Three Hungry Pigs and the Wolf Who Came to Dinner

by Charles Santore

The life of a truffle-hunting pig is not easy! Unearthing delicious truffles all day without eating any is too hard for Bianca. After her very first bite, she and her piglets are banished to the forest where they meet up with a wolf. Award-winning illustrator Charles Santore–painting in a new style– has penned an original pig’s tale that feels like an old favorite.

Genres: Picture Books, Wolves, Childrens, Food

32 pages, Hardcover

First published October 25, 2005

About the author

Charles Santore is an American illustrator best known for his children's books. His work is on display permanently at the Brandywine River Museum and the Museum of Modern Art. He won the Hamilton King award from the New York Society of Illustrators. His book William the Curious won the 1998 Storytelling World Honor from Storytelling magazine.

Reviews

[Savannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great alternative to The Three Little Pigs.

[Hilary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun retelling of the old story, with lovely illustrations! The preschooler really enjoyed it, and we got to talk about different things that people eat and different cultures.

[Linda Lipko · Rating 4 out of 5]

A mother pig had piglets that the farmer kept because he wanted them to be good "truffle hunters." The farmer loved the pig, but one day she went too far with her love of truffles. She was alive to bring truffle hunting piglets in the world, NOT to over eat all the truffles she could find. Thus, the farm grew very angry and told her that she and her truffle hunting piglets had to go .

Frightened, Bianca, the mother pig, had never been on her own. Living in a strange environment and searching for food for her piglets was no easy task. Soon, Bianca and her baby pigs discovered their own truffles, and they were Happy!

Night brought more fear as the wolves found them and tried to make them their prey. Binaca gave the wolf one of the delicious truffles. And because truffle hunting is not easy, he decided to walk with the pigs.

Befriending Bianca and her piglets was a blessing when an entire pack of nasty wolves descending upon them. When the friend, the big wolf snarled and challenged the pack of wolves, they acquiesced. And for the rest of their lives, Bianca, her little piglets and the large wolf lived together. This is a lovely spin to the tale we know of the Three Pigs.

As always, the illustrations of Charles Santore are crisp, clear and beautiful. i take time to find the samples of the artistry so that perhaps you will also grow to love the art of illustrators of wonderful tales.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an entirely different story than the Three Little Pigs. A farmer gets a pig that is really good at hunting for truffles, but then the pig starts eating the truffles, so he sends the pig and her two piglets away. Then something unusual happens when she meets the wolf. Different, but I enjoyed it.

[Kris Lanham · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nice illustrations.

[Hannah Marshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

genre: traditional literature
reading level: 3-4

This was another really cool spin on a typical traditional literature story. I have really enjoyed reading spin offs of books similar to how this one does. I like how this book also kind of followed the song of the three little pigs that went to market. The illustrations are super detailed and add a lot to the the story. I would consider adding this book to my future classroom library.

[Jo ☾ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love wolves so I always get a kick out of children's books that paint wolves in a kinder light, rather than the typical big, bad wolf scenario. This is a story about Bianca, a truffle hunting pig. Bianca and her piglets were living happily on a farm hunting truffles for the farmer until Bianca decided she liked eating the truffles, more than finding them. The farmer was furious of course and had no use for a truffle eating pig so Bianca and her piglets had to go.

Out in the forest, Bianca met a wolf who was all set to make the pigs his dinner until Bianca shoved a truffle into his mouth. The wolf thought they were delicious and so Bianca taught the wolf how to find and dig for truffles.

While they were all hunting for truffles together, a pack of snarling wolves arrived in the forest and started to surround Bianca and her piglets. Their wolf friend came between the pack and the pigs and chased the other wolves away and the wolf, Bianca and her piglets all lived together happily ever after. :)

The illustrations are really beautiful!

[babyhippoface · Rating 2 out of 5]

Award-winning illustrator Charles Santore (A Stowaway on Noah’s Ark) has authored an original story about a truffle-hunting pig, Bianca, who is banished from home when she decides that eating truffles is better than finding them. In the woods she and her piglets are confronted by a hungry wolf intent on pork for dinner until Bianca pops a truffle into his mouth. Santore’s light-infused oil paintings are the highlight of the book, bringing the tale to marvelous life. One troubling point: the intended audience will likely have little or no knowledge of truffles and will be left wondering what all the fuss is about. Nevertheless, the setting, unique plot, and tone will combine to leave readers feeling this is a centuries-old story they’re hearing for the first time.

[Melanie Hetrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young piglet grows up to become a truffle-finding pig. She eventually has piglets of her own. Around the same time, instead of just finding the truffles, she begins to eat them herself. She is kicked off the farm. She and her piglets set out on their own, sniffing out truffles to eat. One day they don't realize they are being followed by a wolf. When the wolf confronts them, the mother pig presents the wolf with a truffle and suggests she try it. The wolf loves it. When the 4 friends find themselves set upon by a pack of wolves, the she-wolf defends the pigs.

A great retelling of the Three little Pigs.

[The Brothers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm pleased to say this not yet another retelling of the three little pigs story. It's about a mother pig who's the best truffle hunter ever. Unfortunately one day she eats a truffle and discovers just how wonderful they taste. (Apparently truffles are piggie crack...) Anyway, the farmer she works for bans her from the farm because she won't stop eating the truffles. She and her two piglets set off on their own into the forest. A wolf comes to eat them, but the mother pig introduces him to the wonders of truffles and in the end he becomes their champion, keeping them safe from other hungry predators.

Illustrations are good.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

A new turn on animal fairy tales with this new story. I loved the illustrations and how Bianca the pig came up with solutions to her problems. I only wish that the story was longer, so we could develop more connection with the characters of the little piglets and the lone wolf. Still a clever twist to the normally predator and prey story lines.

[Heydi Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a unexpectedly fantastic story that I loved reading. The description of the book says it all: "Think of Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel, Dorothy and Toto, too."

I would definitely read this to an older storytime group.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Faith picked this one off the shelf because of the wolf. Lovely, sunlit, Tuscan illustrations inside.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations fascinated/frightened my 2.5 year old grandson, but the story isn't too scary by the end. The new cover is much better than the one shown here.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

The pig enjoys eating truffles too much for the farmers liking. While making a new life in the woods, they make a new friend with the wolf. In a dangerous situation, the wolf protects the pigs.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Weird story, not really a fairy tale but shows a contrast of a good wolf.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

My six year-old gave this rating!

[Arijit Bhattacharya · Rating 1 out of 5]

it was ok.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an interesting twist to the three little pigs - they managed to turn their arch-nemesis into a vegetarian.

[Bekah · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was not at all what I expected. It was boring.

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Filled with lovely oil paintings, THE THREE HUNGRY PIGS is a fairy tale in which the wolf is finally the good guy (and so are the pigs!)

[Kristy McRae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great twist on an old classic!

[Becca · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a really different take on the the little pigs!

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was REALLY cute and well drawn

[Coatesj · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute twist.