Huff…Puff…Grind! The 3 Little Pigs Get Smart: a science folktale by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I loved this STEM retelling of the 3 little pigs. All of Lois’s stories bring a unique conversation adults can have with children when reading this book together. Her books are always accompanied by wonderful engaging images to reflect the story. Another great book from Lois.
What Do the Plants Say by Lois Wickstrom is a wonderful book about Alex the Inventor. Alex is exploring plants and decides that she wants to learn more about them and the way they communicate. So, Alex invents a translator to speak to the plants. Alex finds out that the plants would love to have a party.
This is by far one of my favorite books by Lois because it reminds me of my dad. He loved to plant flowers and had hindered of them around our house. Each day as he cared for them and watered them, he would talk to them. He would say, “plants need someone to talk to them to help them grow.”
Japan by Eleanor Dixon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Eleanor Dixon continues Tally’s adventures in Japan for book 3. I thought this one was more scary and tense than the first two, especially if you have younger kids. I thought the cultural references and traditions were very well laid out in this book, even though I am adult, I learned some Japanese vocabulary as well as history of taiko drumming.
I thought the best characterizations is when Jophiel takes a break from Tally (I won’t tell you why!) and the pain/angst Tally goes through not having her new friend literally by her side. As with the first two books, I enjoyed how the story of the spirit/being at the beginning of the chapter interweaves with what is happening with Tally and her friends in modern day times.
Huff…Puff…Grind! The 3 Little Pigs Get Smart: a science folktale by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Huff…Puff…Grind by Lois Wickstrom is a re-telling of The Three Little Pigs but with s S.T.E.M. twist. First of all, this book was so cute! The three little pigs ( Hal, Stella, and Brad) have all been to architecture school and have smartened up. They are able to outsmart the wolf and try to make him an ally. This book shows children how to rely on problem-solving and kindness to get things done. I also really loved the illustrations. This is another winner by this author.
People Safari by Feather Chelle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
What fun story to read to the kids. Looking from an animal’s perspective was amazing. A great turn around as far as people go. Made a person think, that’s for sure. The author made note of the different houses and vehicles. I laughed so hard when the deer asked where in the house people poop. The story was well written and easy to follow. Even easier for the children to understand. This may have been a new author for me, but not for long as I will be looking and reading more her.
People Safari by Feather Chelle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I enjoyed this short and fun look at humans from an animal’s perspective. A family of deer are guided on a tour of a human town by a racoon. They get to see many of the differences between humans and animals and the way they live. This is a cute story that people of all ages will enjoy. While visiting the humans can be fun the young deer also finds out just how unnerving it can be. This is a cute read that gives readers a look at how animals might interpret the way we live. The deer family has some good questions and the pictures are fun and invite discussions. This story is an easy way to start a discussion with young children. The descriptions that the racoon uses to explain the way humans live are very entertaining and will bring a smile to everyone.
Japan by Eleanor Dixon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is the third book in the series. There is a blurb at the beginning for those of us that missed reading the first two books. It helped me understand Tally’s situation and helped me connect to her. However, I do feel I missed some context by not reading the books in order. I hope to remedy that soon. It’s easy to connect with Tally and the other children as they meet and get to know each other. The author did a great job with world building and making me feel like I’m experiencing the destinations Tally visits.
Tally is traveling to Japan with her father, who is attending a conference. Tally meets new friends Yoshi and Miyu. Yoshi’s father works with Tally’s father. Tally is exploring Japan with her friends and Yoshi’s mother. I enjoyed reading this story about Tally and her special angel Jophiel! I’m definitely going to read the first two books!
I would have loved reading a story like this back when I was middle school age.
Huff…Puff…Grind!: The 3 Little Pigs Get Smart by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Huff…Puff…Grind! The 3 Little Pigs Get Smart is another fun folktale retelling by Lois. I have read most of her Folktale’s books to my grandchildren and they absolutely love them. It will make you smile as you follow along. 24 pages of interesting stuff.
