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Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story from China
Long, long ago a good woman lived contentedly with her three daughters—Shang, tao, and Paotze—in the country-side of northern China...
But one day she had to leave to visit their granny, so she warned her children to close the door tight and to latch it.
Son after, to their surprise, there was a knock at the door and a voice saying that it was their granny, their Po Po. What could the children do but let her in? But what a low voice she had, what thorny hands, and what a hairy face!
The Chinese tale of Lon Po Po, Granny Wolf, like the European tale of Little Red Riding Hood, comes from an ancient oral tradition and is thought to be over a thousand years old. It is a favorite tale of artist Ed young, who translated and illustrated this version. Using a dramatic style that combines techniques used in ancient Chinese panel art with a powerful contemporary palette or watercolors and pastels, Mr. Young has created a book of classic beauty and charm.
Ed Young was born in Tientsin, China, grew up in Shanghai, and brings his Eastern heritage to his artwork. From the authentic Oriental papercut technique of The Emperor and the Kite to the rich and glowing pastels of Yeh Shin, Mr. Young attains a versatility of feeling, theme, and style. Cats are Cats, his much lauded collaboration with anthologist Nancy Larrick, was named one of the Ten Best Illustrated Children's Books of 1988 as well as an ALA Notable Book for Children.
1990 Caldecott Medal Winner
Edition MSRP: $16⁹⁹ USA / $25⁵⁰ CAN (ISBN 0-399-21619-7)
But one day she had to leave to visit their granny, so she warned her children to close the door tight and to latch it.
Son after, to their surprise, there was a knock at the door and a voice saying that it was their granny, their Po Po. What could the children do but let her in? But what a low voice she had, what thorny hands, and what a hairy face!
The Chinese tale of Lon Po Po, Granny Wolf, like the European tale of Little Red Riding Hood, comes from an ancient oral tradition and is thought to be over a thousand years old. It is a favorite tale of artist Ed young, who translated and illustrated this version. Using a dramatic style that combines techniques used in ancient Chinese panel art with a powerful contemporary palette or watercolors and pastels, Mr. Young has created a book of classic beauty and charm.
Ed Young was born in Tientsin, China, grew up in Shanghai, and brings his Eastern heritage to his artwork. From the authentic Oriental papercut technique of The Emperor and the Kite to the rich and glowing pastels of Yeh Shin, Mr. Young attains a versatility of feeling, theme, and style. Cats are Cats, his much lauded collaboration with anthologist Nancy Larrick, was named one of the Ten Best Illustrated Children's Books of 1988 as well as an ALA Notable Book for Children.
1990 Caldecott Medal Winner
Edition MSRP: $16⁹⁹ USA / $25⁵⁰ CAN (ISBN 0-399-21619-7)
32 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 1989
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5706 people want to read
About the author
Ed Young
154 books89 followersEd Young is the illustrator of more than eighty books for children, seventeen of which he has also written. Among his books is the Caldecott Medal winner Lon Po Po, which he both wrote and illustrated. He says that his work is inspired by the philosophy of Chinese painting. He lives in Westchester County, New York.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,343 reviews
May 8, 2020
the origins of the little red riding hood story are unclear, but they can be traced to well before the 17th century perrault interpretation most familiar to western readers. earlier versions of the tale have turned up in other parts of europe, in africa, asia, and the middle east. in some of the stories, the children are eaten, in some they escape, in some they are eaten and still escape, sometimes the antagonist is a tiger, a fox, a hyena...
this book is presenting itself as A Red-Riding Hood Story From China, but it's actually closer to one of riding hood's splinter tales - either "The Wolf and the Kids" or "The Tiger Grandmother" in which the threat is invited in; where a predator disguised as a family member tricks its way into the house by bamboozling a trusting child or children, as opposed to gaining access to the house first, and then awaiting the child's visit cleverly disguised as a loved one.
this distinction is only interesting or important to fairy-tale scholars or people like me who tend to overthink picture books. for the rest of you, all you need to know is that this book won the caldecott medal, has really haunting illustrations, in part because of their "misty" quality, and definitely made me sympathize with the wolf.
this version is set in china, where three young children are left at home while their mother goes off to visit their grandmother to bring her birthday cheer. apparently, children are not part of birthday cheer. as she leaves, she instructs them:
"Be good while I am away, my heart-loving children; I will not return tonight. Remember to close the door tight at sunset and latch it well."
but a locked door won't stop a clever wolf from approaching the house late that evening, disguised as their po po - the very woman their mother had gone to meet. and after using his verbal sparring skills to deflect a series of questions similar to the "what big eyes you have" portion of the red riding hood tale, the wolf ends up snuggled tight in bed with the three girls, eagerly anticipating this easy meal, until he handles the second round of inquisitive tales less adroitly:
When Shang stretched, she touched the wolf's tail. "Po Po, Po Po, your foot has a bush on it."
"Po Po has brought hemp strings to weave you a basket," the wolf said.
Shang touched grandmother's sharp claws. "Po Po, Po Po, your hand has thorns on it."
