Review & Giveaway: It’s Not The Three Little Pigs by Josh Funk Illustrated by Edwardian Taylor

About the Book:
Title: It’s Not The Three Little Pigs
Author:  Josh Funk
Illustrator: Edwardian Taylor
Pub. Date:  November 1, 2022

Beagles & Books is thrilled to share a review of It’s Not The Three Little Pigs. Special thanks to Two Lions Publishing and Barbara Fisch of Blue Slip Media for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review:
The amazing duo, Josh Funk and Edwardian Taylor, are back with their fourth installment in the It’s Not a Fairytale series featuring the three (I stand corrected four) little pigs. 

The first pig, Alan, is the only one interested in building.  The second pig, Alfred, wants to be an actor and Alvin, the third pig, dreams of being a pumpkin.  Readers are introduced to the fourth pig, Alison, who adds her own spin to the classic story resulting in a very frustrated narrator.  When the narrator states that Alan will make his house out of straw, Alison interjects that her brother is eco-conscious repurposing plastic drinking straws to build his abode.  Not long after, the wolf appears. The narrator feeds Alan his lines, but Alison offers some constructive criticism for the phrase, “Not by the hair of my chinny chin chin.”  The pig does make a good point. 

The wolf moves on prompting Alan and Alison to warn the second pig, Alfred. A hot air balloon ride is quicker than walking right? It’s a good thing because Alfred is on a stage, not a house, made out of sticks.  It’s up to Alan to plan and construct a house to protect himself and his siblings.  But of course, when the big bad wolf walks up, the pigs are not in the house which annoys the narrator.  Can’t they follow the original story?  

The pigs take shelter in the house, but when they don’t respond to the wolf, he does not huff and puff and departs. Now, the narrator is nervous imploring the pigs to high tail it to the third pig, Alvin.  Alison delivers by producing jetpacks and they arrive at Alvin’s pumpkin (courtesy of Cinderella’s fairy godmother) ahead of the wolf.  When the wolf says “Little pig, little pig, let me come in,” his words don’t mean what you think. The narrator is exhausted and a bit hurt with all the changes.  Alison offers a collaborative opportunity which reminds us that teamwork does make the dream work. On the last page spread, Alfred is in his glory performing on stage with an audience full of fairy tale characters.  Readers see Jack and Giant, Hansel and Gretel, Red and Captain Hook as well as many, many other fairy tale characters which makes me wonder who will star in the next book in the series. 

When I read aloud It’s Not The Three Little Pigs to a kindergarten class, they couldn’t stop giggling. They loved the addition of the fourth pig and how the pigs use innovative methods to travel.  Who doesn’t love a pig with a jetpack!   As a teacher, I love that the dialogue was color-coded matching the hue of the pig’s clothes.  This feature makes the story perfect for readers’ theater.  

Funk’s clever and comical writing produces constant chuckles and Taylor’s energetic and engaging illustrations literally leap off the page.  His detailed blueprints of all the houses are especially fun and require time to truly appreciate so closer looks are warranted.  

About the Author:
Like the characters in his books, Josh Funk doesn’t like being told how stories should go―so he writes his own. He is the author of a bunch of picture books, including My Pet Feet, illustrated by Billy Yong; the popular Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast series, illustrated by Brendan Kearney; How to Code a Sandcastle, illustrated by Sara Palacios; and Lost in the Library: A Story of Patience & Fortitude, illustrated by Stevie Lewis. He lives in New England with his wife and children. Learn more about him at www.joshfunkbooks.com and follow him on social media:

Thanks for visiting Beagles and Books!