The colourful pictures make it easy to dive into the story and have Lois’s words bring it to life. Lois’s stories have messages that we share with our children or grandchildren or those that we love. Being able to learn something always encourages little minds and open them to possibilities.
Children between the ages of 3 – 8 will delight in this tale and the smart little pigs.
Grab a copy today to find out what these little pigs get up to.
Reviewed by @jennadb
Huff… Puff… Grind! The 3 Little Pigs Get Smart by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Huff, Puff, Grind! The Three Little Pigs Get Smart by Lois Wickstrom is the authors scientific and creative take on the classic Three Little Pigs. The author has smartened up these little pigs and sent them off to architecture school. Thanks to their education, each pig is able to buy a house to withstand the big bad wolf. They are also able to devise a plan to work with the wolf as neighbors and so each of them gets something from the working relationship. It is always interesting to see where this author takes these classics! I also really loved the illustrations and how different words were emphasized. It made the story more fun.
Huff…Puff…Grind!: The 3 Little Pigs Get Smart by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Stella, Hal, and Brad are the stars of this classic retelling of a popular nursery story. They are once again trying to evade the Big Bad Wolf. In today’s day and age, they have new tools to combat the scary beast.
I loved the twists of this story and actually found myself laughing at the very end. Stella, Hal, and Brad are very witty!! There is a STEM focus on this book, as well as many others that Lois Wickstrom writes.
I would recommend this to be added to personal and school libraries and daycares asap! Kids will love the story as they think they already know it but will be pleasantly surprised by the twists.
Huff… Puff… Grind! The 3 Little Pigs Get Smart by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The author has yet again created a fun twist on a classic to inspire kids. I always love the author’s ability to take a classic and find the science that can be learnt from it.
The illustrations are lovely, and the language is accessible to children. The science included encourages children to take an interest in what materials are strong and how to measure this.
I would recommend this book to those with kids both as a fun story and a learning aid.
https://www.amazon.com/review/R2LJGU7FTP58FU/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv
Huff…Puff…Grind! The 3 Little Pigs Get Smart: a science folktale by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I love all the retelling stories Lois Wickstrom writes. Huff…Puff…Grind was retelling of The 3 Little Pigs. The world building and characters was good. The plot of the story was great. I love that the pictures matched the words on the pages. I read this book to my 9 year old and she really enjoyed it.
View all my reviews
https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/2650914260
People Safari by Feather Chelle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Adorable book about people from the view point of animals. Excellent illustrations, I really enjoyed this children’s book.
Huff…Puff…Grind!: The 3 Little Pigs Get Smart by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
What a brilliant adaption of the 3 Little Pigs story. This author is already a favourite in our house but I think this book has to be the best by far. Or at least in my opinion. I thought it was so clever and well done. And I loved how much fun my kids found in it. This is a story that we are familiar with already and this take was so much fun to read.
This is one that we have all engaged with and the entertainment it has brought us has been endless. This is the first book by this author that I keep requesting we read, although I hear no arguments when I do. This author really does know how to create an amazing story that gets the whole family involved.
Huff… Puff… Grind! The 3 Little Pigs Get Smart by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Another wonderful retelling of a traditional tale with a STEM twist from this author. I think this would definitely lead into conversations with children about the strength of different materials and getting them build their own houses and see which material is the strongest. The story was great and a lot of children would be engaged because they already know of the traditional tale it’s based on. The only one thing that does let this book down slightly is the illustrations, I kind of expected them to be like the newly updates front cover, but overall still a great story that children ill enjoy over and over again.
Huff… Puff… Grind! The 3 Little Pigs Get Smart by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is a children’s author that I have enjoyed from the first book I picked up from her. One of the things I enjoy about this author is her ability to make a story engaging and fun for children of all ages. There is an educational aspect to her books as well. This is a story about the three pigs and a wolf who couldn’t blow their houses down. I enjoyed how engaging the characters are and what they brought to the story. It is an interactive story that will keep your child’s attention to the end. A great story that any age child would enjoy. I highly recommend this book and this author.
