The three little pigs, Rishon, Sheni and Shlishi, decide to dress up as King Ahasuerus for the Purim carnival costume parade. Rishon and Sheni quickly make paper crowns and then race out to play, but Shlishi spends all afternoon making a sturdy crown of papier mache. Of course, in a story about three little pigs, there has to be a big, bad wolf. And though this wolf is big, and badly behaved, he doesn’t have a taste for little pigs. He only wants to eat hamantaschen but how to get some without grabbing? Shlishi tells him, “You just need to ask nicely.” The wolf politely says “please,” and also remembers to say “thank you.” The illustrator has created a colorful fairy-tale setting and lively, endearing characters. There’s also a recipe for hamantaschen, a brief note about Purim, and a glossary of Purim terms. And giving the pigs the names of Hebrew numbers is a fun way to learn to count to three.
Recommended for ages 3 – 8.
Susan Kantor was a senior writer/editor for Girl Scouts of the USA, a children’s book editor, and a past judge for the National Jewish Book Awards in the illustrated children’s book category. She is a writer and a docent at the Rubin Museum in New York City, where she leads public and private tours.
