THE PIG WHO WENT HOME ON SUNDAY

A red fox is the villain in this variant of “The Three Little Pigs.” Mother pig sends each of her pigs off to build their own home while reminding them to “come home and visit on Sunday.” This cautionary tale succeeds as each of the pigs go off to build their own homes. But instead of heeding the advice of their mother, the first two listen to the cunning suggestion of the fox and are promptly eaten. The third pig builds his house of bricks and when the fox arrives the pig shows that he can be more cunning than the fox. In the end the watercolors show a portly pig carrying flowers home to his mother on Sunday. There’s no huffing and puffing here but enough plot twists to bring smiles to young readers. (Picture book/folktale. 4-8)