Children's Literature Teaching Guide
The True story of the 3 little pigs
Scieszka, J. (1989). The true story of the 3 little pigs (L. Smith, Illus.). Viking Kestrel.
Jon Scieszka is an American children’s book author who often collaborates with illustrator Lane Smith to create engaging stories. Before becoming a writer, he taught in an elementary school. His well-known book The True Story of the Three Little Pigs was recognized in 2012 as one of the 100 Best All-Time Picture Books.
Author and Illustrator Summary
Illustrator Lane Smith
Author Jon Sciezka
Jon Scieszka is an American children’s book author who often collaborates with illustrator Lane Smith to create engaging stories. Before becoming a writer, he taught in an elementary school. His well-known book The True Story of the Three Little Pigs was recognized in 2012 as one of the 100 Best All-Time Picture Books.
Illustrator Lane Smith is an American children's illustratior and writer. He is known for his eccletic style and has won various awards, including Caldecott Honor in 1993 and 2012.
text synopsis
Summary
Characters
- Alexander T. Wolf (the Big Bad Wolf or Al)
- First Little Pig
- Second Little Pig
- Third Little Pig
- Police
- Reporters
The True Story of the Three Little Pigs is a spin-off of the original fairy tale and is told from the Big Bad Wolf’s point of view. Al explains that he was not big and bad but simply had a cold and needed a cup of sugar for his grandma’s cake. As he asks his neighbors, the Three Little Pigs, for sugar, his sneezes accidentally blow down the First Two Pigs’ houses, and when they die, he eats them, so they would not go to waste. At the Third Pig’s brick house, the Pig insults Al's grandma, which makes the him angry. When the police show up, the story gets twisted to make the wolf look like the villain.
Literary Devices
- Point of view
- Allusion
- Unreliable narrator
Key Themes
Demographics and Related Information
Lexile Level:510 or 570L depending on sources
Format:Picture storybook
Targeted Grades and Ages:K - 4rd grade Ages 5 - 10 years old based on grades
Booklength:32 pages
Genre and Subgenre:Fiction genre and folktale/fairy tale subgenre
Comprehension Questions
1. (Literal) Who is telling the story? 2. (Literal) Did Al eat the Three Pigs? 3. (Literal) What does Al claim he wanted when he was visiting the Three Pigs? 3. (Inferential/interpretive) How might the story be different if the Pigs were telling it? 4. (Inferential/interpretive) How does this version of the fairy tale make you think differently about the original? 5. (Applied/evaluative) How would you handle a problem if someone or the media misunderstood you like Al?? 6. (Applied/evaluative) How can this story teach us about listening to someone's side of the story?
Vocabulary
Folks (noun): a group of peopleSpoil (verb): to ruin something or rot Reporters (noun): people who write or tell news stories Framed (verb): to falsely blame someone for something they did not do Loan (verb): to let someone use something that belongs to you
For the vocabulary formative assessment, students will work with a partner to orally create a sentence for each vocabulary word, explaining how the word was used in the story. For example: "The wolf asked the pigs if they could loan him a cup of sugar, so he could bake a cake for his dear old granny." Students may refer to the text as they discuss and share their sentences.
Writing Prompt: Order in the court!
3.W.TTP.1: Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons. 3.W.RBPK.9 : Include evidence from literary or informational texts, applying grade 3 standards for reading.
Imagine you are a lawyer in the case of the 3 Little Pigs. Your job is to convince the jury whether Al, the wolf, is telling the truth or not. Do you think he’s innocent or guilty? Write a paragraph using 2-3 details from the story to explain your argument! Be sure to use all the writing and grammar knowledge that you have learned.
Comprehension Activities
Throughout the story, I will be asking students the comprehension questions posted on a previous slide. I will call on individual students, and I will also have students chorally respond. We will also work on a character thoughts/feelings T-chart together, where we stop every few pages to examine how Al, the wolf, feels throughout the story.
Students will be put into groups of three and will each be assigned a type of connection: text-to-self, text-to-text, and text-to-world. Once each student in the group has written down their connection, the group will share with each other. Then, as a class, we will go by each connection and have students share with the class.
