Eugene Trivizas (Greek: ) has published many books on literature and he is one of Greece's leading writers for children . He has produced more than a hundred books of enduring popularity, all of them currently in print, that are enjoyed as much by grown ups as by children and he has received more than twenty national and international literary prizes and awards.
Reviewers have described him as 'a miracle worker who brings to life a whole new world 'and as 'the author who with a distinctive combination of lyricism and surrealism, humour and poetic imagination has revitalised the whole of our children's literature. '
Much of E.Trivizas work has been transferred to the stage and serialised for television as well as the radio. He is currently the most frequently performed writer of plays for children in Greece, In 1986 his play ''THE CARECROW''was placed on the International Board on Books for Young People's "Honour List" and awarded a Diploma for excellence in writing,
His first book for children published in the English language was ''The three little wolves and the big bad pig (1993) The English ''Economist'' wrote about this book that ''only the most talented of writers can tamper with a classic nursery tale and produce something almost as amusing and thought-provoking as the original. ''The three little wolves'' has reached the second place in the American best seller list for picture books, has won many distinctions (including A.L.A. notable book and A.S.L.J. Best book , and the ''Parents Choice Amazing Accomplishment Award'') and has been translated in fifteen languages.
He received his LL.B degree at Athens University in 1969 In 1972 passed the Athens Bar examinations and in the same year he was called as a barrister to the Athens Bar. In 1973 he received a B.Sc. degree in Politics and Economics from the University of Athens and the following year he received an LL.M degree in Comparative Criminal Law and Procedure from the University of London (University College) and a diploma in Shipping Law from the City of London Polytechnic. In 1977 he was made a Fellow of the Salzburg seminar in American studies and in 1979 he was awarded his Ph.D. degree in Criminology from the University of London (London School of Economics and Political Science, Law Department)
Once upon a time, I worked as a school librarian for younger children. Those were the days of fairy tales.
Whenever I tried to teach young readers in the library that all stories have different facets and perspectives, as well as interpretations, I would grab this wonderful fractured fairy tale and read it aloud to a group of kids, previously familiar with the original story of the three little pigs and the big bad wolf. They invariably expected to be asked to shout with me:
"Aaaaand he huffed, aaaaaaaand he puffed, aaaaand he bleeeeeeew the house down!"
Well, it didn't take long before they were startled while reading this tale. The big bad PIG?
Yes, I would say, evil comes in all shapes.
"But pigs are not as strong as wolves, how can they be dangerous?"
The children's logic was clear, as was the disturbing answer they received in the story:
The pig had better weapons, and a more ruthless, brutal approach than the wolves. Therefore, he was more destructive, despite physical weaknesses.
The shocked laughter of the children when they watched the pig using more and more sophisticated weapons to destroy what the wolves had built was an invitation to discuss gratuitous violence, power and the shock of the unexpected.
Nobody was prepared for the pig's behaviour, and nobody had an adequate response to it either, being taken completely by surprise, expecting a more traditional pattern.
"That's not how the story REALLY goes", I often heard. And they were right of course. But sometimes, following the developments in the world at the moment, I wonder if we are maybe in the middle of such a fractured fairy tale? Is THIS really how the story goes?
What I learned from reading fairy tales "differently" with my students was that there are boundaries that can be crossed from acceptable variations and interpretations of common stories to outrageous violations of them which can be comical at times, but also disturbing and undermining. That is valuable knowledge, and good training!
This book is truly hilarious. I was reading it to a class of children and couldn鈥檛 stop myself from laughing out loud! It is a twist on a classic tale, as the name suggests, about three little wolves that leave their mother to build a house. The first house built of bricks gets knocked down by the BIG BAD PIG who uses a sledge hammer. The second house built of concrete, gets knocked down by a pneumatic drill. The third house, built of the strongest materials imaginable, gets blown up by dynamite. The final house is built with flowers, and when the BIG BAD PIG comes along to blow down the house, he breathes in the beautiful sent of the flowers, realises the error or his ways, becomes a nice pig, and ends up living and playing with the little wolves. The humour in this story, especially as a first time reader is due to the unexpected way in which the houses are destroyed. The illustrations really capture the narrative, and especially the dramatic ways that the houses are destroyed. Children seem to love the twist on this story and the drama and action that occurs through out. There is also a moral about behaviour at the end, as the pig changes his ways, but not by being forced, but through experiencing something that he found beautiful. The style of the book is large, so it is good to read to large groups of children.
