Preschoolers love reading fairy tales! There’s something so exciting to a 4-year-old about having a “bad guy” in the story and they just can’t seem to get enough of it. We love to do an entire fairy tale unit where we study 1 fairy tale each week. I introduce it during circle time, and then at the end of the day we enjoy reading different versions of the same story. There are so many good ones to choose from! Since there’s no way we could read them all, we transform our dramatic play center into a Library where the students can check out their favorite book to take home.
Here are our 10 favorite books to read during The Three Little Pigs week. I hope you enjoy them too!
1. The Three Little Pigs by James Marshall
This is our starter book – a classic version of the fairy tale with simple, colorful illustrations. My older students (5-year-old Pre-K’s) can listen to the whole thing, but I often skip the ending section where the 3rd pig tricks the wolf for my younger (3 & 4-year-old) class.
2. The Three Little Pigs illustrated by Mei Matsuoka
I am always surprised to find out that many of my students have never heard the story of the three little pigs, so I like to read it again but from a different author. This one is perfect because of the simple text and large illustrations!
3. The Three Little Fish and the Big Bad Shark by Ken Giest
I like to use this one next, because it follows the exact same pattern but with fish instead of pigs and a shark instead of a wolf. The students love to chime in with the refrain, “Not by the skin on my finny-fin-fin!”
4. The Three Little Rigs by David Gordon
All children, and especially the boys, will love this construction truck version of the three little pigs! Watch out for the big bad wrecking ball.
5. The Three Little Pigs and the Somewhat Bad Wolf by Mark Teague
This is the perfect book to introduce children to new vocabulary. I always start by asking them what they think “somewhat” means and I love to hear all of their ideas! We talk about how somewhat is “in the middle” so “somewhat bad” means in the middle of good and really bad. Then we predict what the wolf might do that makes him somewhat bad. And that’s all it takes to get their 100% attention– a bad guy, or a somewhat bad guy in this case!!
6. The Three Ninja Pigs by Corey Rosen Schwartz
This fun, rhyming version of the story is easy to read and funny to boot!
7. The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig by Eugene Trivizas
What if the roles are reversed and the wolves are innocent?! What if there is a big, bad pig?! I’ve had this book for years and years and it is still absolutely one of my favorites!
8. The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka
This is a funny version of the story told from the wolf’s point of view. He wasn’t trying to blow down the pigs’ houses; he just sneezed! This book (and #8-10) are probably better suited for older preschoolers.
9. Where’s the Big Bad Wolf? by Eileen Christelow
In this story, Esmerelda is the wolf dressed in sheep’s clothing who tries to trick the gullible pigs. It’s really funny!
10. The Three Pigs by David Wiesner
David Wiesner’s signature illustrations and creativity are on full display here! The three pigs get blown away so hard that they jump off the pages of the book and cross over into other stories– including Hey, Diddle Diddle. It’s perfect for your out-of-the-box thinkers!
Here is a great Three Little Pigs Circle Time Unit that would work perfectly with these books!
Check out this Resource from my Shop!
Fairy Tale Preschool Unit – Three Little Pigs
$6.00Fairy Tales are a fun and effective way for young children to practice comprehension, oral language, and retelling skills. This 1-week mini-unit focuses on “The Three Little Pigs.” Your young children will huff and puff with excitement!
- 5 circle time lessons
- 2 center activities
- Book Recommendations
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Traci
Not a version of the Three Little Pigs, but a twist on the big bad wolf. We have 2 we especially liked in our class last year: “Big Bad Wolf is Good” by Simon Puttock, and “Big Bad Wolf” by Claire Masurel.
Jamie White, M.Ed.
I will look for those. Thanks, Traci!