"Po Po has brought you an awl to make shoes for you," the wolf said.
and the girls clock that this furry beast is not, in fact, their po po.
too clever to let on that they've seen through his ruse, the children spontaneously devise an elaborate scheme to escape the house and punish the wolf that's got some br'er rabbit/aesop trickery to it, but ends more horribly.
i feel like this story is missing its last beat. it ends
still, i love the artwork,
i love that this is on the spooky-creepy end of the fairytale spectrum, but for all of that, i'm still totally team wolf.
come to my blog!
June 1, 2018
My daughters are participating in “Book Bingo” this summer, a reading program from their school librarian that involves them “playing bingo” on a card with 25 different reading opportunities.
Last night's box to be filled was “a Caldecott winner,” and, since we own several, we struggled to choose just one, and this involved a small scuffle with painful elbows and the near-destruction of the winning book.
The fighting ninjas eventually chose Lon Po Po, the only Caldecott winner penned and illustrated by a Chinese-American author (1939's Caldecott winner, Mei Li, takes place in China, but was authored by a Caucasian writer/illustrator).
Ed Young, Lon Po Po's creator and illustrator, is alive and kicking at 86, and my Chinese-American girls love his three female protagonists: Shang, Tao and Paotze.
There's some serious girl power here, especially when the three sisters realize that their enemy is a wolf in grandmother's clothing and he has come to do them serious harm.
This darkly illustrated tale offers a few humorous moments and then reminds all of us that no matter how small we are or how hopeless our situation seems, if we keep our heads, we will often find that our mind is our greatest weapon against any enemy.
Last night's box to be filled was “a Caldecott winner,” and, since we own several, we struggled to choose just one, and this involved a small scuffle with painful elbows and the near-destruction of the winning book.
The fighting ninjas eventually chose Lon Po Po, the only Caldecott winner penned and illustrated by a Chinese-American author (1939's Caldecott winner, Mei Li, takes place in China, but was authored by a Caucasian writer/illustrator).
Ed Young, Lon Po Po's creator and illustrator, is alive and kicking at 86, and my Chinese-American girls love his three female protagonists: Shang, Tao and Paotze.
There's some serious girl power here, especially when the three sisters realize that their enemy is a wolf in grandmother's clothing and he has come to do them serious harm.
This darkly illustrated tale offers a few humorous moments and then reminds all of us that no matter how small we are or how hopeless our situation seems, if we keep our heads, we will often find that our mind is our greatest weapon against any enemy.
March 25, 2018
Unsettling! So much more intense and scary than Little Red Riding Hood. These 3 girls are brave, fierce things standing up to this hungry wolf. I mean, this gave me chills.
Plus, the art is impressionistic and the uncertain depictions really helped to unsettle the story. I really enjoy this story. It is wonderful and wow. It shows what being brave really is.
This was intense for the kids and they still enjoyed it. The nephew needed some reassurance it would be alright.
Plus, the art is impressionistic and the uncertain depictions really helped to unsettle the story. I really enjoy this story. It is wonderful and wow. It shows what being brave really is.
This was intense for the kids and they still enjoyed it. The nephew needed some reassurance it would be alright.
September 21, 2016
This is the Chinese version of Red Riding Hood and it is quite wonderful. We get three children in danger of the wolf and they handle it by using their brains so it's a much more intelligent spin than we often get in European versions of fairy tales.
Plus, this book has some very nice artwork completing the overall look of the story. Simple but beautiful.
Plus, this book has some very nice artwork completing the overall look of the story. Simple but beautiful.
March 21, 2014
“Lon Po Po” is a Caldecott Medal winning book by Ed Young that is a remake of Brothers Grimm’s classic “Red Riding Hood,” only this time, there are three sisters who outwit a cunning wolf in this tale. “Lon Po Po” may be a bit too scary for smaller children because of the images, but older children will easily love this story that is full of mystery and suspense.
Ed Young has done a great job at writing and illustrating this old Chinese folktale about how three sisters outwit a cunning and frightening wolf. The writing is brief, as there is only one paragraph on each page, but it is dramatic and creepy enough to scare small children as the writing gets intense whenever the wolf seems to get closer to eating the girls after he stealthily disguises himself as the grandmother to get at the girls. Ed Young’s illustrations are brilliantly beautiful and haunting at the same time as he illustrates the wolf being terrifying and mysterious as the wolf seems to appear as some kind of mist on every page to imply that he is some sort of evil spirit.
Parents should know that there are some scary images in this book, mainly the images of the wolf himself as he is presented as some kind of mist mainly during the scenes where he enters the girls’ house and he is always in the shadows, where the audience cannot clearly see him. Parents might want to reassure their children about the dangers of letting in strangers in one’s house and they may want to read this book before they read it to their child to see if their child can handle the scary images presented in this book.
“Lon Po Po” is a great story for children who love Chinese folktales and love listening to stories that has a horror theme. I would recommend this book to children ages six and up since the images of the wolf looking mysterious and menacing might scare smaller children.
Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog
September 18, 2018
I've found my favourite version of Little Red Riding Hood! This one is Chinese, and had me laughing myself into a bellyache with the wickedly clever counter-schemes by the little girls to outsmart the Big Bad Wolf.
