The Three Little Gators

The Three Little Gators
Written by: Helen Ketterman
Illustrated by: Will Terry
Albert Whitman & Company, 2009
30 pages
Traditional Literature

                This story is a rewrite of the original Three Little Pigs.  This book is about three little gators and their mama who live in an east Texas swamp.  After their mama tells them it's time for them to set out on their own, they each go out to build their own homes. But as they are leaving she tells them to watch out for the Big-bottomed Boar. Go on an exciting journey with The Three Little Gators.
                Will terry uses great acrylic illustrations for this story.  He covers almost every page with his illustrations.  The text is placed around the illustrations.  On one of the pages he has the text placed vertically on the side of the page so you can see the illustration of the boar better.
                First for this story I would read the book aloud and then have the students retell the story back to me in sequence order, by using props previously made.  Then I would have the students rewrite their own version of The Three Little Pigs like Ketterman did.  They could do it about people, animals, or anything the ant to do it about.  I would also do a science lesson about what all animals are found in a swamp.  Each student would have to list as many animals they could think of.