Review by @bjwagner
People Safari by Feather Chelle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
People Safari by Feather Chelle. This is such a beautiful book inside and out. Its the story of animals who go on a journey into the city and their view of human life. Ranger Marco, a raccoon is the leader and he is trying to convince the deer family that it is safe to venture out. He finally talks them into it and they go on an adventure. The fawn learns about neighborhoods, how people live and people in general. When the fawn gets lost the deer family is terrified and decide to never leave the forest again. This is such a fun book about animals take on people and the things they do. Such a fun book and would be a great gift as well. As an adult I enjoyed it very much.
The Guardian of Whispers by B.E. Padgett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book is about a set of twins who begin to discover they have some special powers. When their powers are too much, they are sent away to a special school to help them learn to control them, (much like Harry Potter).
Also like HP, they get into some trouble along the way. Jons rare gift leaves him as primary suspect for the theft of the Guardian of Whispers and he needs the help of his brother to clear his name. Good thing his brother can hear voices.
This was a fun read and I really enjoyed it. It is well put together and the foundation is set for future books in the series. I am excited to see what comes next.
What Do the Plants Say? by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A very sweet children’s story to inspire invention and creative thinking. It’s a perfect short story for intermediate readers and a great 10 minute read for little ones. Inspiring your children to play outdoors in the garden or meadow amongst the flowers exploring.
Huff… Puff… Grind! The 3 Little Pigs Get Smart by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
3 Stars
Huff…Puff…Grind! The 3 Little Pigs Get Smart is the second in the Science Folktales series by Lois Wickstrom. It is a cute Illustrated children’s fantasy story- a reimagining of the classic fairytale, The Three Little Pigs, with a bit of a twist.
The story encourages problem solving, kindness, negotiation, bargaining, and more…
But again, I really didn’t like the style of illustrations inside the storybook. I really hoped that the internal quality of the illustrations would match the quality of the ‘new’ cover picture- but the internal illustrations are in a very naïve/simplistic style, which just seemed a bit ‘bland’ to me. The illustrations don’t hold your attention like the cover image does, and I felt let down because of it.
The Science Folktales Series contains (so far):
-Chicken Little (Book #1)
-Huff…Puff…Grind! The Three Little Pigs Get Smart (Book #2)
-Fee, Fi, Fo, Grow! The Real Magic of the Beans (Book #3)
-Goldilocks and the Six Simple Machines (Book #4)
-Little Red, the Detective (Book #5)
-Just One More Egg (Book #6)
-The Dwarves’ Dilemma (Book #7)
-Saving the Gingerbread House (Book #8)
There’s lots to explore in this STEM storybook series- with plenty of adventures to take, and lots of different things to learn along the way.
Looking forward to more from Ms. Wickstrom.
Happy reading…
Reviewed by @angelahayes
Huff…Puff…Grind! The 3 Little Pigs Get Smart: a science folktale by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 5 Stars
What a great retelling story of The 3 Little Pigs and definitely fun to read for the young and the young at heart. The illustrations are cute and I love how the little pigs, Stella, Hal and Brad, outsmart the pesky wolf by using their skills to build strong houses made of different materials so they can stay safe.
This is a wonderful retelling and I love the names of the 3 little pigs…its made me smile. Definitely one of my favorite books from this author.
Huff…Puff…Grind! The 3 Little Pigs Get Smart: a science folktale by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Another fun retelling of a classic fairy tale. The three pigs are master builders and the big bad wolf just couldn’t blow their houses down. The houses were built to withstand the wind. In reading this story to my grandson, we found it to be entertaining and fun. We also learned about house building and windmills. The story also taught a little about cooperation. This is a wonderful addition to our library.
People Safari by Feather Chelle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
What would it be like if the animals could go on a people safari? Pretty stinking cute! In this book has a ranger walking a deer family into the natural environment of people. They try to figure out what things like cars, humans wearing clothes…and dogs wear clothes are all about. The baby of this group gets lost and gets a little first hand experience in dealing with us people. So cute!!!!