What a wonderfully enchanting spin-off of the Three Little Pigs tale! Unlike most fairy tales, the wolves in this story are cuddly and lovable with soft fur and fluffy tails. On three occasions, they try to build a house, each time of sturdier materials, only to have it blown down by the 鈥渂ig bad pig.鈥� Their determination and perseverance is admirable, and the reader is likely to be cheering them on. The illustrations add to the charm. At last, a flamingo gives them flowers. The final house built of flowers is the one that lasts due to the magical effect of the fragrant scent on the pig, who subsequently decides 鈥渢o become a good pig.鈥� The story ends with the three wolves dancing and playing with the pig, who stays for tea, and they 鈥渁ll live happily ever after.鈥� The contrast with the original tale, lovable illustrations, and humor would make this book perfect for a read aloud. It would also make a good mentor text for a writing lesson on point of view. It would work nicely with 鈥淭he True Story of the Three Little Pigs.鈥�
Reread. This was coming out as *the* book for primary-school teachers when I was in teacher-training, and I think it still deserves the accolade. The ending may be a bit implausible, but look at the rest of it. Not only is is 'fractured' from the original tale, but it turns it into something truly discomfiting... by "bad" we discover that the pig uses destructive technology... not just lung-power.
Oxenbury used a light touch with her illustrations... they're rather ironically 'pretty' but not so much so as to be inapt. They definitely illustrate, too, enhancing the story line.
Recommended to all. And I would love to find more by the author. --- Another reread. Still love it. So resonant still.
Well, that was something different! The pig is truly a bully and escalates his arsenal. In this day and age, the last thing you want to do is teach children warmongering, which is what this book appears to be promoting. Not my sense of humor, and I wouldn't read it to child.
On first glance one can be mistaken for assuming this is just yet another version of the classic the three little pigs, yet this book in my view is a hidden gem. By revising the orignal story Eugene Trivizas has provided children with a brilliant, funny and paradoxical book that I believe will appeal to not only younger readers but adults alike.
The book opens with the three little wolves being cautioned by their mother to be wary of the 'big bad pig' and as a result the wolves decide to build a house made of secure bricks. Nevertheless this fails to deter the pig, as while he fails in his attempts to huff and puff the house away, he ultimately ends up destroying the house with a sledgehammer. The wolves then rebuild their house, but of course the pig strikes again. This continues with both the pig and the three wolves becoming increasingly ingenious in their attempts with a house made of iron bars and armour, and the use of a pneumatic dril by the pig!
Eventually, the wolves build a house made of flowers and it is at this point that the reader questions the rationale behind such an action. However this proves to be a pivotal moment in the story as the pig upon smelling the sweet scent of the roses, realises the error of his ways and becomes a 'big good pig'. The story culminates with the wolves and pig becoming friends and in true story tale fashion living happily ever after.
The appropriate age range for this book would be 5-9 year olds, but in all likelihood would be enjoyed by teachers and parents alike!
I chose this book as the inventive retelling of the classic story provides a fun and fresh way to look at the tale. By 'thinking outside the box' the use of this book in class lessons will open up the floor for discussions on perspectives and points of view on various given issues. Also the author has adapted the book to fit in with modern times, and this is reflected in not only by the method used to build the houses but also the clever and comical attempts by the pig to destruct the houses such as a drill and even dynamite. In addition, the book can be used to lead creative writing lessons, with activities such as retelling other classics for example Jack and the Beanstalk or Little Red Riding Hood. The book is also suited for its somewhat more traditional use of highlighting the importance of kindness and forgiveness.
My niece and nephew both liked this book. My niece is older and is familiar with The Three Little Pigs, so she really enjoyed how this book turned that tale on its head. She laughed at several of the twists and turns, and she was eagerly anticipating how the Three Little Wolves would outsmart the Big Bad Pig. I think the story really lost steam for her, though, with the building of the final house, and the pig's conversion to gentleness. I do think she appreciated the story a great deal, but I imagine she would have spun a different ending.
My nephew loved all the construction going on in the book and liked looking at the work the wolves were doing to build their dwellings. He was always looking for the the appearance of the Big Bad Pig, and he enjoyed the goings-on. The story was probably just a little too advanced for him, though, and he did lose interest about 2/3 of the way through. Not the story's fault. What he stuck with he enjoyed.
