Three Little Pigs. The Story Review

Three Little Pigs. The Story is a very nice re-telling of the classic story of the same name, illustrated with marvelous and witty stop-motion claymation that I greatly enjoy. I am very fond of this version - a very nice adaptation of the original Joseph Jacobs version of this tale, involving the clever way the third little pig seeks revenge from the wolf for the loss of his two other siblings who lost both house and life to this creature. The deaths of these pigs are off-screen of course, mentioned but not dwelled on - a nice take on this classic story as I have seen many versions of this tale ranging from the sanitized choice of having the brother pigs run for protection to the brick house to a more threatening pig experience that may not be best for the youngest users. This app does however include the extended version of this traditional tale bringing the pig and wolf to the fair and beyond, moments often left out of many versions of this story.

Likable, clear narration is included, but the gem of this app is certainly the animation. It's charmingly raw, and I admire the inclusion of unrefined details such as fingerprints and jagged edges - creating an indie style that makes me smile. I am really fond of all the time and love that had gone into the animation of this app, as these hotspots are numerous and often times propel the story forward in ways that really excite me. It is worth noting that although the screen shots I have included within this review show these illustrations, the animated elements do not translate well to single images. Animals can be tapped as well as many other elements that readers are lead though. Hints are included for some more involved, classically themed interactions such as helping the pigs build their new homes, the wolf blow down the first houses, or go down the chimney at the end of this story.

I appreciate all the wonderful details this app has to offer, such as the fingerprint left in each figure while tapping as well as being able to tap balls of clay to watch them morph magically into other elements - fantastic moments I could not get enough of. Also nice is the volume setting for both the narration and music, which are controlled independently. The controls are included at the bottom of the page for easy access. A menu of pages is also included - always a nice touch.

I recommend this app to all readers and their families who love claymation. This classic tale is one that parents will at some point add to their iPads, and I whole-heartedly recommend this version as a worthy choice due to its stellar claymation work. It is not often that I am this enthusiastic about an app based on a title that I have read many times before, but this app was crafted with a tremendous amount of care and I highly recommend it - not just for families but for those who enjoy claymation as much as I do.