A clever retelling of a classic tale is very common in kids books these days, but I think Jon Scieszka helped start the trend when he wrote The True Story of the Three Little Pigs (published back in 1989). This book explains how the wolf had a cold, and was just out trying to borrow some sugar to make a cake for his dear old granny (his neighbors just happened to be pigs). Lane Smith's illustrations are a delight.
