The Three Little Javelinas

January 27, 1992
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. Sprightly fun. Ages 3-8.

January 1, 1993
Ages 4-8. In a southwestern version of "The Three Little Pigs," Coyote howls every night as he remembers how he landed in the wood stove of the wisest of three javelinas (not true pigs, but animals related to swine that are common to the Southwest). Lowell incorporates bits of the cultures and languages of the Southwest, but her version lacks the drama of the original story, and her explanatory notes intrude rather than enhance the tale. Harris' illustrations are appealing and humorous, however, and children who loved the original will enjoy this version. ((Reviewed Jan. 1, 1993))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1993, American Library Association.)