Three Little Pugs and the Big, Bad Cat

by Becky Davies, Caroline Attia (Illustrator)

Three little pugs named Bubbles, Bandit and Beauty live with their mother in the woods. One day, she tells them that it’s time for them to set out on their own. The pugs head out to build their own houses—but can they steer clear of the Big, Bad Cat?

Genres: Picture Books, Dogs, Cats, Childrens, Animals, Humor, Pets

32 pages, Hardcover

Published March 7, 2017

About the author

Becky is a children’s book editor and sometimes author from the South West of England. Her favourite things are animals, books about magic, and anything sparkly. In a parallel universe she lives in Hawaii, where she works in a dog sanctuary and surfs until the sun sets beyond the horizon.

Reviews

[L. McCoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

My taste in books can be strange at times and this is a good example. I can just imagine meeting a cute girl at a book store or something and we exchange Goodreads accounts (if we both have an account) so she’d see the kinds of books I like.
Garth Ennis, Stephen King, Berserk, The Three Little Pugs... hold up, huh? Yeah, that last one doesn’t quite seem like it would be in a list with those others, does it?
But it is because it is a very good book!

What’s it about?
Three little pugs are told by their mom to go make houses for themselves (I guess they don’t have an official house or family at the beginning of the book). The unfortunate problem is there’s a big, bad cat trying to steal the poor little doggy’s food. What are the dogs gonna do?
Pretty much an alternate take on the Three Little Pigs but much cuter because dogs and a cat.

Why it gets 5 stars:
The story while not anything deep is adorable and fun! I really enjoyed the story. My dog enjoyed it (yes I read picture books to my dog) so much that she had her eyes closed while cuddled up in a blanket next to me (I’m sure it was so she could imagine the story in her head, not that she was having a nap).
The illustrations are great. It mixes both actual dog pictures and drawings. It works better than expected and is very cute.
The characters are great. Of course they’re 3 adorable pugs and a cartoon cat, how do you not love characters like that?
There are some unexpected twists, it’s not just the original three little pigs story everyone knows.
This book is so funny. Not only do we have the adorable animal stuff but we also have an alternate take on a classic, this edition including some fantastic WTF moments!
This book is pretty intense. I know I didn’t put in on my action shelf but nonetheless for a little picture book at least, it’s exciting.
I know I keep going on about it but this book is SO cute.
The ending is funny, sweet and happy!

Overall:
This book is wonderful. It’s different from what I usually read but it’s good to have variety in what you read I think. This book is adorable, funny and interesting. Great for fans of cute animals.
Highly recommended!

5/5

[Gaby · Rating 4 out of 5]

I honestly picked this up because of the pugs, but it was such an adorable read. I really enjoyed it :)

[Margaux · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I could put Doug the Pug into book form, I'm sure this is what it'd look like.



If my cousins don't read this, it'd be a mistake. And my aunt Jane!

[Blanco Meyers]

I'm not sure My Little Human (2.5 years old) understood the humor.

[Brigitte Brulz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a sweet twist on the classic Three Little Pigs that my daughters and I enjoyed reading together. I liked the actual photos of dogs included in the illustrations- I especially liked the ones where the dogs are running with their tongues sticking out (and of course the cute little puppies at the beginning of the book). Even though a lot of the story followed the original concept, there were some new added twists (how the houses are knocked down and how the issue is resolved at the end, although the Big Bad Cat may think there is a new issue to deal with). It made me laugh that little "Bubbles" was more worried about his snacks and food than anything else throughout the book. Sweet book for dog (especially pug) lovers.

[Pug · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorable! The story was cute (perhaps a little obvious, since it was clearly a take on the Three Little Pigs) but the pugs were super-cute. Pugs make everything better. I love that they used real pictures of the pugs within their illustrations... And those puppy pictures inside the cover were the best!!!

*Update: Three years later*
OMG, just realized that one of the pugs is named Bubbles! As is mine. And both Bubbles are totally NUTS.

This author certainly knows pugs. She caught all their idiosyncrasies and ridiculous expressions perfectly.

And by the way... the cat using a leafblower... very Impractical Joker-esque. ☺

[Lauren Stoolfire · Rating 5 out of 5]

That might have been the cutest Three Little Pigs retelling I've ever seen.

[Becky B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three little pugs have to go make their own new homes before the big bad cat comes to steal their treats.

A somewhat silly reimagining of the Three Little Pigs. The pugs still build their houses with the same traditional materials, but the method of huffing and puffing the cat does employs some brains rather than braun, and the ending was definitely a new twist the pugs get adopted by the cat's owner, much to the cat's dismay. The blend of photos of pugs with illustrations was interesting. At times it worked, at times it felt disjointed. The pugs' mom's speech bubble is in cursive, which will give littles a chance to practice a new font. This is definitely aimed at pug lovers.

