Author
Kimberly Derting
Award-winning author of picture books and young adult novels, writing from the Pacific Northwest. More about Kim
Picture Books › Penny
Penny: The Engineering Tail of the Fourth Little Pig
- ★ NSTA STEM Picture Book of the Year
- Georgia Author of the Year Award winner
Penny isn’t just the fourth little pig—she’s an engineer. So when big bad Wolfgang destroys her brothers’ homes, Penny comes to the rescue! But soon, Wolfgang threatens to destroy the homes again. This time, Penny draws up some new plans and uses all her engineering know-how to save her brothers from his huffing and puffing, once and for all!
The True Story of the Three Little Pigs meets Rosie Revere, Engineer in this clever reimagining of a classic—a smart story full of humor, puns, girl power, and grit that introduces basic STEM and engineering concepts, including simple machines.
The dialogue brings this extended fairy tale to life and will easily entertain and interest young engineers. Marks’s colorful and eye-catching illustrations will have readers poring over the pages… An excellent choice for elementary collections, and especially recommended for STEAM shelves.School Library Journal
Free downloads
Printables for kids
Color Penny and her brothers, solve the puzzles, and try the activity pages. Each one opens as a PDF you can print or save.
For teachers & librarians
Classroom activities
Penny is a natural fit for engineering, design, and fairy-tale units. The free curriculum activities sheet ties each idea to science, ELA, and visual arts standards.
Curriculum activities (PDF)- Build a simple machine using pulleys, levers, or wedges—LEGO, paper, anything goes.
- Design a wolf-proof home for Penny and her brothers, then build it or make it in Minecraft or as a diorama.
- Retrace Penny’s engineering steps as she rebuilds her brothers’ homes.
- Invent a trap for the wolf.
- Pick a fairy tale and write what happens after the story ends.
Behind the book
The creators
Author
Shelli R. Johannes
Lives in Atlanta with her family, a bird, a fish, and two crazy-haired doodles, and loves volunteering with animal conservation groups. srjohannes.com
Illustrated by Hannah Marks. Published by Capstone Editions (2022).