Picture Books - Three Hungry Pigs and the Wolf Who Came to Dinner

Three Hungry Pigs and the Wolf Who Came to Dinner by Charles Santore 2005

When I first picked this book up, I thought it might be a little re-telling of the Three Pigs story. Then after reading it I really can’t see much similarity other than there are three pigs and a wolf. Santore starts off by giving us a little backdrop to the story. It takes place in the Italian hill country of the Alba region where white truffles are a hard to find delicacy and highly prized. Some may have heard more about this edible treat during this past Winter Olympics as they were held near a popular truffle producing area. Santore first introduces us to the heroine, Bianca. She was acquired by a farmer whose daughter took an instant liking to the all white pig, thus her name. As Bianca grew she soon became the most adept of all the farmer’s pigs of finding the valuable truffles. Bianca then began training her own two little piglets to find truffles as well.

Then there is the fateful day where Bianca decides to taste one of the truffles. Oh! She discovers that finding truffles isn’t near as good as eating them. The now once favored pig, alias best truffle hunter, has been disgraced for eating what the farmer believes to be his property. Bianca is then kicked off the farm with her two piglets and must now fend for herself and young. As she wonders the forest she encounters none other then a big bad wolf. As he begins to decide how to proceed with this unexpected pig meeting Bianca pops a truffle in his mouth. Upon his eating the truffle he decides they taste much better then a pig would. Bianca claims that if he will spare them she will teach him how to find truffles. About this time a pack of wolves spy Bianca and her piglets and go for the easy meal. It is then that the lone wolf becomes their defender. The story goes on to find the wolf makes a good baby (pig) sitter in exchange for truffles. If you are looking for a new take on a pig and wolf relationship then this is the story for you. It would be a fun story to share with kids from kindergarten through fourth grade.