[Lenore Kuipers-Cummins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't think that I could read this book to a classroom of students without
laughing. It is funny! Obviously, looking at the title you see that Pugs are in the story, not pigs. They are dressed like humans and talk like humans. Their mom tells them, "you're not puppies anymore", and sends them out with snacks and a warning to watch for "the Big,Bad, Cat. She's the meanest feline around and will do anything for food. Build strong houses to keep that clever kitty out.". So off they went (Bubbles,Bandit, and Beauty)....much like the familiar story of the "The Three Little Pigs". They had many experiences along the way, and occasionally with the cat. Finally, much to the Pugs surprise, Mrs. Honeybun comes along to collect her cat. The ending is a surprise.

[Dina · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Three Little Pigs in another retelling... I like how the author used 3 pugs and Muffin to tell the story with variations of the original telling -- no huffing and puffing, instead you have a fan, jumbo jet, and a hair dryer. The ending is a complete surprise to the reader, at least it was to me. I am looking forward to using this book with students and then providing them with a STEM activity. Two thumbs up for this book!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our family has a pug, so we buy almost all the pug books. As soon as I saw this one, I knew we had to have it. It's a great take on the original, with the added bonus of pugs and a fun twist at the end. As for the illustration style, I love it, my kid loves it, and my husband loves it. The pug is neutral on it, but she's not a big reader.

[Pat Blades · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll be honest with you I wasn't sure how I'd feel about reading picture books like this being older but let me tell you I'm now glad I started it's nice to take a break from long and more mature stories and read something as cute and enjoyable like this I enjoyed the spin on the classic and everything about it had my attention! 5/5 for sure

[Jenn Marshall · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughter and I were looking for books at the library and stumbled onto this gem. We picked it up because a coworker loves pugs. After looking over the book it would be a great addition to my classroom read alouds. It is filled with great examples of alliteration and the pictures are hilarious. I will be getting this book to add to my lesson plans.

[Marg Corjay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A new twist on the classic Pig tale. It had me laughing out loud at the cat's antics. Illustrations are cute with the photos of the pugs. Big Bad Cat gets her comeuppance in the end. A fun read for all pet lovers.

[Jessica Eisentrager · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very cute variation of the three little pigs and the big bad wolf. I picked it up for our elementary school library and decided to use it as my read aloud book this week. It’s a simple cute and funny story, with a twist to the ending. Worth a read if your a dog lover which I am.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another retelling of the traditional folktale of the three little pigs. There are some modern twists as to how the big bad cat blows down their houses and the ending is an entirely new one.

I liked this retelling and found myself chuckling at different parts of the story.

[Kristen Thorp · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mix media illustrations are great.

[Dino Frankie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I could give it infinity stars. It was my favorite. I loved the pictures. I want more books with the pugs.

[Seema Rao · Rating 3 out of 5]

Retelling of the three little pigs with dogs and cats, this book combines photographs and retro drawings (style of Song of the South). The text is well done and this book is charming.

[Lora Belden · Rating 5 out of 5]

clever twist on the big bad wolf. My son loved it.

[Bec · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so cute. I really enjoyed the retelling with a dog/cat twist, and the ending made me smile.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was very cute but I hated the ending.

[Robin Raines-Bond · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun twist on this fable.

[librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute!

[Gillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this version of an old story. The illustrations are delightful and the ending very satisying. Once again my 4 year old granddaughter has introduced me to a new author and illustrator.

[IfCatsCouldRead · Rating 3 out of 5]

A spin on the classic Three Little Pigs. Same basic premise with a twist ending.

[Sandra Matthews · Rating 4 out of 5]

A funny retelling with a twist for all those dog and cat lovers out there!

[Robin · Rating 1 out of 5]

A mixed media parody. I was hoping for something better, this story just didn't deliver.

[Meghan Hunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love how this book is illustrated with a combination of photographs and drawings. It looks great! I also like that the story has a twist at the end. It keeps the story fresh.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

In a take-off of The Three Little Pigs that has clearly gone to the dogs, three pugs set off to make their way in the world after their mother tells them they need to build homes of their own. After giving them a little bit of advice and a warning to beware of the Big, Bad Cat, she sends them on their way. As in the classic tale, Bubbles builds his home with straw, but in a clever twist the cat destroys it with a hairdryer. Bandit uses sticks for his structure, but the cat wields a mean leaf blower and destroys it too. Beauty uses bricks and some trickery, and the cat is furious to find no dogs inside the last house. When her mistress calls her home, she is shocked to find that Mrs. Honeybun has adopted the three pugs. The illustrations are quite amusing, filled with what looks to be actual photographs of several adorable pugs with their wrinkled faces and whimsical facial expressions, as well as artwork with pug clothing and house materials. The Big Bad Cat is just as adorable as they are and wily in her attempts to keep her bad behavior from her mistress who clearly has no idea what her feline can get up to when left to her own devices. Perhaps Big Bad Cat needs to meet Nick Bruel's Bad Kitty. This is a fun read aloud, especially for pug lovers. While I'm not sure why their mother insists that they must build their own houses since there are always folks out there waiting to adopt such cute little beasts, I still enjoyed the story.