The Three Ninja Pigs by Corey Rosen Schwartz

The Three Ninja Pigs by Corey Rosen Schwartz
Illustrated by Dan Santat
  1. Bibliography
Schwartz, Corey Rosen. Three Ninja Pigs, The. Putnam Publishing Group, 2013. ISBN 0399255141
  1. Plot Summary
Three pigs became tired of the wolf bullying all those in town by blowing down their houses.
The pigs take action by taking classes in aikido, jujitsu, and karate. The first pig grew bored
and dropped his classes after two weeks. The second pig learned a few moves and felt ready to
fight the wolf. The third pig practiced even harder and mastered each move. When the wolf
came to challenge the three pigs, the first ran away, the second pig missed the wolf and was
carried away by pig one, but the third pig scared the wolf away with her karate chop.
  1. Critical Analysis
A humorous take on the classic story, The Three Little Pigs, delivered in rhyme with Japanese
terminology thrown throughout. My favorite lines are,”...performing a perfect pork chop”
(hello alliteration!) and “Yo, bacon”. The illustrations add to the Japanese culture by having
 calligraphy featured in several images, the Japanese Cherry Blossoms are displayed throughout,
mountains can be seen in the background, and the character’s wardrobe features that of a martial
arts expert. Overall, a great story that teaches the culture in Japan and emphasizes the importance of
hard work, all wrapped up in a neat little familiar story.   
  1. Review Excerpts
  • The New York Times Book Review:
"A fractured fairy tale to out charm the original, “The Three Ninja Pigs” manages to one-up the
well-worn story by setting it in Japan, sprinkling it with the language and discipline of martial arts.
All in hilarious, impeccable rhyme."
  • Los Angeles Public Library Best of 2012 Children's Books
  • IRA Children's Choices
  • Beginning Readers, 2013

  1. Connections
  • Show this book trailer before reading to entice students:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=eiskZMpe_9I
  • This story draws in the culture of Japan by using martial arts terminology such as
“the crescent”, “the crane”, “in her gi”, and “dojo”.

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