View source for The Four Little Pigs by Kimara Nye and Marcin Bruchnalski

{{infobox2
|title=The Four Little Pigs
|sort=Four Little Pigs
|author=Kimara Nye and Marcin Bruchnalski
|reviewer=Jo Heffer
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=I'm sure that everyone knows the story of The Three Little Pigs but do you know what happened when one extra pig decided to join in the action? This is what happens in 'The Four Little Pigs' which is a fabulous story with a great twist on the original.
|rating=4.5
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|pages=36
|publisher=Maverick Arts Publishing
|date=September 2010
|isbn=978-1848860636
|aznuk=1848861931
|aznus=1848860633
|cover=1848861931
}}

Tom loves visiting his Granny especially as she is a witch and can cast magical spells. However, he doesn't always enjoy the bedtime stories that she reads, and when she picks up The Three Little Pigs he declares that it is boring because he has heard it so many times. Granny suggests that it might be interesting to find out what would happen if another pig entered the fray and before he realises what is happening, Tom is transported into the story.

As Tom knows the story so well, he is able to warn the pigs about the wolf's evil intentions. Although at first they do not believe him, they soon realise that Tom is telling the truth and they all join forces in order to defeat their enemy. This provides the opportunity for the pigs to trick the wolf in lots of cunning ways that I am sure will appeal to young children. There is one problem though because Tom has actually forgotten what happened at the end of the story. As Wolf makes his way down the chimney they have to come up with a plan very quickly.

I read this story with my five year old daughter and she really loved it. Because she already knows the original story, she could appreciate the twists and she was also able to predict what she thought might happen. It's a very entertaining story that's told with great humour. I think most children will love the way the wolf gets his comeuppance in many ways.

The story is written in a very accessible way and sounds like a traditional tale. There is quite a lot of text for a picture book but this is interspersed with some colourful and comical illustrations that all help with the telling of the story. Sometimes the author draws attention to specific words or phrases by using bold font or making thee words seemingly twist and turn across the page. My daughter loves noticing these features as we read together.

The Four Little Pigs is the sort of story that will appeal to most children, but if they already know the story in the original tale I think that they will appreciate it even more. It's a fun story and in the tradition of all good fairy tales, the baddie is defeated and they all live happily ever after. So does Tom when he returns to his Granny's housed with a renewed enthusiasm for stories.

I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to The Bookbag.

If this book sounds interesting you could also take a look at [[Wolf's Magnificent Master Plan by Melanie Williamson]].

'''Editor's Note''':  We've now see ''The Four Little Pigs'' as an early reader.  It's a nice size and weight for small hands, the font is clear and the paper is slightly off-white which makes for easier reading.  The paper is substantial enough that there's no bleed-through from the reverse of the page, which can be off-putting for young readers with L plates, or those suffering from dyslexia.

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[[Category:Kimara Nye]]
[[Category:Marcin Bruchnalski]]