HUFF & PUFF

By Claudia Rueda

(Abrams Appleseed, 2012)

Okay, this is an “Ahhh” book. Very cute.

It’s a retelling of The Three Little Pigs with, quite literally, a SURPRISE ending.

Even before “Babe”, I’ve been charmed by pigs. Perhaps it goes back to Wilbur in E.B. White’s “Charlotte’s Web.” Maybe it’s a fondness for a certain Muppet. Whatever the case, I’ve always been entertainingly anxious whenever a certain wolf ventured into the piggy homeland. Twists on thetraditional tale are always welcome.

Claudia Rueda breaks the familiar story down into its simplest terms. 

First pig building a house.

First pig inside the house.

Thanks to Rueda’s endearing illustrations, the pigs are particularly delightful—and amusing—in the aftermath of the wolf’s visits.

This is such a quick read, I initially balked at paying a good chunk of change to buy the picture book. But then I realized I was still smiling and chuckling as I wandered into another aisle of my favorite children’s bookstore. I knew I had to backtrack and add the book to my cart.

A smile is most definitely worth it!