Like the Western version we're familiar with, there's a mother fretting over an ailing grandmother, a need to go visit said granny, and the wolf disguising himself as the old woman in hopes of getting a tasty meal. There's even the Grandmother, what big teeth you have! question and answer tug-o'-war between wolf and girls. But in the Eastern version, Little Red isn't one but three girls close in age, which are left home alone and have to deal alone with the lupine threat. The way they do it is very hilarious, and heartwarming. Those who weren't fond of the Woodsman barging in to separate Red from the wolf via axe in the Perrault/Grimms version will love the outcome in Lon Po Po, which is entirely on the girls' resourcefulness, and that reminded me a bit of the Three Little Pigs tale.
Like the Western version we're familiar with, there's a mother fretting over an ailing grandmother, a need to go visit said granny, and the wolf disguising himself as the old woman in hopes of getting a tasty meal. There's even the Grandmother, what big teeth you have! question and answer tug-o'-war between wolf and girls. But in the Eastern version, Little Red isn't one but three girls close in age, which are left home alone and have to deal alone with the lupine threat. The way they do it is very hilarious, and heartwarming. Those who weren't fond of the Woodsman barging in to separate Red from the wolf via axe in the Perrault/Grimms version will love the outcome in Lon Po Po, which is entirely on the girls' resourcefulness, and that reminded me a bit of the Three Little Pigs tale.
April 20, 2018
I have very much enjoyed both narrative and accompanying illustrations of this Red Riding Hood type of tale from China, how the three sisters are able to outsmart and later kill the "big bad wolf" by subterfuge, and by specifically focusing and playing on the latter's greediness and gluttony. Author/illustrator Ed Young's water colours and pastels evocatively and expressively provide a perfect physical and atmospheric mirror of and to the text, with just enough creepiness to mildly frighten (although very sensitive children might well have a possibly stronger reaction). But that being said, and taking nothing away from my appreciation of text and images, I have also never found these types of stories all that enjoyable in and of themselves, as I personally do happen to really like wolves (and consider their generally horrible reputation in culture and lore one of the main reasons why they are now so critically endangered in many if not actually even most areas of the world).
However, Lon Po Po is actually (or at least it seems so to me) not ONLY a Red Riding Hood type of folktale, but also has similarities (and actually in my opinion, considerably stronger similarities) to the tale of the wolf and the seven little kids (Der Wolf und die Sieben Geißlein), as it appears in Grimm's Kinder- und Hausmärchen, a cautionary story, where a mother goat leaves the children home alone, and a hungry, nasty wolf gains entrance by using a number of disguises to appear and sound like the mother goat. For me, Lon Po Po is thus only very much partially a Red Riding Hood type of tale, as the wolf gaining entrance to the house by pretending to be the grandmother is truly much more similar to the wolf and the seven little kids type of folktale types. But I guess the latter is not nearly as popular as Red Riding Hood (and is thus also not as well known, especially in North America).
And with this salient fact in mind, I am actually rather massively disappointed that Ed Young has NOT provided an author's note on the genesis (and history) of his Lon Po Po. The fact that this tale actually feels more like a Wolf and the Seven Little Kids folklore variant is more of a personal consideration and observation, but according to Wikipedia, in the original Chinese tale, there were actually NOT three sisters, just ONE single girl left home alone, and really, Ed Young should have at least acknowledged this fact and that he had changed this in his adaptation (and also why).
However, Lon Po Po is actually (or at least it seems so to me) not ONLY a Red Riding Hood type of folktale, but also has similarities (and actually in my opinion, considerably stronger similarities) to the tale of the wolf and the seven little kids (Der Wolf und die Sieben Geißlein), as it appears in Grimm's Kinder- und Hausmärchen, a cautionary story, where a mother goat leaves the children home alone, and a hungry, nasty wolf gains entrance by using a number of disguises to appear and sound like the mother goat. For me, Lon Po Po is thus only very much partially a Red Riding Hood type of tale, as the wolf gaining entrance to the house by pretending to be the grandmother is truly much more similar to the wolf and the seven little kids type of folktale types. But I guess the latter is not nearly as popular as Red Riding Hood (and is thus also not as well known, especially in North America).
And with this salient fact in mind, I am actually rather massively disappointed that Ed Young has NOT provided an author's note on the genesis (and history) of his Lon Po Po. The fact that this tale actually feels more like a Wolf and the Seven Little Kids folklore variant is more of a personal consideration and observation, but according to Wikipedia, in the original Chinese tale, there were actually NOT three sisters, just ONE single girl left home alone, and really, Ed Young should have at least acknowledged this fact and that he had changed this in his adaptation (and also why).
April 5, 2020
3.5 stars. A nice retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. Lovely illustrations and and enjoyable to see a Chinese version of this well loved tale.
Read on open library.
Read on open library.
September 24, 2013
Lon Po Po is another book I wanted to check out because it made the Top 20 Most Beautiful Children’s Books list. I love the creepy wolf on the cover. I think Ed Young loves wolves too because he puts a dedication at the beginning of the book.
To all the wolves of the world
for lending their good name
as a tangible symbol
for our darkness
This is an old Chinese folk tale called Granny Wolf. The illustration is excellent, and I loved the old world feeling the book had. Lon Po Po may be bit too creepy for very young children, but older ones will probably enjoy it.
