Book Review #4

The Three Ninja Pigs

 

Author: Corey Rosen Schwartz
Illustrator: Dan Santat
Publisher: G. P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young People
ISBN: 9780399255144

Plot: This is a twist on the traditional fairy tale. The 3 Ninja Pigs have decided to train at Ninja School to prevent the Big Bad Wolf from terrorizing their Japanese village. Ninja Pig 1 studies aikido but becomes bored and drops out; Ninja Pig 2 studies jujitsu, but when the teacher suggests he "must study more," Pig 2 says, "No way." Ninja Pig 3 decided to study karate; she went on to earn her last belt. Then the wolf pays a visit to each of their houses. Ninja Pig 1 and 2 were unable to stop him and ran to their sister's house. Ninja Pig 3 is prepared due to her hard work and dedication. She gives a demonstration of her ninja skills, and the wolf is intimidated and scrams. Ninja Pig 1 and 2 decided to go back to Ninja School and earned their degrees. Eventually the 3 Ninja Pigs ran their own dojo and lived wolf free. 

Settings: Japanese Village

Genre/Theme/Style: A variation on a classic fairy tale. The author uses rhyming words to create a flow and a humorous style. The author also emphasizes a strong female character as the protagonist of the story. 

4 Roars! 🦁🦁🦁🦁

Critical Analysis: The book is a great way to teach about perseverance, dedication, hard work, and respect. The strong female lead character adds a touch of lighthearted girl power to the classic fairy tale. This book would be great for children in martial arts or self-defense classes. It hints at the wolf being a bully and the 3 pigs working towards self-improvement and the value of an education. 
The glossary in the back of the book helps readers understand the meanings of any unfamiliar martial arts words. 
There was a lot of pig-related humor that younger readers might enjoy. 

Why 4 Roars? While I loved the artwork, I felt that the pig humor went a little too far when the wolf called Pig 3 "yo, Bacon." Name-calling may perhaps be something parents might want to point out as impolite to younger readers. 

Illustrations: There is a nod or a bow towards the Japanese culture in the artwork and its style. The art medium was Sumi brushwork on rice paper and then finished in Adobe Photoshop. 

 
The illustrator is a Caldecott Medal winner, and he holds a B.S. in biology. He graduated with honors from the Art Center for Design in illustration. He is also the author of The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend.  I really loved the fact that Dan Santat holds a black belt in shotokan. How cool is that? Very! 

Connections: 
Drawn Together by Dan Santat and Minh Le
Japanese Sumi-e ink painting