Sticks, straw, or bricks… Get building with the Three Little Pigs books for kids. Read different tellings of the original story and then try some of the fun variations. They are perfect for comparing & contrasting and learning fun.
Three Little Pigs (Traditional Picks)
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Enjoy reading the traditional tale by different illustrators with slight differences to the setting or characters in these stories.
The Three Little Pigs by Patricia Seibert is an especially good traditional version for toddlers and preschoolers. I always turn to Seibert’s versions for my youngest listeners. The illustrations aren’t scary and they contain just the right amount of text.
My other go-to pick for the traditional version is The Three Little Pigs by Paul Galdone. Classic all the way.
Need a board book version? Try the Penguin Bedtime Classic version of The Three Little Pigs illustrated by Carly Gledhill. I love that the characters of the pigs are girls.
Three Little Pigs Book Variations
The Three Little Pigs by James Marshall has slight twists to the traditional story that you’ll especially notice at the end of the story as the pig outwits the wolf.
The Three Little Pigs by Steven Kellogg also has small twists to the traditional story. The pigs have names and there are waffles involved!
In The Three Pigs by David Wiesner, the pigs deconstruct the book and fly right into other stories and rhymes. The beginning of the story starts off in the traditional way, but then it really varies after that.
Here is a modern take on the traditional 3 Little Pigs. In this version, three siblings try to fill the house in hopes of getting the house from Poppa when he retires. Will it be Prak, Mo, or Bo who can fill the house? It’s going to take some creativity! Read Prak Fills the House by Donna L. Washington.
The pigs are not victims but rather superheroes in The Three Little Superpigs by Claire Evans. The Big Bad Wolf has escaped from prison and it’s up to the Superpigs to save Fairyland.
The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka is better for kindergarten and up. In this version, we get to hear the story told from the perspective of the wolf.
Take the story to space in The Three Little Aliens and the Big Bad Robot by Margaret McNamara. Travel the solar system and learn a bit about the planets in this playful variation.
Then, head to the sea in The Three Little Fish and the Big Bad Shark by Will Grace. Can an olden sunken ship keep the fish safe?
The Three Little Tamales by Eric A. Kimmel was a huge hit in our house as my kids were growing up. I think the book spent more time on our bookshelf than it did at the library. No straw, sticks, and bricks here. We’ve got sagebrush, cornstalks, and cactus.
The Three Little Javelinas by Susan Lowell is a good one to read with The Three Little Tamales. Meet the javelinas. You know…the southwestern cousins of the pigs. Time to build with and tumbleweeds, saguaro ribs, and adobe bricks. But beware, there is a hungry coyote on the prowl.
The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig by Eugene Trivizas is another one better for kindergarten and up. It’s a bit violent. Instead of three little pigs, we have three little wolves. And, instead of a big bad wolf, we have a big bad pig.
Huff & Puff by Claudia Rueda is an interactive variation perfect for engaging young children. The students get to actually blow through the holes on the pages.
The Three Little Pigs and the Somewhat Bad Wolf by Mark Teague is a book that encourages you to stay and play with the story. Questions to ask students are embedded throughout the story and there is a theme of kindness tucked into the story.
Can a friendly handyperson wolf help the three lazy pigs build their houses in The Three Horrid Little Pigs by Liz Pichon?
My youngest son memorized the whole rap version of Trap 3 Little Pigs Kyle Exum. He kept reading it over and over again and watching Exum’s YouTube video just as many times. It was so fun.
The Three Little Guinea Pigs by Erica S. Pearl replaces our pigs and wolves with guinea pigs and foxes. How will the guinea pigs outwit the fox? Well, it has to do with tails!
The Three Little Guinea Pigs and the Andean Fox by Ana Velez is set in South America and also includes on guinea pigs. Instead of a wolf we have over friendly fox that brings lots of suspicion. But is the suspicion necessary or is this just a very friendly community?
Get the Three Little Pigs Printable Book List and Mini Literacy Unit
Keep the learning going with our free Three Little Pigs Mini-Unit. Grab a printable copy of the book list and mini-unit.
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