To all the wolves of the world
for lending their good name
as a tangible symbol
for our darkness
This is an old Chinese folk tale called Granny Wolf. The illustration is excellent, and I loved the old world feeling the book had. Lon Po Po may be bit too creepy for very young children, but older ones will probably enjoy it.
November 25, 2024
I particularly like the dedication page, in which Young creates an image that is both man and wolf, and is written:
"To all the wolves of the world
for lending their good name
as a tangible symbol
for our darkness."
The stuff of nightmares. Children must be stronger and braver than I, if they can handle this book, these images. Yes, it has a happy ending, but goodness.
"To all the wolves of the world
for lending their good name
as a tangible symbol
for our darkness."
The stuff of nightmares. Children must be stronger and braver than I, if they can handle this book, these images. Yes, it has a happy ending, but goodness.
April 5, 2020
When Shang, Tao and Paotze's mother leaves to visit their Po Po, or grandmother, she warns the three girls not to let anyone into the house. But a crafty wolf, observing her departure, soon presents himself at the door, masquerading as Po Po. When the sisters find themselves literally in bed with the wolf, they soon realize that they aren't snuggling up to Granny! But what can they do...?
This Chinese variant of Little Red Riding Hood sees the wolf coming to the girl(s), rather than the other way around, and features a much less passive heroine than can be found in the Grimms. Oldest sister Shang can't afford to wait for a woodcutter to happen by, and rescue her - she knows that she must act, in order to protect Tao and Paotze! Ed Young's illustrations - which won him a Caldecott Medal - perfectly capture the eerie quality of this tale, and its rather gruesome conclusion.
This is a real folktale, ably presented by Young, and readers both young and old should be aware that it has teeth! Very sensitive children may find it too frightening. But for those who relish a scary story, Lon Po Po fits the bill, while also providing an excellent example of comparative folklore, and the connections between cultures. Highly, highly recommended! Even the dedication - "To all the wolves of the world for lending their good name as tangible symbol for our darkness" - (which my goodreads friend Chandra also mentioned) is fabulous!
This Chinese variant of Little Red Riding Hood sees the wolf coming to the girl(s), rather than the other way around, and features a much less passive heroine than can be found in the Grimms. Oldest sister Shang can't afford to wait for a woodcutter to happen by, and rescue her - she knows that she must act, in order to protect Tao and Paotze! Ed Young's illustrations - which won him a Caldecott Medal - perfectly capture the eerie quality of this tale, and its rather gruesome conclusion.
This is a real folktale, ably presented by Young, and readers both young and old should be aware that it has teeth! Very sensitive children may find it too frightening. But for those who relish a scary story, Lon Po Po fits the bill, while also providing an excellent example of comparative folklore, and the connections between cultures. Highly, highly recommended! Even the dedication - "To all the wolves of the world for lending their good name as tangible symbol for our darkness" - (which my goodreads friend Chandra also mentioned) is fabulous!
October 5, 2017
I remembered this as a very scary book, which I think was read to me at some point during elementary school. As an adult, I wasn’t nearly as disturbed by it, but the illustrations still gave me that creepy vibe. I was especially impressed by the illustrator’s use of eyes to convey emotions such as fear and curiosity. I also think it would be a good book for helping kids overcome their fears. The three children in the story are able to trick and defeat a nasty wolf without any adult intervention, which creates a sense of empowerment, as well as relief. I also really recommend this book to teachers whose classes are studying fairy tale variations from different countries.
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September 2, 2016Another book I read to my daughter when she was little. Liked it and remember the artwork being perfect for the mood and retelling of this children's classic. No rating due to this being read so long ago.
June 3, 2018
This is a unique version of "Little Red Riding Hood," where the wolf comes to visit the little girls while their Mom is visiting Grandma (or "Po Po").
It is an interesting story, and although it might be a little scary for our girls, they really liked it. It's a wonderful book to read aloud at storytime. Great illustrations!
Mar 2012 update: We watched this story on DVD as part of Scholastic's Storybook Treasures. The story is not truly animated, but the illustrations are shown with various zooming techniques throughout as it is narrated by B.D. Wong.
Our girls didn't remember this story, since we read it more than three years ago, so we really enjoyed watching it together.
This tale was selected as one of the books for the July 2016- Quarterly Caldecott discussion at the Picture-Book Club in the Children's Books Group here at Goodreads.
This book was also selected as one of the books for the May 2018 - Boston Globe-Horn Book Picture Book Award Winners 1983-1990 discussion at the Picture-Book Club in the Children's Books Group here at Goodreads.
It is an interesting story, and although it might be a little scary for our girls, they really liked it. It's a wonderful book to read aloud at storytime. Great illustrations!
Mar 2012 update: We watched this story on DVD as part of Scholastic's Storybook Treasures. The story is not truly animated, but the illustrations are shown with various zooming techniques throughout as it is narrated by B.D. Wong.
Our girls didn't remember this story, since we read it more than three years ago, so we really enjoyed watching it together.
This tale was selected as one of the books for the July 2016- Quarterly Caldecott discussion at the Picture-Book Club in the Children's Books Group here at Goodreads.
This book was also selected as one of the books for the May 2018 - Boston Globe-Horn Book Picture Book Award Winners 1983-1990 discussion at the Picture-Book Club in the Children's Books Group here at Goodreads.
