WIESNER, David. The Three Pigs. Boston: Clarion Books, [2001]. Oblong 4to, [40]pp. Maroon quarter-cloth spine stamped in gilt with pictorially blind-stamped gray boards. Sand-colored endpapers; color illustrations throughout. A fine copy in original color pictorial dust jacket (without medal affixed). Signed by the author, David Wiesner.

First edition. 2002 Caldecott Medal winner. This Caldecott Medal-winning picture book begins placidly (and familiarly) enough, with three pigs collecting materials and going off to build houses of straw, sticks, and bricks. But the wolfs huffing and puffing blows the first pig right out of the story . . . and into the realm of pure imagination. The transition signals the start of a freewheeling adventure with characteristic Wiesner effects cinematic flow, astonishing shifts of perspective, and sly humor, as well as pure flights of fancy. Satisfying both as a story and as an exploration of the nature of story, The Three Pigs takes visual narrative to a new level. Dialogue balloons, text excerpts, and a wide variety of illustration styles guide the reader through a dazzling fantasy universe to the surprising and happy ending.