Huff… Puff… Grind! The 3 Little Pigs Get Smart by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Lois Wickstrom is a go to at redoing fairy tales. She always does an amazing spin on it to make sure you learn something from it. This story was a great spin of The Three Pigs and I have to say it’s my new favorite version.
.•°*°•. BOOK SPOTLIGHT SHOWCASE .•°*°•.
The 3 Little Pigs have been to Architecture School. They know how to build Wolf-Proof houses
The wolf huffed and he puffed. But the pigs’ houses didn’t fall. The wolf-couldn’t get in. The pigs couldn’t go out. They were all hungry. The pigs knew that a problem can be a solution out-of-place.
Could they make good use of all that huffing and puffing?
Click here to view the Book Trailer for Huff… Puff… Grind! (Science Folktales) by Lois Wickstrom
Lois is a former high school chemistry teacher and former head science teacher at Science in the City Summer Camp in Philadelphia. She has also been an adjunct science teacher at University of South Florida. Since retiring, she continues to take science classes. Her class in Forensic Biology led to Little Red, The Detective, in which Red is studying fingerprint identification, so she can tell that “Grandma” isn’t who she says she is.
Lois has taken so many science classes that she believes science is the solution to almost every problem, including the dilemmas in fairy tales. She has invented what she calls Science Folktales. In each science-based tale, the protagonist achieves a better ending than the original because of learning scientific principles. She has turned some of these tales into plays.
She has also created a series of Mermaid Science stories, which make use of water science.
Lois is married to the love of her life. She has two children, four grandchildren and a dog.
People Safari by Feather Chelle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
People Safari by Feather Chelle was a super cute, kids-oriented look at the human world from an animal perspective. The story is lead by Ranger Marco the Racoon as he teaches the Deer family about humans. The story is perfect for those nights kids want a longer bedtime story. The illustrations by Pandu Permana are an adorable way to bring kids into the story more. Happy reading!
Reviewed by @WhisperHymer
What Do the Plants Say? by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I love books by this author as they are always able to make learning fun for kids. This one is a little different, it seems to be more inspirational to follow dreams.
The illustrations are lovely, and the language used is accessible to kids. The science added into the story makes the learning more accessible to kids in a fun way
I’ll continue to look out for books by this author as they have done an amazing job.
What Do the Plants Say? by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
What a wonderful book by a beloved author! My two kiddos are always so excited when I bring in another Lois Wickstrom book, because we enjoy the stories and illustrations, but they always start an unexpected discussion. I feel that there could have been a little more depth, but my kids loved it. I enjoyed the scientific side of Alex the Inventor exploring different options to help the plants and communicate with them. I highly recommend picking this one up and letting your imagination collide with the little ones in your life!
Reviewed by @shannlynn
What Do the Plants Say? by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
What Do the Plants Say? Is another beautifully written, entertaining, imaginative, and fun read by this talented author. When Alex heard the flowers in her garden making noises as they bloomed, she wondered what they were saying. Alex is an Inventor who loves to create things using old, and often discarded items. She decides to invent a machine so that she can listen to the flowers and talk to the plants. Using sound waves, Alex learns that the flowers want to do things like have a party and fly. I love how the author used a mix of science, creativity, imagination, and whimsy in how Alex spoke to and interacted with the flowers in the garden. This was an interesting approach to the idea of talking to plants that will spark imagination in the minds of young children. The illustrations are bright, fun, and really bring this cute story to life.
What Do the Plants Say? by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is another great book by a firm favourite author. Both of my kids are always so excited when we get a new book by her. This book was fun and very entertaining, although not one of the best we have read. This book felt a little more flat compared to the others we have read recently, but that could be just because they were so good. Either way, we still got great enjoyment out of this book. It was engaging and the kids loved to look at the pictures and see what was going on. As usual, we read this book multiple times and I am sure we will read it many times more.