May 2, 2017
The most wonderful book that a child, and also any other individual could read. The ending was exquisite and I do like wolves! My father always read fairy tales to me and it certainly brings back wonderful memories of a bygone era... My... the delights of childhood and bravo here particularly.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 29, 2010
I gave this book a 4 star rating. Lon Po Po won a Caldecott medal in 1990. The illustrations combine ancient Chinese panel art with contemporary watercolors and pastels. The reading level of this book is appropriate for children aged 4-8, but can be enjoyed as a read aloud with younger children and as a trip down memory lane for older readers. However, reader be warned, it is slightly morbid.
Lon Po Po is a red riding hood story from China. It fits into both the multicultural and traditional categories of literature. Po Po is the name that the three grandchildren, Shang, Tao and Paotze call their grandmother. And Lon Po Po means granny wolf. The story follows the traditional pattern of red riding hood. The mother leaves the children alone, so that she can visit her mother, and while she is away the wolf comes to their door claiming to be their grandmother. The wolf says that his voice is lower because he has a cold and they let him in—in the dark. While he is lying in bed with the children, he continues to make excuses for his foot having a bush on it, and his hand having thorns on it (a variation on big eyes and sharp teeth). Shang, the eldest and most clever, is suspicious and lights a candle, which the wolf quickly blows out again. Even though it was lit for only a moment, she sees the wolf. Next, she decides to tempt the wolf with gingko. All of the children climb the gingko tree to get away from the wolf. They convince the wolf that gingko is only magical if it is plucked from the tree by the person eating it. But the wolf says that he is too old to climb the tree, so Shang tells him that the children will help him by hoisting him up inside of a basket. It ends well for the children, but not so for the wolf.
This book would be useful when teaching fairytales, especially along with a collection of red riding hood tales from various cultures. This type of study would also lend itself nicely to teaching comparison and contrast of various cultures’ take on a classic tale.
Lon Po Po is a red riding hood story from China. It fits into both the multicultural and traditional categories of literature. Po Po is the name that the three grandchildren, Shang, Tao and Paotze call their grandmother. And Lon Po Po means granny wolf. The story follows the traditional pattern of red riding hood. The mother leaves the children alone, so that she can visit her mother, and while she is away the wolf comes to their door claiming to be their grandmother. The wolf says that his voice is lower because he has a cold and they let him in—in the dark. While he is lying in bed with the children, he continues to make excuses for his foot having a bush on it, and his hand having thorns on it (a variation on big eyes and sharp teeth). Shang, the eldest and most clever, is suspicious and lights a candle, which the wolf quickly blows out again. Even though it was lit for only a moment, she sees the wolf. Next, she decides to tempt the wolf with gingko. All of the children climb the gingko tree to get away from the wolf. They convince the wolf that gingko is only magical if it is plucked from the tree by the person eating it. But the wolf says that he is too old to climb the tree, so Shang tells him that the children will help him by hoisting him up inside of a basket. It ends well for the children, but not so for the wolf.
This book would be useful when teaching fairytales, especially along with a collection of red riding hood tales from various cultures. This type of study would also lend itself nicely to teaching comparison and contrast of various cultures’ take on a classic tale.
October 1, 2009
This is a version of the "The Little Red Riding Hood" from China about three siblings whose mother leaves to visit their grandmother. This book is a 1990 Caldecott Medal winner. The wolf sees the mother leave and approaches the house pretending to be the grandmother. In the end, the children out smart the wolf by tricking him into climbing a tree with them. The wolf falls to his death and the children return safely to their home. Upon their mother's return they enlighten her about how they escaped the wolf.
I feel that this book would be an excellent option for doing a genre study or a compare/contrast activity. I think young students would really enjoy discussing the similarities and differences between this story and the traditional story of "Little Red Riding Hood." It also comes to us from another country which provides an opportunity for a cultural connection. Lastly, I would like to mention the illustrations in this book. They seem to represent Chinese artwork as they are panels of illustrations on each page instead of one solid drawing or painting. The illustrations do a great job of making the reader connect with the characters and better understand their feelings. I would definitely recommend this book to both primary and intermediate elementary school teachers.
I feel that this book would be an excellent option for doing a genre study or a compare/contrast activity. I think young students would really enjoy discussing the similarities and differences between this story and the traditional story of "Little Red Riding Hood." It also comes to us from another country which provides an opportunity for a cultural connection. Lastly, I would like to mention the illustrations in this book. They seem to represent Chinese artwork as they are panels of illustrations on each page instead of one solid drawing or painting. The illustrations do a great job of making the reader connect with the characters and better understand their feelings. I would definitely recommend this book to both primary and intermediate elementary school teachers.
March 8, 2013
Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story from China by Ed Young is a folklore book. The book won the Randolph Caldecott medal in 1990. The age group this book is intended for is primary to intermediate. The book is about a wolf trying to fool children, but in the end the children fooled and killed him.
The book takes on the theme of good versus bad. The children were tricked by the evil wolf; but once they figured out it was the wolf, they tricked the wolf. The book showed cultural aspects, such as the grandmother being called “Po Po.” The illustrations filled the page and were kind of mysterious and, definitely, gave a dangerous and dark feeling about the wolf. It showed the emotions of the children being a little weary. I think this is a good book for young readers because I feel the mysterious illustrations will hold the children’s attention, as well as, the story keeping you in suspense of what will happen next. The good versus bad theme can always keep children on the edge of their seats and guessing what will happen next. For the classroom, it can be a good read-a-loud book, and during the reading, the teacher can ask the children what is going to happen next and make them think while listening to the story.
