Three Little Javelinas

Written in 1944 by Aldous Huxley as a Christmas gift for his niece, The Crows of Pearblossom tells the story of Mr. and Mrs. Crow, who live in a cottonwood tree. The hungry Rattlesnake that lives at the bottom of the tree has a nasty habit of stealing Mrs. Crow's eggs before they can hatch, so Mr. Crow and his wise friend, Old Man Owl, devise a sneaky plan to trick him.and#160;

This funny story of cleverness triumphing over greed, similar in tone and wit to the work of A. A. Milne, shows a new side of a great writer. Paired with stunning illustrations by Sophie Blackall, this timeless tale is sure to grab the attention of many readersand#8212;adults and children alike.

Praise for The Crows of Pearblossom

and#8220;With Huxleyand#8217;s mordant wit in ample supply, this tale will entertain literary novelty seekers.and#8221;and#160;

and#8211;Publishers Weeklyand#160;

and#8220;Huxleyand#8217;s story starts good and grimand#8212;just the thing to hold a young audience.and#8221; and#8211;Kirkus Reviewsand#160;

and#8220;A rather charming childrenand#8217;s book. The story is clever, wittily told and bristles with spiky humor and#8212; and it could quite possibly become a new favorite among schoolchildren. In the reissued edition, Brooklyn-based illustrator Sophie Blackwell transforms the chapter book into a picture book. Huxleyand#8217;s standing as one of the grandfathers of dystopian Y.A. is already established. Perhaps the next generation will think of him as that guy who wrote about crowsand#8217; eggs.and#8221; and#8211;New York Times ARTSBEAT blog

and#8220;A vivid picture-book edition with robust and suitably disquieting illustrations by Sophie Blackall.and#8221;and#160;

and#8211;Wall Street Journal

Everyone knows the story of the three little pigs, but now you're going to meet the three little javelinas (pronounced ha-ve-LEE-nas)-loveable, wild, southwestern cousins of pigs. Living in homes built out of tumbleweeds and saguaro ribs (from the fallen giant cacti), the first two javelinas are soon running from the hungry coyote, who had hoped to eat them with red chile sauce. And where do they go for shelter? Why, to their wise sister's house, made strong with adobe bricks. This clever and humorous tale is sure to delight children of all ages, especially those familiar with the Southwest. Dressed in cowboy duds and prepared for life in the rugged desert, these characters are more than any coyote bargained for.

The Southwest version of the three little pigs

What happens when The Three Little Pigs goes Southwest? A trio of javalinas replace the pigs and the big bad wolf becomes a clever coyote! A favorite tale told with southwestern spice.

Into English ESL Library Level F/Grade 5 title

Aldous Huxley (1894-1963), the author of Brave New World, lived the latter part of his life near the Mojave Desert, where this story is set. Sophie Blackall is the illustrator of many children's books, including the Ivy and Bean series. She lives in Brooklyn. Visit her at www.sophieblackall.com.