Illustrations of the text will be printed out and posted all around the classroom walls. Students will walk around the classroom to analyze each picture, and then we will come together to do a think-pair-share about what we think the story will be about.
Use this side of the card to provide more information about a topic. Focus on one concept. Make learning and communication more efficient.
Use this side of the card to provide more information about a topic. Focus on one concept. Make learning and communication more efficient.
Use this side of the card to provide more information about a topic. Focus on one concept. Make learning and communication more efficient.
Pre-Reading
During-Reading
Post-Reading
read more
Title
Title
Title
Write a brief description here
Gallery Walk and Prediction Talk
Write a brief description here
Questioning and Thoughts/Feelings T-Chart
Write a brief description here
Connections
Resources
Booksource. (1996). The true story of the 3 little pigs. https://www.booksource.com/products/true-story-of-the-3-little-pigs--the__0140544518.aspx Britannica. (2025, September 4). Jon Scieszka. Encyclopaedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jon-Scieszka Lane Smith Books. (n.d.). About Lane Smith. https://www.lanesmithbooks.com/bio Learning Ally. (1989). The true story of the 3 little pigs: Teacher’s guide. https://learningally.org/Portals/6/Docs/TeacherResources/LA_Analysis_TrueStory3LittlePigs.pdf Scieszka, J. (1989). The true story of the 3 little pigs (L. Smith, Illus.). Viking Kestrel.
A great headline
When we are told a story, it moves us. It can even touch us deeply, making us remember the stories up to 20 times more than any other
content we can consume. We are in the age of the digital information explosion. This causes our way of obtaining information
+85K
80% of what we do and see, we remember.
Through visual content. Almost 50% of our brain is involved in processing visual stimuli.
have changed, we go from traditional reading to a navigation-based cognitive strategy. Our brain is prepared, from a biological point of view, to learn
Cross_Emanuela_ChildrensLiteratureTeachingGuide
Emanuela Cross
Created on September 20, 2025
Start designing with a free template
Discover more than 1500 professional designs like these:
View
Higher Education Presentation
View
Psychedelic Presentation
View
Vaporwave presentation
View
Geniaflix Presentation
View
Vintage Mosaic Presentation
View
Modern Zen Presentation
View
Newspaper Presentation
Explore all templates
Transcript
Children's Literature Teaching Guide
The True story of the 3 little pigs
Scieszka, J. (1989). The true story of the 3 little pigs (L. Smith, Illus.). Viking Kestrel.
Jon Scieszka is an American children’s book author who often collaborates with illustrator Lane Smith to create engaging stories. Before becoming a writer, he taught in an elementary school. His well-known book The True Story of the Three Little Pigs was recognized in 2012 as one of the 100 Best All-Time Picture Books.
Author and Illustrator Summary
Illustrator Lane Smith
Author Jon Sciezka
Jon Scieszka is an American children’s book author who often collaborates with illustrator Lane Smith to create engaging stories. Before becoming a writer, he taught in an elementary school. His well-known book The True Story of the Three Little Pigs was recognized in 2012 as one of the 100 Best All-Time Picture Books.
Illustrator Lane Smith is an American children's illustratior and writer. He is known for his eccletic style and has won various awards, including Caldecott Honor in 1993 and 2012.
text synopsis
Summary
Characters
The True Story of the Three Little Pigs is a spin-off of the original fairy tale and is told from the Big Bad Wolf’s point of view. Al explains that he was not big and bad but simply had a cold and needed a cup of sugar for his grandma’s cake. As he asks his neighbors, the Three Little Pigs, for sugar, his sneezes accidentally blow down the First Two Pigs’ houses, and when they die, he eats them, so they would not go to waste. At the Third Pig’s brick house, the Pig insults Al's grandma, which makes the him angry. When the police show up, the story gets twisted to make the wolf look like the villain.