The book takes on the theme of good versus bad. The children were tricked by the evil wolf; but once they figured out it was the wolf, they tricked the wolf. The book showed cultural aspects, such as the grandmother being called “Po Po.” The illustrations filled the page and were kind of mysterious and, definitely, gave a dangerous and dark feeling about the wolf. It showed the emotions of the children being a little weary. I think this is a good book for young readers because I feel the mysterious illustrations will hold the children’s attention, as well as, the story keeping you in suspense of what will happen next. The good versus bad theme can always keep children on the edge of their seats and guessing what will happen next. For the classroom, it can be a good read-a-loud book, and during the reading, the teacher can ask the children what is going to happen next and make them think while listening to the story.
June 27, 2017
Lon Po Po, which means “granny wolf” in Chinese, is the Chinese retelling of the classic Little Red Riding Hood fairy tale. A mother leaves her three daughters—Shang, Tao, and Paotze—home alone when she sets out to visit their grandmother. The wolf dresses up as the grandmother and gains entrance to the family home soon thereafter. When the girls realize the wolf is not their grandmother, they use the lure of gingko nuts to trick the gluttonous wolf, allowing them to climb the gingko tree. Telling the wolf that they will pull him up in a basket, the girls haul him up to the top and then let go, dropping the wolf to his death. The girls wait for their mother to come home and tell her what happened with the wolf.
Both versions of the fairy tale teach the reader a valuable lesson about the potential dangers of the world. Just like in the classic Little Red Riding Hood, the children are smart enough to realize that the wolf is not their grandmother. However, in the traditional fairy tale, Little Red Riding Hood appears dependent, even helpless. In this Asian fairy tale, the girls help themselves! Such positive female role models are rarely seen in traditional fairy tales.
Both versions of the fairy tale teach the reader a valuable lesson about the potential dangers of the world. Just like in the classic Little Red Riding Hood, the children are smart enough to realize that the wolf is not their grandmother. However, in the traditional fairy tale, Little Red Riding Hood appears dependent, even helpless. In this Asian fairy tale, the girls help themselves! Such positive female role models are rarely seen in traditional fairy tales.
December 4, 2020
Beautifully illustrated, with hazy, almost abstract watercolors picked out by pastel detailing in improbable muted rainbows of fur and leaves. The panels which divide the pages add back narrative progression and build effective vignettes. I love red riding hood, and was familiar with the content of similar East Asian tales, but reading one as a story rather than summary is a different experience and I'm glad for it. If iconic imagery is absent, that's also true of pre-17th century antecedents to the European version, and the dialog between daughter(s) and wolf-grandmother and the wily problem-solving is familiar--and centralized, to engaging effect.
This also has a fantastic dedication--"To all the wolves of the world for lending their good name as a tangible symbol of our darkness" (over a figure legible both as wolf and human)--which, I confess, I may love most of all.
This also has a fantastic dedication--"To all the wolves of the world for lending their good name as a tangible symbol of our darkness" (over a figure legible both as wolf and human)--which, I confess, I may love most of all.
October 5, 2009
This Chinese version of Little Red Riding Hood provides a direct contrast to the original Grimm version--the teacher in me could envision the Venn Diagrams straight away! While the wolf antagonist, theme of caution, and children's observation skills remains the same, most other points differ. In this version, the mother leaves to visit the grandmother, the wolf comes to the children's home, the children outsmart the wolf and save themselves. The author and illustrator, Ed Young, born and raised in China, appears to bring elements of authentic Chinese visual artistry to this Chinese tale. The illustration format likens to Chinese panel art. The watercolor and pastel pictures are rich and haunting. This version--both visually and plot-wise-- unfolds beautifully.
April 9, 2017
The story is a traditional Chinese tale, somewhat akin to Red Riding Hood. The children remain at home, however, while their mother leaves to go visit their grandmother. The wolf tricks them into opening the door, but they children outsmart the wolf.
It's a timeless lesson about heeding warnings, and obeying the instructions of your elders. But I really like the way these three young girls get the best of the bad wolf! They are brave and clever.
Young’s beautiful illustrations support and enhance the story. I particularly liked the way the wolf was “disguised” with vague water color images, and the expressions he gave to the girls
It's a timeless lesson about heeding warnings, and obeying the instructions of your elders. But I really like the way these three young girls get the best of the bad wolf! They are brave and clever.
Young’s beautiful illustrations support and enhance the story. I particularly liked the way the wolf was “disguised” with vague water color images, and the expressions he gave to the girls
October 1, 2008
This is a Chinese fairy tale. A mother leaves her three daughters alone and a wolf visits them pretending to be their Po Po (Grandmother). After thinking it is their granny, one of them catches a glimpse of the wolf's face. They then trick the wolf and the wolf ends up dying. Their mother comes homes and they live happily ever after.
The illustrations are dreamy and quity scary.
A funny story: My son looked at the picture with three daughters and said, "But in China, they're only supposed to have one child." Whoops!
