40 pgs. full-color illus. 2004. Elementary school.

In this home-grown version of the familiar "Three Little Pigs" motif, the villain is, naturally, a fox—the Appalachian red fox, who any local hunter will tell you is a worthy opponent in the sport of trapping and hunting, and an able foe of many a granny who has tried to keep a peaceable henhouse.

Mazzucco's bright watercolors depict a fox who is part game show host, part used car salesman. Davis's storytelling skills make full use of the tale's inherent repetition, showing that the pig who listens to his mama is the only one able to keep his promise to come home and visit on Sundays.

This version, says Davis, "is a cautionary tale designed to protect children's lives by teaching hard lessions. The messages are that leaving home is dangerous, the woods are dangerous, wild animals are dangerous, and you must do what adults wisely advise in order to stay alive."

Curriculum Applications: 4th & 5th Grade Social Studies; Grades K-5 Language Arts

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