Bibliography: Ketteman, Helen. THE THREE LITTLE GATORS. Illustrated by Will Terry. Illinois: Albert Whitman & Company, 2009.Print.

ISBN 9780807578247

The story of the three little gators is a hilarious Texan takeoff on the familiar childhood tale of the three little pigs.  Staying true to the original tale of the three little pigs, it is also a cautionary tale of the value of having a good work ethic.       

The three little Gators set out on a quest to find a place of their own.  First Gator builds his house out of rocks.  Second Gator thinks building a house out of rocks is too much work, so he builds his house out of sticks.  Third Gator thinks that building a house out rock or sticks is too much work, so he builds his house out of sand.  With just the turn of a page this story springs into action when the Big-Bottomed Boar appears in the river outside of Third Gator’s sandy house.  “Little gator, let me in.  I smell tender gator shin.”  And off they go…     

This version of the three little pigs captures the unique Texan twang while maintaining the integrity of the original tale of the three little pigs. The setting and the cultural uniqueness of this story is established in the first sentence – “Once, three little gators lived with their mama in an east Texas swamp.”  The story then goes on to further clarify its cultural uniqueness with idioms like "... faster than snakes after a bullfrog."  Additionally, the rhyming text with onomatopoeic words like “I’ll wiggle my rump with a bump, bump, bump and smash your house!” welcomes the readers to use fun and quirky voices when reading this story out loud. Will Terry’s illustrations of the Boar’s face and body language capture the intensity and zeal with which the Big-Bottomed Boar intends to devour the little gators! His wild bug-out cartoon like eyes of the three little gators captures their intense fear.  The picture of the Boar stuck in the chimney catches you by surprise, but it’s the unassuming bottle of Boar’s sauce that truly summarizes the three little gators plan for the Big-Bottomed Boar. 

Activities:

English Language Arts:

You may use the book to teach or reinforce the concept of onomatopoeia. Several excellent examples are featured in the book, such as when the Boar tells the gators “I’ll wiggle my rump with a bump, bump, bump and smash your house!” Have students think of other words that are onomatopoeias. Create a word list for writing that students may keep in their writing folders. Students may write a poem, either rhyming or free verse, using some of the words on the list the class created.

Reading Skills:

Compare/Contrast – What an opportunity to show students that important reading skills can be fun! You may create a double-bubble map, a Venn diagram, or other graphic organizer on the board or projector. Then have students compare/contrast the three little gators to the three little pigs.

Character Education:

This story just lends itself to leading a discussion about the importance of having good work ethic.   

 Related books:

The 3 Little Dassies by Jan Brett  
The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka

Reviews:

In this "Three Little Pigs" takeoff, a "Big-bottomed Boar" is the bad guy, and three alligators prove that even in the swamp, nothing beats hard work and solid construction. The text includes some funny rhymes ("I'll wriggle my rump with a bump, bump, bump"). Animated illustrations feature googly-eyed gators and clever details (e.g., hot sauce is on hand by the chimney). (Excerpt from Horn Book, 2009)

This version of the familiar story is set deep in the east Texas swamp. Three little gators set off on their own, leaving their mama, who warns them to be careful of the Big-bottomed Boar. And when they build their flimsy houses, readers will know what to expect. But Ketteman's retelling, including a sassy Texas twang, makes the story hilarious and bright. Add in a catchy chorus, repeated each time the Big-bottomed Boar comes visiting, and readers will be chiming in on cue. "Then I'll wiggle my rump with a bump, bump, bump and smash your house!" Terry's illustrations work well with the story. The colors are vibrant yet ominous and swampy. The textures are also wonderful, from the smoothness of gator hide and graininess of the swamp sand to the hairiness of the ugly boar. A fun choice for libraries and classrooms. - Susan E. Murray, Glendale Public Library, AZ Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information. (Excerpt from School Library Journal, 2009)