The illustrations are dreamy and quity scary.
A funny story: My son looked at the picture with three daughters and said, "But in China, they're only supposed to have one child." Whoops!
July 5, 2008
The pictures are a little too vague and skimpy for a good readaloud, but this Chinese story is great and can be used to compare and contrast with the traditional "Little Red Riding Hood".
April 4, 2016
The Caldecott Medal Winner of the year 1990 was a variety of the famous fairytale of Red. But for this Chinese version, there are three sisters, the oldest Shang, the middle one Tao, and the youngest Paotze, who are left by the mother alone at home overnight. She gave the girls strict instructions to behave and latch the door when she left. The sisters followed their mother instructions, but a wolf that lived nearby saw the mother leave and decided to pay the girls a visit. Dressed as the sisters’ grandmother, Po Po in Chinese, she knocks on the door trying to gain the girls trust and go inside. Once inside, the wolf blows the candle so that the girls cannot see, for they will know that is not their Po Po. The wolf then yawns and feign sleep, in order to get in bed and eat the children soon. Shang, the oldest, wax very astute and noticed the furry tale of the wolf and lighted a candle. The wolf blew it too, but not before Shang got a good look. She offered the wolf some gingko nuts that had curative powers, but to eat them, they had to climb the tree. Since the wolf was pretending to be an old lady asked the dear girls to pick some for it. On top of the tree, Shang explained to her sisters what was happening and told them her plan to lure out the wolf and hurt it. They told the wolf to get a basket and rope from inside the house, so that the wolf could go up on the tree to eat the miraculous nuts. The girls worked together to let the wolf fall and hurt itself each time. On the third try, the wolf fell from so high, that it’s heart exploded. When the girls saw it was dead, entered and latched themselves in the house and slept soundly. On the next day, their mother arrived with baskets of food from the real Po Po and they told her all about the fake one.
Like the original story, this is a book suitable for children. Although the lessons here are a bit different, for neither of the three sisters went against their mother’s orders. They were simply misled by the wolf’s claims on being their Po Po and asking for entrance with the excuse of being old, sick, and tired. With this variation of the story, children could learn from Shang quick thinking, by telling the fake Po Po that she must be so hungry, feigning hospitality even. Shang also showed a take charge attitude. When she knew something was wrong, she acted quick and protected herself and her sisters. She is also an intelligent young girl, for she did not blindly believe in the wolf, but sought out to see with her own eyes if it was telling the truth.
I enjoyed this variation of the story I know since I was a kid. It was refreshing to see an astute little girl solving the dilemma. A characteristic more often used in young adult literature, which is one the mayor characteristics. I was content to see the basic story phrases, like what sharp teeth, furry hands, and that customary dynamic between Red and the wolf. I also enjoyed the change of scenery, where instead of finding the dangerous wolf in the woods, he searched for the girls asset their home.
Like the original story, this is a book suitable for children. Although the lessons here are a bit different, for neither of the three sisters went against their mother’s orders. They were simply misled by the wolf’s claims on being their Po Po and asking for entrance with the excuse of being old, sick, and tired. With this variation of the story, children could learn from Shang quick thinking, by telling the fake Po Po that she must be so hungry, feigning hospitality even. Shang also showed a take charge attitude. When she knew something was wrong, she acted quick and protected herself and her sisters. She is also an intelligent young girl, for she did not blindly believe in the wolf, but sought out to see with her own eyes if it was telling the truth.
I enjoyed this variation of the story I know since I was a kid. It was refreshing to see an astute little girl solving the dilemma. A characteristic more often used in young adult literature, which is one the mayor characteristics. I was content to see the basic story phrases, like what sharp teeth, furry hands, and that customary dynamic between Red and the wolf. I also enjoyed the change of scenery, where instead of finding the dangerous wolf in the woods, he searched for the girls asset their home.
February 27, 2010
This is a wonderful variation of the classic, Little Red Riding Hood. Instead of one girl alone in the woods being tricked by a smart wolf, this story has three siblings at home alone. This is the Chinese version. Lon Po Po is a Caldecott Award Winner. The children in the story are home alone while their mother goes to visit their Po Po. Along comes a clever and hungry wolf who disguises himself as their Po Po. The wolf is invited in and the children entertain the thought he is their dear po po. The children are wondering why has their po po come so late, they wonder why didn’t their mother and their po po meet on their journey. The children are very intuitive to the situation. The wolf pretends to be tired from the journey. The wolf pretends like he wants to rest and blows out the candle. Shang, the eldest, tries to light the candle again, but the wolf quickly blows out the candle. Shang notices the wolf’s fur in the moments the candle was lit. Thinking quickly Shang asks if the wolf wanted some gingko nuts from the tree outside.
Once at the top of the tree Shang tells her siblings about the wolf and her plan to trick the wolf. The eager and foolish wolf falls for the children’s plan. As the children are eating the gingko nuts, they make them seem like they are the best thing in the world. The wolf wants more than anything to get to those nuts. The children tell him to the basket from the house so they can pull him up the tree. The wolf sits in the basket and Shang pulls with all her might, but oops, her little arms give way and down goes the wolf. Her siblings try and all of the children try to pull the wolf up, but oops, their little arms cannot hold up the wolf. After the falls, the wolf is not only hurt, but his heart is broken. After getting rid of the wolf, the children return to the house and wait for the mother’s return. Upon her arrival, the children greet her with the tale of their night’s adventure.
