Brett, Jan. 2010. The 3 Little Dassies. New York. G. P. Putnam's Sons / The Penguin Group. ISBN: 9780399254994
B. Plot Summary
The 3 Little Dassies is a variation of the classic tale The 3 Little Pigs. The variations Brett makes are seen mainly in the characters and setting. In Brett's beautifully crafted variation, the reader will meet 3 dassie rats from Africa along with an agama lizard and a white eagle who changes to an eagle that is "black as soot" after his failed efforts of capturing the 3 little dassies.
C. Critical Analysis
The main characters in this
tale are dassies. We are also introduced
to an eagle and a red headed agama lizard known as Agama Man. The 3
Little Dassies is a variation of the tale The Three Little Pigs. In the story, the eagle represents the big bad
wolf. As always, Jan Brett does a
fabulous job of creating characters that are strong and overcome problems in a
unique way.
Readers unfamiliar with the Namibia dessert might not easily recognize the setting in this tale so Brett mentions the exact setting of the book at the beginning. For those who have visited West Texas, the setting
could easily be mistaken for the canyons of West Texas. The animals in the book are native to the Namibia dessert, so this also helps the reader understand the setting.
As always, Jan Brett’s gorgeous illustrations add to the meaning and understanding of the book. True to Brett’s style of illustrations, the reader will also notice the prediction picture on the center edge of the page. These illustrations show a glimpse of what is to come in the following pages. One illustration that captures the fear and sense of sisterhood is in a small window and it is of Mimbi and Pimbi when they are hugging in the eagle's nest after being captured. Timbi, the 3rd little dassie, is illustrated on the main page and the reader can see the worry in Timbi's face as she sees the "long shadow streaking across the rock."
Each dassie is dressed in traditional Herero dress. The dassies are not the only characters illustrated in clothing. Every animal illustrated in the story has clothing except for a turtle on the first page. Brett does an exquisite job of giving the reader more insight into the personality of the animals and also helps readers connect with the animals by seeing them in clothing. On the last page of the book, Brett illustrates a page that is reflective of what the reader would see if they visited Namibia today.
As always, Jan Brett’s gorgeous illustrations add to the meaning and understanding of the book. True to Brett’s style of illustrations, the reader will also notice the prediction picture on the center edge of the page. These illustrations show a glimpse of what is to come in the following pages. One illustration that captures the fear and sense of sisterhood is in a small window and it is of Mimbi and Pimbi when they are hugging in the eagle's nest after being captured. Timbi, the 3rd little dassie, is illustrated on the main page and the reader can see the worry in Timbi's face as she sees the "long shadow streaking across the rock."
Each dassie is dressed in traditional Herero dress. The dassies are not the only characters illustrated in clothing. Every animal illustrated in the story has clothing except for a turtle on the first page. Brett does an exquisite job of giving the reader more insight into the personality of the animals and also helps readers connect with the animals by seeing them in clothing. On the last page of the book, Brett illustrates a page that is reflective of what the reader would see if they visited Namibia today.
Just as in the story of The Three Little Pigs, the story of The 3 Little Dassies shows that doing
the easiest thing is not always the best thing.
It takes work to produce a quality product. While the two other dassies were finishing their
houses made of grass and driftwood, the 3rd little dassies, Timbi,
spent the whole day working on her house of stone. Her house saved the 3 little dassies from the
eagle because she took the time to use the best materials even though it was the hardest to build.
This lovely tale also offers a strong
sense of family connection. Brett
repeats this line throughout the book, “Be near and dear, sisters, while I rest
my eyes.” Even though they wanted their
own places, they thought it was important to stay “near and dear”. I like that Brett added this feature into her
version. In the original version, the
big bad wolf says, “I will huff and I will puff and I will blow your house
down.” The big old
eagle says, “I’ll flap and I’ll clap and I’ll blow your house in!” Brett named the
3 little dassies, Mimbi, Pimbi and Timbi.
Children will enjoy letting the names of the dassies roll off their tongues.
Although this tale has
appeal for all cultures, it embodies southern Africa and the people of
Namibia. The differences between the
original, Three Little Pigs, and Brett’s
version do not take away from the story and actually add an opportunity for
students to explore a portion of the world that may be unfamiliar to them.
D. Review Excerpt
Kirkus Reviews states, "Mashing up the ever-popular English story of “The Three Little Pigs”
with her Namibian experiences, Brett uses her magical
watercolor-and-gouache paintings to create a distinctive visual world.
Dassies (rock hyraxes) live among the reddish stones of this desert-like
country. Soft and cuddly, they have a predator in the black eagles that
live above, and they come together in an original version of the story,
complete with a grass house, a stick house and a stone house built by
each of three dassie sisters. The first two are taken (fear not, it's
only temporary) by a white eagle, but when he tries to “flap and clap
and blow” the stone house in, he fails. When he tries the chimney route,
the fire burns his feathers, turning him into the black eagle seen
today. The animal characters sport adaptations of Western clothing that
are seen in Namibia today, down to the turbans worn by the Herero women
since Victorian times. The dress prints from the clothing also appear in
the illustrator's trademark borders around each two-page spread.
Beguiling."
Publisher's weekly states, "This offering is classic Brett: meticulously rendered animal characters,
an authentically depicted setting, ornate borders, action-filled side
panels, and lively storytelling. This version of The Three Little Pigs
takes place in southern Africa, where three dassies—small native mammals
also called rock hyraxes—bid adieu to their family and set out “to find
their own place.” After crossing the Namib Desert in a tortoise-pulled
wagon, sisters Mimbi, Pimbi, and Timbi reach a mountain where they agree
to settle down. They’re welcomed by an agama lizard, who mentions that
an eagle, an enemy to dassies, lives nearby. After this predator
destroys two of the dassies’ houses and carries the dassies to his nest,
the lizard rescues them and helps outwit the bird. Brett (The Easter
Egg) dresses her dassies in the vibrantly patterned traditional dresses
and turbans of the Herero people of Namibia. The eagle and lizard are
nattily attired in hats and colorful menswear—but even the suspenders,
straw hat, and checked pants of the eagle don’t lessen the menace of his
talons. A buoyant and original reimagining. Ages 3–5."
E. Awards
"Best of the Best Books of 2010" given by the Chicago Public Library
F. Connections
This book would be wonderful to include with an author study of Jan Brett because it offers insight into where she has traveled on vacation and why she wrote this story.
Another great activity to provide with this book would be to compare the variations of "Three Little Pig" stories. Students would love to hear the books and they could even perform a reader's theater of the version they enjoyed the most.
Author's website: http://www.janbrett.com/index.html
Activities to go along with the book:
Reader's Theater: http://www.janbrett.com/3_little_dassies_reader_theater.htm
G. Other books by Jan Brett
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| ISBN: 978-0698116528 |
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| ISBN: 978-0399242151 |
 |
| ISBN: 978-0399252389 |
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