Children's Books: The True Story of the Three Little Pigs And the Big Bad Wolf

Review of Liam Farrell book, The Children's Press, €5.50

News Flash! The wolf didn't attack the three pigs! He was the victim of those nasty little rasher-banks who built their houses without proper planning permission and then bribed the planning department for retention notices which read 'Ye Can Keep It, De Mare'! This retelling of the tale from the wolf's point of view is great fun, involving many leading characters from nursery rhymes, all of them being mind-managed by the three pigs to ruin poor old Wolfie's reputation. In the second book of the series The Trial of the Big Bad Wolf the poor brute gets very harsh treatment from the law and the media for this retelling of the tale takes place in today's world of spin, PR and sensationalist journalism. Only the death of the judge saves the wolf but his troubles are not over because in the third book, Return of the Big Bad Wolf, he has to face a retrial. The transposition of the traditional tales and rhymes to the world of courtroom melodrama, character assassination and corrupt planners works very well without losing sight of the audience, who will have more than a passing knowledge of such things. Each book costs €5.50 and are illustrated with charmingly apt illustrations by Terry Myler.