All in all, a cute story, and a clever and creative retelling of a classic. Lovely illustrations, and a fun sense of humor.
Apologies in advance for the following rant. I'm not a fan of this book, so I'll be one of the (surprisingly) very few contra reviewers. Being a dad, I'm always wary of what books teach my kids--especially if it's opposite of my values. This book was enthusiastically recommended to me by a book shop employee who was quite a fan of the artistry of children's books. And I can say that yes, the art in this book is mostly very well done. But that's about all I can say about this book's qualities.
The premise of this particular children's book is that it turns upside down the traditional telling of the 'big bad wolf and the three little pigs' story. Well, indeed, that it does. So why is there a need to tell the story this way? The first problem of the story is that we need to believe the big bad pig is the punk ass bully and the little wolves are the fluffy innocents getting their butts kicked. Is that a bit of affirmative action on the food chain? Pigs are the predators, wolves are the prey? It's a bit ridiculous, and it assumes you already know the original story, otherwise the flipped premise pretty much falls apart. It's whimsical to a certain point, revisionist without any irony.
The story started slipping from the rails as the big bad pig lays to waste the wolves' increasingly fortified houses (made with building materials handed out to the beggar wolves from donor businesses--not exactly Randian* ideas here, haha), and it builds to a fairly absurd, communal hippie climax. Apparently the little wolves were wrong to try to protect themselves from the sadistic pig, and what all bullies really need is the magic fairy dust of love and peace and all that is gentle and fragrant--nonviolence conquering the wicked and all that. Isn't it pretty to think so?
* No, I'm not a Randian. That was a joke, friends.
It's pleasant enough to read, although I think the violent imagery is inappropriate for kids under age 8 or so. I read it to my daughters grudgingly, with tongue firmly in cheek. I'm also not shy about expressing my disdain for it. My six year old asked me why I don't like it, and I patiently explained some of the things I've related here. She seems to share my opinion, so it's reassuring to know I'm not the only one who doesn't want to be friends with bullies. And that's decidedly not a joke.
Ich: *hibbelt aufgeregt auf der Stuhlkante* Wie wird das Schwein dieses Mal das Haus zerst枚ren?? Das Gro脽e B枚se Schwein: *zieht einen Presslufthammer aus der Tasche* Ich:
The traditional English fairy-tale about the three little pigs and their various confrontations with a big bad wolf is inverted here, as three little wolves go out into the world and attempt to make a home for themselves. Warned by their mother about the dangers posed by the big bad pig, the wolves build themselves a secure brick house, only to watch their dastardly porcine enemy bring it down with a sledgehammer. Their concrete house fairs no better, being destroyed by a pneumatic drill, and the reinforced fortress they next construct is brought down by dynamite. How will the little wolves live, when the pig keeps destroying their home? Could a house of flowers, however unlikely, provide the answer...?
Greek author Eugene Trivizas and British illustrator Helen Oxenbury collaborated on this entertaining fractured fairy-tale, published in Greek as 韦伪 蟿蟻委伪 渭喂魏蟻维 位蠀魏维魏喂伪. I found the reversed roles here, in which the wolves are the much-put-upon victims and the pig is the bad guy, immensely refreshing, given the ways that wolves are almost always vilified in traditional tales. I thought the happy ending, in which , was a nice touch. Oxenbury's artwork, as was to be expected, was also very appealing, capturing both the humor of the lupine-porcine conflict, and the poignancy of the wolves' continual eviction from their various homes. Recommended to all young fairy-tales lovers, particularly if they enjoy role reversals and imaginative reinterpretations of traditional stories.
I really enjoyed reading The Three Little Wolves and The Big Bad Pig and I think it is perfect for children in key stage one. It was a great twist on the original story of the Three Little Pigs and The Big Bad wolf. The story had really interesting vocabulary and it was a great way for children to learn words such as pneumatic drill! It was really interesting how the wolves did everything in their power to stay safe by creating big strong houses however this failed at keeping the big bad pig out. The story also focuses on morals as it was the flower house that had a magical effect by turning the big bad pig into the big good pig. This shows children that they can change their behaviour if they are being bad and therefore become good like the pig. I used this book for a literacy lesson where the children compared the pig鈥檚 character from the beginning of the story to the character at the end of the story. We also discussed why the pig was bad at the beginning and what could have happened before the story began. I know the children thoroughly enjoyed the story because at the end of the lesson they asked me to read it again!