Literary Devices
Key Themes
Demographics and Related Information
Lexile Level:510 or 570L depending on sources
Format:Picture storybook
Targeted Grades and Ages:K - 4rd grade Ages 5 - 10 years old based on grades
Booklength:32 pages
Genre and Subgenre:Fiction genre and folktale/fairy tale subgenre
Comprehension Questions
1. (Literal) Who is telling the story? 2. (Literal) Did Al eat the Three Pigs? 3. (Literal) What does Al claim he wanted when he was visiting the Three Pigs? 3. (Inferential/interpretive) How might the story be different if the Pigs were telling it? 4. (Inferential/interpretive) How does this version of the fairy tale make you think differently about the original? 5. (Applied/evaluative) How would you handle a problem if someone or the media misunderstood you like Al?? 6. (Applied/evaluative) How can this story teach us about listening to someone's side of the story?
Vocabulary
Folks (noun): a group of peopleSpoil (verb): to ruin something or rot Reporters (noun): people who write or tell news stories Framed (verb): to falsely blame someone for something they did not do Loan (verb): to let someone use something that belongs to you
For the vocabulary formative assessment, students will work with a partner to orally create a sentence for each vocabulary word, explaining how the word was used in the story. For example: "The wolf asked the pigs if they could loan him a cup of sugar, so he could bake a cake for his dear old granny." Students may refer to the text as they discuss and share their sentences.
Writing Prompt: Order in the court!
3.W.TTP.1: Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons. 3.W.RBPK.9 : Include evidence from literary or informational texts, applying grade 3 standards for reading.
Imagine you are a lawyer in the case of the 3 Little Pigs. Your job is to convince the jury whether Al, the wolf, is telling the truth or not. Do you think he’s innocent or guilty? Write a paragraph using 2-3 details from the story to explain your argument! Be sure to use all the writing and grammar knowledge that you have learned.
Comprehension Activities
Throughout the story, I will be asking students the comprehension questions posted on a previous slide. I will call on individual students, and I will also have students chorally respond. We will also work on a character thoughts/feelings T-chart together, where we stop every few pages to examine how Al, the wolf, feels throughout the story.
Students will be put into groups of three and will each be assigned a type of connection: text-to-self, text-to-text, and text-to-world. Once each student in the group has written down their connection, the group will share with each other. Then, as a class, we will go by each connection and have students share with the class.
Illustrations of the text will be printed out and posted all around the classroom walls. Students will walk around the classroom to analyze each picture, and then we will come together to do a think-pair-share about what we think the story will be about.
Use this side of the card to provide more information about a topic. Focus on one concept. Make learning and communication more efficient.
Use this side of the card to provide more information about a topic. Focus on one concept. Make learning and communication more efficient.
Use this side of the card to provide more information about a topic. Focus on one concept. Make learning and communication more efficient.
Pre-Reading
During-Reading
Post-Reading
read more
Title
Title
Title
Write a brief description here
Gallery Walk and Prediction Talk
Write a brief description here
Questioning and Thoughts/Feelings T-Chart
Write a brief description here
Connections
Resources
Booksource. (1996). The true story of the 3 little pigs. https://www.booksource.com/products/true-story-of-the-3-little-pigs--the__0140544518.aspx Britannica. (2025, September 4). Jon Scieszka. Encyclopaedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jon-Scieszka Lane Smith Books. (n.d.). About Lane Smith. https://www.lanesmithbooks.com/bio Learning Ally. (1989). The true story of the 3 little pigs: Teacher’s guide. https://learningally.org/Portals/6/Docs/TeacherResources/LA_Analysis_TrueStory3LittlePigs.pdf Scieszka, J. (1989). The true story of the 3 little pigs (L. Smith, Illus.). Viking Kestrel.
A great headline
When we are told a story, it moves us. It can even touch us deeply, making us remember the stories up to 20 times more than any other
content we can consume. We are in the age of the digital information explosion. This causes our way of obtaining information
+85K
80% of what we do and see, we remember.
Through visual content. Almost 50% of our brain is involved in processing visual stimuli.
have changed, we go from traditional reading to a navigation-based cognitive strategy. Our brain is prepared, from a biological point of view, to learn