Description
The youngest little pig didn’t feel like working and, to keep himself warm, he made a house of straw; the middle little pig worked a little harder and made a house of wood; the eldest worked very hard to build a house of bricks and when the wolf came and blew and blew…
A traditional narrative, well known and accepted by children. Bettelheim underlines the characters’ symbolism, the things they do and the final outcome as metaphors of growing and developing personality. The children learn, without being conscious of it, by identifying themselves with each of the three little pigs, learning that people grow and evolve and that growing has many advantages because the eldest little pig is the one who defeats the enemy, combining strength, intelligence and rational planning.
The three animals symbolize the evolution and progress of man, from an immature state to that of who knows how to face up to conflicts intelligently, allowing the child to come up with his or her own conclusions.
True to the known traditional tale, the album brings us simple and amusing images creating a visual dialogue easily seen. Helga Bansch shows once again her empathy with the youngest reader, playing with the characters’ expressiveness and with the details that enrich each illustration inviting us to open the book time and time again.
Text by Raquel Méndez, from a traditional story
Illustrations by Helga Bansch
Translation by Mark W. Heslop
