The 3 Little Pigs

Was I thrilled over the prospect of watching a live-action backyard version of the classic fairy tale of young porcine siblings pitted against a lupine villain with a set of powerful lungs? An adaptation--furthermore--written, directed and produced by moms and starring neighborhood kids? Not by the ball-point of my penny, pen, pen. But, guess what? This little cynical piggy found Debbie Shively and Christy Noonan's initial entry in the "Toddler Tales" series to be disarmingly delightful. Our young heroines--Pinky, Percy and Peri-Winkle--make poor to excellent construction choices (the narrator tells us, regarding Pinky's laying eyes on what appears to be a nondescript cardboard box, "she simply had to have it"), only to be sorely tested by a rude wolf. In a nice twist, the wolf here is a disruptive little cuss with poor social skills; instead of trying to fit in, he simply lashes out at potential playmates by being pushy or--in the case of Pinky and Percy--destroying residences. I won't reveal the denouement here, except to say that it's considerably less violent and far more heartwarming than the original. Kudos to the young stars, the mothers, and the fathers on the crew who were occasionally called upon to insert key props (such as a door) during scenes. Cute, clever, and sure to appeal to toddlers and their adult wranglers, this is strongly recommended. Aud: K, P. (R. Pitman)