Title: The Three Little Pugs
Author & Illustrator: Nina Victor Crittenden
Publisher: Little Bee Books, 2018
Ages: 3-7
Themes: fractured fairytales, pugs, cats
Opening:
Once upon a rug, there were three little pugs.
Synopsis:
The three little pugs: Gordy, Jilly and Zoe like to chase each other and play games like pug-o-war. But in between all this running around, of course they need to take some pug naps. But on this morning as their morning naptime arrives, who is snuggled into their special basket, but a big bag cat. Well that won’t do, and those little pugs are going to need some major smarts to figure out how to get their bed back before their naptime is over, especially as that big bad cat seems impervious to all their not-so-subtle hints about whose bed it is!
Why I like this book:
Pugs just so lend themselves to humor, don’t they? Their create antics to thwart the big bad cat are all perfect toddler-retaliation methods and will delight its audience with the wonderful puns, rhymes and repetitions.
Crittenden’s soft pastel illustrations make you want to go out and adopt three pugs. The emotions in the tails are hilarious, with wags, droops, and curls. And there are some great patterns to hone in on in the flooring, basket, knitting, couch cover etc.
Activities/resources:
This is a great read-aloud-text and can be used in a fractured fairy tales unit on the Three Little Pigs, and for teaching the use of puns.
This pinterest board has some fabulous fractured fairy tale ideas for lessons and activities https://www.pinterest.co.uk/explore/fractured-fairy-tales/?lp=true
Don’t miss this interview I did with Nina this week.
Each week a group of bloggers reviews picture books we feel would make great educational reads. To help teachers, caregivers and parents, we have included resources and/or activities with each of our reviews. A complete list of the thousands of books we have reviewed can be found sorted alphabetically and by topics, here on Susanna Leonard Hill’s website.
In my 20's, with only my guitar and a rucksack, I wandered the continents, immersing myself in the lives of some wonderful people, projects and stories, which changed the way I view my responsibility to others and this earth. Right now I'm a European transplant in the US who writes books for children and young adults. Stories can help us not only navigate our world but can connect us to others, and allow us to inspire and help each other. I believe that equity and empathy should be at the core of our all actions, words, and stories.
I am also a school librarian and I get a kick out of book-matchmaking! And I use the pronouns she/her.
