THE THREE LITTLE GATORS by Helen Ketteman book review

1.      BIBLIOGRAPHY

Ketteman, Helen. 2009.  THE THREE LITTLE GATORS.  Ill. Will Terry.  Morton Grove, Illinois:  Albert Whitman & Company. ISBN  9780807578247

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

THE THREE LITTLE GATORS is a retelling of the traditional THREE LITTLE PIGS folktale. In this version, three gators leave their mother and set out on their own in an east Texas swamp. Before leaving, Mama warns them to build houses strong enough to keep Big-bottomed Boar away. The first gator chooses rocks, the second sticks and the lazy third gator chooses a house of sand, after commenting on the amount of work for the other two. Soon, Big-bottomed Boar announces his arrival at the third gator’s sand house and by wiggling his rump with a bump, bump, bump, he knocks the house down. The second gator’s house of sticks is knocked down in the same manner. Knowing the danger they are in, the second and third gators rush to their brother’s house that was made of rocks. After unsuccessfully trying to knock the house down with his rump, Big-bottomed Boar squeezes down the chimney right on top of the hot grate on the barbecue grill. With grill stripes burned into his rump, Big-bottomed Boar never bothered the gators again.

3.      CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This story nicely lends itself to being read aloud. Children will delight in joining in the repetitive phrases such as “then I’ll wiggle my rump with a bump, bump, bump” or “little gator, little gator, let me in”. The simple mission of the gators to escape Big-bottomed Boar keeps the reader anticipating the final resolution. By having good triumph over evil, the reader is left satisfied. Will Terry’s bright, colorful illustrations enhance the text. The reader can see the fear in the eyes of the gators as Big-bottom Boar chases after them. He even has the first gator wearing glasses, to show he is the intelligent one. Children will enjoy seeing the pain Big-bottom Boar goes through at the end of the text.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY review: “Readers-particularly from the Lone Star State-who can't get enough of the original Three Little Pigs, may enjoy this Texan transformation from the team behind Armadilly Chili.”

BOOKLIST review: “Loaded with plenty of outlandish action from the bug-eyed, cartoonish characters rendered in glimmering colors, this would make a rip-roaring group read-aloud.”

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL review: “But Ketteman’s retelling, including a sassy Texas twang, makes the story hilarious and bright. Add in a catchy chorus, repeated each time the Big-bottomed Boar comes visiting, and readers will be chiming in on cue.”

5. CONNECTIONS

*Students could research swamps by learning about animal life, characteristics and other facts or details. When finished, discuss how the author took the traditional tale of THE THREE LITTLE PIGS and modified it to match the setting in THE THREE LITTLE GATORS.

*As a class, students could make an interactive storyboard. Using large butcher paper, the swamp could be created. Next, hand or stick puppets could be created to resemble each of the characters in the story. Then, students could use the puppets to orally retell and act out the story in sequential order.

*Other versions/variants of this tale:

Marshall, James. THE THREE LITTLE PIGS. ISBN 0803705913

Rubin, Vicky. THE THREE SWINGIN’ PIGS. ISBN 0805073353

Brett, Jan. THE 3 LITTLE DASSIES. ISBN 0399254994

Artell, Mark. THREE LITTLE CAJUN PIGS. ISBN 0803728158