Cali, Davide. Too Many Pigs and One Big Bad Wolf. Marianna Balducci, Illus. Picture Book. Tundra, 07/2022. [30]pp. $17.99. 978-0-7352-6991-0. ADDITIONAL. GRADES K-3.
This unusual picture book offers several brief versions of the story of the Three Pigs told using a black text, while a text in red demands longer versions of the story. Each version is sillier than the previous one, and none pleases the unseen person using the red text. The artwork is unusual, showing the pigs’ middle sections using wooden beads with cartoon artwork added for the heads and limbs. This technique is appealing but makes for illustrations that won’t carry to a crowd. Parts of the story depict colors, another section has the alphabet, and there is counting throughout, making this fun for classroom use or one-on-one sharing. The text could be used for a readers’ theater activity since it is a dialogue between two people. Review based on an ARC.
Penny Peck, San Jose State University, iSchool