The illustrations in this book are very dark. They had a special touch to the whole theme of the story. The colors are mostly red and black. They capture the reader because they are different than the standard colorful pictures with vibrant colors.
After reading the story, I realized the lessons we must impose on our children in an early age in order to protect them. I hadn’t read Little Red Riding Hood in a while and I found this story a refreshing and thought provoking story.
Once at the top of the tree Shang tells her siblings about the wolf and her plan to trick the wolf. The eager and foolish wolf falls for the children’s plan. As the children are eating the gingko nuts, they make them seem like they are the best thing in the world. The wolf wants more than anything to get to those nuts. The children tell him to the basket from the house so they can pull him up the tree. The wolf sits in the basket and Shang pulls with all her might, but oops, her little arms give way and down goes the wolf. Her siblings try and all of the children try to pull the wolf up, but oops, their little arms cannot hold up the wolf. After the falls, the wolf is not only hurt, but his heart is broken. After getting rid of the wolf, the children return to the house and wait for the mother’s return. Upon her arrival, the children greet her with the tale of their night’s adventure.
The illustrations in this book are very dark. They had a special touch to the whole theme of the story. The colors are mostly red and black. They capture the reader because they are different than the standard colorful pictures with vibrant colors.
After reading the story, I realized the lessons we must impose on our children in an early age in order to protect them. I hadn’t read Little Red Riding Hood in a while and I found this story a refreshing and thought provoking story.
September 1, 2016
1. Lon Po Po is the story of three young sisters who are left at home alone while their mother goes to visit their grandmother "po po." When the mother leaves, a smart, cunning wolf sees and comes up with a plan to pretend to be the childrens' grandmother. The wolf knocks on the door, and the cautious children ask him many questions to see if it really is their po po. They believe him and let him in. He blows out the candles in the house so that they can not see him. They get ready for bed. While in bed they realize this is not really their grandmother, and Shang, the eldest sister, comes up with a plan to get the wolf out of the house. She tells him that the ginko nuts in the tree outside are magic and will make him live forever. The wolf claims he is too old to climb the tree, so the three children climb it and make a plan to get rid of him. The wolf becomes impatient with the children after they tell him they're only magic if he eats them straight off the tree. Tao suggests that he get a basket and rope so they can hoist him to the top of the tree to eat the nuts. Each time, they hoist him higher and higher and let the rope go, so he doesn't get them. The third time the children release the rope, the wolf falls and shatters his heart. He is now dead. The children run inside and lock the doors and go to bed. Their mother comes home the following day, and the children tell her what has happened.
2. An appropriate grade level for this book would be 1st through 3rd. It's lexile is 670. It is an interesting tale.
3. This book could be used during a lesson about comparing and contrasting. You could have the students list the similarities between this book and the other version of Little Red Riding Hood.
4. Students who enjoyed the original Little Red Riding Hood would enjoy this story as well.
5. You could use this story in a small literature circle. You could have them discuss its genre as well as its similarities to other books.
6. You could definitely use this book as a read aloud. It is entertaining and would keep the kids interested.
7. Related books would be of course Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Little Pigs, etc.
8. This book comes in many versions like ebook, audio, paperback, and hardback.
2. An appropriate grade level for this book would be 1st through 3rd. It's lexile is 670. It is an interesting tale.
3. This book could be used during a lesson about comparing and contrasting. You could have the students list the similarities between this book and the other version of Little Red Riding Hood.
4. Students who enjoyed the original Little Red Riding Hood would enjoy this story as well.
5. You could use this story in a small literature circle. You could have them discuss its genre as well as its similarities to other books.
6. You could definitely use this book as a read aloud. It is entertaining and would keep the kids interested.
7. Related books would be of course Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Little Pigs, etc.
8. This book comes in many versions like ebook, audio, paperback, and hardback.
December 1, 2022
1990 Caldecott winner. This is a Chinese adaptation of Little Red-Riding Hood. I liked the subtlety of the pictures. The big bad wolf was slightly scary, but rendered just right to not badly scare the kids reading this book. Nice twist to outwitting the wolf.
Kids will want to read this 'again'.
4.75 water-color art-work, 3.5 story too copied from traditional red riding hood
This made me want to see what wolves looked like in China
From wiki. Picture looks like the 'wolf' I typically expected.
"The Eurasian wolf, which is found in all of mainland china save for the islands in the south china and eastern china sea"
Kids will want to read this 'again'.
4.75 water-color art-work, 3.5 story too copied from traditional red riding hood
This made me want to see what wolves looked like in China
From wiki. Picture looks like the 'wolf' I typically expected.
"The Eurasian wolf, which is found in all of mainland china save for the islands in the south china and eastern china sea"
September 2, 2016
Caldecott Medal (1990)
The pictures are the best part of this book, while the story itself is not very interesting at all.
The pictures are the best part of this book, while the story itself is not very interesting at all.
March 30, 2020
Interesting take on the big bad wolf and grandma story. Beautiful illustrations and prose made for an enjoyable read.
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