Module 2 Book Review #2: The Three Ninja Pigs

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*This book review was written for one of my MLS courses at SHSU.*



BIBLIOGRAPHY
Schwartz, Corey Rosen. (2012). THE THREE NINJA PIGS. Ill. by Dan Santat. New York, NY: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers. ISBN 9780399255144

PLOT SUMMARY
Desperate for protection from a dangerous wolf, three little pigs decide to partake in various styles of martial arts (aikido, jujitsu, and karate). The first two pigs felt they were well-experienced after a little amount of training; however, they were unprepared to defend themselves whenever the woof visited them, causing them to resort to their last sibling’s ninja skills. This little pig, who took her marital arts training very seriously, shows off her precise fighting skills to the wolf, which eventually scares him off and allows the little pigs to practice being ninjas safely and freely.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The Three Ninja Pigs is a fractured fairytale that allows readers to discover what the little pigs’ situations would be like if they were to learn how to protect themselves from the terrifying wolf. Corey Rosen Schwartz does an incredible job with incorporating martial arts into the storyline, for this helps represent how commitment and perseverance play key roles in the story’s theme. For example, commitment is displayed when the little pigs get fed up with the wolf being a bully to others. They make it an obligation to train in the ninja school in order to help with this major conflict. However, perseverance becomes an issue for the first two little pigs, for they went ahead and quit their training whenever they felt they learned just enough to take the wolf down. The third little pig; however, pushes herself to practice her moves more and more, allowing her to be more successful in the end and seen as a strong female lead. Finally, Schwartz also incorporated a lesson on how it is never too late to for improvement. At the end of the story, all three of them went back to the ninja school to complete their trainings and become comfortable with defending themselves. The two little pigs had the chance to learn from their mistakes and prepare for their next times in need.

In addition to this, Schwartz’s writing in the story is mostly in rhyme. It flows quite nicely, especially since they consist of words relating to martial arts. An example of this is when the third little pig is getting ready to take on the wolf: “The chase carried on to their sister’s. Pig Three was outside in her gi. ‘I’m a certified weapon, so watch where you’re steppin’. You don’t want to start up with me!’”

Dan Santat’s illustrations were definitely a big contribution to the story’s plot. Since he is a black belt in Shotokan, it is evident that his pictures closely reflect the martial arts theme (i.e. each character wearing a gi). Additionally, Santat incorporated a Japanese feel when it came to the setting, making it seem more authentic when it came to the little pigs’ trainings. The little pigs appear to sort of look like humans, making them seem a little more believable when they start to do the martial arts. Santat is the creator of the old Disney Channel show The Replacements, and it is obvious how his characters for that are very similar to the ones he illustrated for the book (i.e. big/wide eyes, comic-book like, etc.).

REVIEW EXCERPTS
*Starred Review from Publishers Weekly: “Schwartz’s irreverent verse never falters—and any book that rhymes “dojo” with “mojo” is one that’s worth a look.”
*Starred Review from Kirkus Reviews: "A standout among fractured fairy tales, masterfully combining rollicking limerick verse with a solid story. . . . Have the contact info for the local dojo handy--readers will want to try out these martial-arts styles for themselves.”
*Starred Review from Booklist: "This standout version has so much motion, action, and laughs, kids will feel like they’re hearing it for the first time. Schwartz’s clever rhyming text flows nicely, and illustrator Santat (who holds a black belt in Shotokan) really gets into things."

CONNECTIONS
*Ninja Red Riding Hood and Hensel and Gretel Ninja Chicks are also by Corey Rosen Schwartz and are two other versions of well-known traditional tales. The protagonists also use ninja skills to help protect them from various external conflicts.
*Students should read a version of “The Three Pigs” with the original storyline and compare and contrast the two.
*The author includes a glossary of terms regarding martial arts. Students can look over these terms either before or after they read in order to broaden their knowledge about the martial arts language and culture written in the story.
*Educators can show different videos demonstrating the martial arts styles that are mentioned in the story (aikido, jujitsu, and karate). Students can discuss the techniques either before or after they have read the story. They can then use this knowledge to predict how the ninja pigs could have prevented further conflicts.

PICTURE SOURCE
https://www.amazon.com/Three-Ninja-Corey-Rosen-Schwartz/dp/0399255141/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1537386854&sr=1-1&keywords=the+three+ninja+pigs

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