I will certainly use the book again in the future.
The Three LIttle Wolves and the Big Bad Pig is one of my favorite spin-off fairy tales so far. I really enjoyed all the different animals as characters in the book. It is different from the original because in the end, the wolves tricked the pig instead of outsmarting him by building a big and strong house, they built a beautiful one that lured him to change. I think that children will especially like this story because of animals characters in the book like the flamingo, rhinoceros, and kangaroo. It would be fun to have my students think of other materials they could build their house out of that is "out-of-the-box." I would read this book to children in K-4. I would suggest that children in second grade and above try reading this story on their own. Overall, I enjoyed this story and look forward to reading it to my students.
And it is child recommended! My six-year-old friend, Chloe, shares why she picked this particular book to tell you about -
I mean, aren't pretty mother wolves enough of an incentive to read this book? ;)
Ages 7+
**Like my reviews? I also have hundreds of detailed reports that I offer too. These reports give a complete break-down of everything in the book, so you'll know just how clean it is or isn't. I also have Clean Guides (downloadable PDFs) which enable you to clean up your book before reading it!
I was hoping for a nice twist on an old favorite but instead we're presented with a bully of a pig, whose bad behavior escalates, then suddenly does an about face because of the fragrance of flowers. Even in stories this seems highly unlikely. We're also never told why the pig wants to enter the wolves' house to begin with. I don't see the story or point here. I see it as a gimmick written when fractured fairy tales seemed to be so popular.
My three year old son loves this book. I listened to his teacher reading the book and bought it. I like the plot twist and the ending. I have to say that the big bad pig is worse than the big bad wolf in the original story. But in this book the big bad pig decides to change, becomes a big good pig, and apologizes to the wolves.
鈥淭he Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig鈥� is a story written by Eugene Trivizas along with illustrations by Helen Oxenbury about how three wolves try to outsmart a big bad pig. This story is surely a classic that will be read over and again.
Eugene Trivizas鈥� writing is creative and brilliant as he sets the story during the modern age where machinery works to each character鈥檚 advantage. Also, I love the way that Eugene Trivizas reverses the roles of the characters such as instead of their being three little pigs, there are three little wolves and instead of a big bad wolf, we have a big bad pig. The ending was spectacular as Eugene Trivizas turns the pig into a good person and a best friend of the wolves instead of the somewhat disturbing ending from the original 鈥淭he Three Little Pigs鈥� story where the third little pig ate the wolf. I was actually surprised that the wolves did not eat the big bad pig, but this ending was much sweeter and better to handle. Helen Oxenbury鈥檚 illustrations are beautiful and colorful as she makes the three wolves look cute and cuddly while she makes the big bad pig not scary looking but menacing looking at times especially of the scene where he is using a drill to smash down the wolves鈥� house. The image that stood out the most would be the image of the pig blowing up the wolves鈥� third house with dynamite and the explosion looked like fire coming out of the ground.
鈥淭he Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig鈥� is a great creative twist on 鈥淭he Three Little Pigs鈥� and is like a friendlier version of the original story as the wolves eventually learned that friendship solved their problem. I would recommend this book to children ages five and up since even though the book is practically harmless, there are some advance vocabularies such as pneumatic drill.
The Three Little Wolves and The Big Bad Pig is a story based on the tradition story of 鈥楾he Three Little Pigs鈥�. In this story the roles are reversed and it is the little wolves who are attempting to escape the wrath of the Big Bad Pig. The pig manages to knock down each of the three wolves鈥� homes using a range of devices including hammers and a detonator. The wolves end up making a house out of flowers and although it would seem that this is a silly idea, the pig is transformed by the sweet smelling flowers and goes on to become good friends with the wolves.
I would recommend this story for children in year 2, as it tied in well with the traditional stories unit that I taught year 2. We spent the week looking at several well know traditional tales, allowing the pupils to begin to see the common theme amongst the stories. I then presented them with this alternative, which had a great response and got the children thinking about the role of the wolf in many traditional stories. Pupils were able to produce wanted posters for the big bad pig and certificates of merit for the wolves in literacy. They were also able to recreate their favourite version of the story during drama.
