The Three Little Pigsburghers

Book excerpt: The Three Little Pigsburghers is the first children's book to be written in Pittsburghese! (You can learn more about Pittsburghese in our video section.) Written and illustrated by Joe Wos, the book follows the traditional story of "The Three Little Pigs" -- but with a distinctly Pittsburgh twist. The pigs' father plays for the Stillers (sort of). The Big Bad Wuff is a Cleveland fan, of course, and likes to go arahn blowin' hauses dahn! The book requires a primer in Pittsburghese and includes a special Yinzernary that translates key words into the uniquely Pittsburgh dialect. It all began as a challenge of sorts. Joe was performing at a storytelling festival in Florida. Each of the storytellers agreed to tell a story in the round, in a different language. The story was toldin Spanish, Cherokee, Russian and -- finally, when it came to Joe, he realized he only knew one other language besides English ... his true native tounge as a Yinzer -- Pittsburghese. The off-the-cuff language lesson and story left an impression on the other storytellers. But it would be 10 years before he would revisit the idea, which led to the writing of the Three Little Pigsburghers. Joe views his latest endeavor as more than just an easy gag, believing that creating a children's book helps preserve a dialect that has an important place in Pittsburgh culture. The book is geared toward children and adults. It's a handy, fun book for locals, fans and expatriates of Pittsburgh! The book is filled with Pittsburgh references and a few inside gags that Joe won't reveal just yet. The book also features a foreword by Rick Sebak.