. 8
this into bread?
D Who will help me bake
9
Not me! said the duck.
asked the little red hen.
I will just have to bake 11
it by myself, said
I will just have to plant6 it by myself, said
C
Once
a time,
Me!
said red
the dog.
the little
hen.
theupon
little red
hen.a little red hen decided
to plant some wheat. 4
B Me! said the cat.
13
Who will help me plant this? she asked.
Me! said the duck.

le
The Litt
Red Hen

Cravath
by Lynne
Illustrated
Findley
by Violet
A retelling

15

16

Guide page 33
Tale Easy Readers Teaching
Scholastic Folk & Fairy

along the dashed line.

I will just
not help,
use you did
said
No! Beca
by myself,
this bread
have to eat
hen.
the little red
jam on top!
with
did,
And so she

2. Cut the pages in half

was baked.
Before long, all the bread
this? asked
Who will help me eat
the little red hen.

Not me! said the dog.

Not me! said the cat.
Not me! said the duck.
quite lazy.
You see, they were all

4. Fold the pages in half

along the solid line.
Make sure all the pages
are in the proper order.
Staple them together
along the books spine.

The Little
Red Hen

A retelling by
Violet Findley
Illustrated by
Lynne Cravath

14

Book Badge Reproducibles

Let me read

Lets read

______________________________ .

______________________________ .

to you!

together!

29
Folk & Fairy Tale Easy Readers Teaching Guide Scholastic Teaching Resources