The story ended with a positive, which was in line with the 鈥榟appily ever after鈥� that the pupils were familiar with. I think it was great that the roles were reversed in this story as many traditional stories have children assuming that the wolf will be bad and that other characters in the story will have certain characteristics. This story allowed pupils to consider an alternative.
This story was a retelling of The Three Little Pigs. In this version, there are 3 little wolves and a big bad pig. I really enjoyed reading this version. While the story was pretty similar, it had some major differences. For example,I thought the change in the pig at the end of the story was very unique and I liked how he became the "Good" Bad Pig. I also enjoyed that the wolves did everything that they could think of to stay safe, and in the end, the house that was the most fragile turned out to be the house that worked the best.
I also think the illustrations added greatly to the story. I liked how some of the illustrations went over two pages, while other pages had an illustration on each page. I also felt that the illustrations really captured the narrative, and especially the dramatic ways that the different houses were destroyed.
I think doing a venn diagram with this story and the original would be a good idea for students. I also think it would be fun to split the class into 2 groups, and then to have one group act out the original story, and one to act out this version, and then have the class verbally discuss the differences between the books.
'The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig' by Eugene Trivizas is a fantastic book that puts a clever twist on the classic 'Three Little Pigs' tale.
After their mother decides it is time for them to move out, the three little Wolves set out to build a new home for themselves, ever fearful of the big bad Pig. Their use of materials is never a match for the Pig who will go to extreme lengths (pneumatic drills and such) to tear their house down. That is until, the Pigs discover that the use of a rather unique building material will not only deter Pig from demolishing the house, but even manages to help him change his personality and turn good.
This is a great read for younger children around the ages of 6-8 and is brilliantly illustrated to compliment the story and open discussion up even further. This humorous story lends itself well to creative writing whereby children can begin to understand the skill of taking a classic tale and putting a different spin on it, and would be ideal for a group of literacy lessons.
A fantastic read, I recommend it to any class in upper KS1 or lower KS2.
The three little wolves and the big bad wolf is a classic twist of the three little pigs. I read this to a Yr 2 class and they loved the book so much, they wated it read to them everyday! In this story there are three good wolves and a bad pig, the story was quite the same, which a big change at the end where the pig changed. In the three little pigs children look at material, and eventually the hardest and strongest material (bricks) kept the children out. In this book we see that the softest material-flowers worked best, as the pig loved the smell of the house he did not want to destroy it. This book will be great to act-children will have a lot of fun. Children can also write a part of the story where they could chose what they would want to build a house out of to keep the bad pig away. At the end of the book-the pig turns good and this can teach children about behavior-as the pig changes to be good but not because he has too, because he wants too.
This is a clever take on the 鈥楾hree Little Pigs鈥� book however there is a twist. The three wolves set off to build a house and firstly build a house made of bricks which is different to the original house built by the pigs. However the big bad pig knocks this house down. Whichever building materials the wolves use the big bad pig manages to knock it down so eventually they try a new material - flowers. This book uses repetition which is an effective feature for young children and each page contains illustrations which add to the text. There is a mixture of illustrations either taking up the whole page or having a white background so the black text is clearly visible. You as a reader feel you are in the story due to some illustrations having no borders so you feel you are there with the three pigs. The book contains a good moral that violence is not always the answer and that people can change - being bad is not a good thing.
The Three Little Wolves and The Big Bad Pig by Eugene Trivizas is a great modern twist to the original childhood classic The Three Little Pigs and The Big Bad wolf. It is very funny with its modern take of blowing the house down, with the use of pneumatic drills and dynamite. Throughout the story it portrays very important morals and ends with a very important message that i believe is vital in any childs development. The illustrations are excellent, ful of colour and very funny. It can be read over and over again. Everyone should read it. Great for school , especially for Early Years and Key stage 1, but i imagine children would love it up to the age of 10.
I used this book during my Year 1/2 placement during SBT2. The class engaged with the story and its illustrations. There is an audio tape version such they loved as they could enjoy the various sounds effects from the text. There are various English opportunities within this text, perfect for an extended scheme of work! My class enjoyed writing character descriptions and making 鈥渃hocolate mud cakes鈥� for the Big Bad Pig. Links to Three Little Pigs for alternative book endings!