About the Book
The Three Little Javelinas
by Susan Lowell
Illustrated by Jim Harris
Luna Rising
2009
pp. 32
Paperback
Spanish/English
ISBN 0873589556
$7.95
Synopsis
Everyone knows the story of the three little pigs, but now you are going to meet the three little javelinas - wild, southwestern cousins of pigs. Living in homes of built of tumbleweeds and cacti, the first two javelinas are soon running from the hungry coyote, who had hoped to eat them with red chili sauce. And where do they go for shelter? Why, to their wise sister, who made her house with strong adobe bricks.
Read reviews
“In this retelling of The Three Little Pigs set in the American Southwest, the cherished porkers are transformed into javelinas, the hairy, swinelike creatures also known as peccaries. Their pursuer, no longer the wolf of traditional lore, becomes Coyote, that ubiquitous Southwestern trickster. In her first book for children, Lowell spices the story with elements of Native American, Mexican and Old West culture. Javelina No. 1 builds his house of tumbleweed, while his brother relies on saguaro ribs. Twice Coyote huffs and puffs and the lightweight dwellings fall, but the peccaries are saved by their resourceful sister, who has had the foresight to build her home of stout adobe bricks. This clever and flavorful change of scene puts a diverting spin on an old favorite. Harris’s lively, finely detailed illustrations, with the bristling, pink-nosed peccaries clad in cowboy outfits, amusingly contrast the villain’s vigorous wiles with the title characters’ cozy domesticity.” –Publisher’s Weekly
“In this humorous Southwestern variant of the familiar story, three desert javelinas (hairy cousins to the ordinary pig) set off one day to seek their fortunes. The first makes his home from a pile of tumbleweeds. Soon after, Coyote arrives and effortlessly blows it away to get at the plump little creature. Shaken, the portly javelina runs to his brother’s house, which is built from the sticks of a dried saguaro cactus. Coyote, as sneaky as he is quick, demolishes that shaky structure and sends two frightened javelinas running into the desert. The brothers eventually find refuge in the home of their sister. This smart little javelina has constructed her home out of sturdy adobe bricks. Unable to huff and a puff his way in, Coyote tries entering through the stove pipe on the roof. When sister javelina realizes what he is up to, she quickly lights her pot-belly stove and sends Coyote howling into the desert (an action he repeats to this day). This engaging retelling appears in both Spanish and English, and has many accurate regional details. The text is fast-paced and witty in both languages, and is accompanied by energetic, full-page illustrations done in rich earthy tones that evoke the setting as faithfully as the text. Whether read aloud or in amused solitude, this is a picture book that will be enjoyed again and again.” –School Library Journal
About the author
Susan Lowell is a fourth-generation Arizonan. She has worked as a newspaper reporter, college professor, editor and publisher, rancher, and freelance writer for adults and children. Her work focuses on the American West.
To learn more about the author, visit her website at www.susanlowell.com/Visit your local library to borrow a copy of The Three Little Javelinas.
Or purchase it from National Book Network or the Phoenix Book Company.