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Summary
Summary
The three little pugs just want to curl up and take a nap, but the big bad cat is sleeping in their basket!
Once upon a rug, there were three little pugs.
Gordy, Jilly, and Zoie love to race, chase, and play pug-o-war. But most of all, they love snoozing in their big, cozy basket. Then one day just before their morning nap, the big bad cat decides to make himself at home in the pugs' beloved basket! Will they figure out how to keep him away before they get too sleepy?
Author Notes
Nina Victor Crittenden lives in Minnesota with her husband and daughters in a house not built of straw, sticks, or bricks. She spends a great deal of time drinking tea and snuggling with a little old cat and two little pugs. This is her debut picture book as both author and illustrator.
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-Three little pugs try various tactics to remove a cat who has taken over their bed in this variation on the "The Three Little Pigs." The pugs love napping in their basket, but when they discover the big bad cat sleeping there, they hatch a plan. First they fill the basket with straw (drinking straws in this case), then sticks (knitting needles, a baton, crayons), and finally bricks (a pack of playing cards, a lego, the remote control) in order to oust the intruder. But the feline simply settles in over the objects. Finally, the pugs take a "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" tack and snuggle up close to their new furry friend. The text is slight and silly and the ending of "and that was that" seems a bit lazy. The author tried hard to make the story fit into the original tale and it doesn't quite work. However, the watercolor cartoon illustrations are appealing in mostly pastel tones and included on the endpapers are images of the pugs and the cat in frames that help to tell the story of their relationship. VERDICT Purchase where fairy tale variations are in demand. Otherwise, an additional purchase.-Mary Kuehner, Arapahoe Library District, CO © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
In her first solo outing, illustrator Crittenden (Chicken Lily) offers a decidedly benign riff on the famous tale of three wolf-defeating piglets. The humor of the story, set in a cozy home shared by three puppies and a large gray cat, derives from its very lack of dramatic tension. "Once upon a rug, there were three little pugs," begins Crittenden, who "loved snoozing in their big, cozy basket." One morning, the roly-poly puppies discover a "big bad cat" nestled in their wicker basket, peering out at them "with his big bad eyes." In reality, the cat looks more startled than threatening, but the pugs set out to reclaim their bed, filling the basket with straws (of the drinking variety), sticks (pencils and crayons), and bricks (Lego-style blocks, a deck of cards, etc.). Not surprisingly, their mission backfires, leading to a feel-good ending that leaves all four pets "cuddled and snuggled" in the basket. Defined by swoopy black-brown lines, Crittenden's pastel-hued cartoons create an air of innocent fun on every page, dovetailing with the wholesome tone of the retelling. Ages 4-8. Agent: Teresa Kietlinski, Bookmark Literary. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
In this spin on "The Three Little Pigs," each of three pugs tries to deter a pesky cat from sleeping in the wee doggies' basket: one lines it with (drinking) straws, another with "sticks" (pencils, drumsticks, etc.), the third with "bricks" (building blocks). This simple tale, with clutter-free art and an everybody's-happy resolution, is a grand starter-folktale for toddlers. (c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Three pug puppies interact with an assertive cat in this simple, humorous story with not-so-subtle references to "The Three Little Pigs." The puppies, Gordy, Jilly, and Zoie, love active games followed by joint naps in their big wicker basket. When the unnamed "big bad cat" boldly takes over their bed, the puppies must figure out how to dislodge him. They try making the basket uncomfortable by adding items related to straw, sticks, and bricks. Gordy puts a pile of drinking straws in the bed, and later, Jilly adds sticks, using pencils, crayons, drum sticks, and knitting needles (but not sticks from a tree). Zoie contributes bricks, including Lego blocks, a pack of playing cards, and one larger, toy construction brick. When none of these methods work ("the very last straw!"), the pups leap onto the sleeping cat. They all curl up to sleep together, becoming friends as indicated in a photo-album collection on the concluding endpapers. The uncomplicated story structure and large, motion-filled illustrations make this an appealing choice for younger preschoolers just moving into real stories. However, some of the vocabulary and wordplay, such as "pug-o-war" for tug of war, "love seat" for sofa or couch, Legos described simply as "bricks," and "the very last straw," are over the heads of the intended audience. Another confusing issue is the mismatch of the colors of the cat and the pug ears and snouts on the cover, which do not match the colors in the internal illustrations.Stick with a tried-and-true version of "The Three Little Pigs" and one of the charming pug stories of the last few years, such as Pug by Ethan Long (2016) or Pig and Pug by Lynne Barry and illustrated by Gemma Correll (2015). (Picture book. 2-6) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
