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Wily Wolf
Beware of Boys
When a hungry wolf meets a young boy he knows exactly what he wants for supper! But the boy has a very clever plan and suggests some very special and delicious recipes - like Boy Soup, Boy Cake, and Boy Pie. Soon the greedy wolf is running round trying to find all the ingredients - with hilarious results!
32 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1991
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews
October 2, 2012
This was a very enjoyable book that I feel children will engage with.
The fairy tale leads you through the story with a boy who gets captured by a wolf. However the boy cleverly distracts the wolf from eating him straight away by suggesting he makes a soup. Unfortunately for the wolf, he forgets the salt but the boy describes another recipe that will taste just as good, boy pie. The wolf collects all the ingredients for boy pie but once again he forgets the salt. The wolf starts to get a little annoyed with the boy now but he distracts the wolf once again with the recipe for boy cake. Needless to say this recipe didn’t go to plan either as the wolf forgot the salt! The boy goes home to his mum to explain his adventure while the wolf feels sorry for himself and very hungry!
This book would be ideal for year three as part of a guided reading session. Different types of questions can be asked to determine the language comprehension the children have as well as building up their vocabulary. The illustrations are also ideal to help EAL children with common vocabulary highlighted in the ingredients.
The fairy tale leads you through the story with a boy who gets captured by a wolf. However the boy cleverly distracts the wolf from eating him straight away by suggesting he makes a soup. Unfortunately for the wolf, he forgets the salt but the boy describes another recipe that will taste just as good, boy pie. The wolf collects all the ingredients for boy pie but once again he forgets the salt. The wolf starts to get a little annoyed with the boy now but he distracts the wolf once again with the recipe for boy cake. Needless to say this recipe didn’t go to plan either as the wolf forgot the salt! The boy goes home to his mum to explain his adventure while the wolf feels sorry for himself and very hungry!
This book would be ideal for year three as part of a guided reading session. Different types of questions can be asked to determine the language comprehension the children have as well as building up their vocabulary. The illustrations are also ideal to help EAL children with common vocabulary highlighted in the ingredients.
April 9, 2021
I really enjoyed reading this amusing little book, beautifully illustrated and with such a fun story. Children will love it.
December 18, 2012
Beware of Boys – Tony Blundell
When a boy is met by a hungry wolf and is promptly taken back to his cave there is only one likely outcome. Naturally that is what you would think but as the title suggests, small boys should be treated with caution. As the story unfolds the calm and cunning boy plays on the wolf’s desire not just to assuage his hunger but to have a lovely meal to boot. Conjuring up elaborate boy flavoured meals with a vast array of ingredients, the small boy takes the wolf’s eyes off his prize of a hearty meal. It all comes to comic and clever conclusion showing once again that brains can outdo brawn in all the oldest traditions.
Blundell hooks readers into his modern fairy tale jumping straight in at the point of capture. He writes with witty prose which is sophisticated enough to interest adults but independently manageable for children from the ages of seven to nine years of age. The illustrations capture the light nature of the book and add significant meaning to the story as it unfolds prompting responses and setting the tone. They also support aspects of the tale as it unfolds, for example repeating themselves at the points of written repetition. The writing also follows some of the basic formulas for creating a fairy tale by having a clear beginning, middle and end as well as having three sections of repetition in the main body.
The story could be used as a basis for investigation into the use of characters and plot in stories and how they relate to each other. For example, if other, familiar fairy tale characters were put in this story, how might they react differently and how might the story change or develop differently. Alternatively, were the boy or the wolf to be put in other well known stories or situations, students could consider how they might cope or react to change those story outcomes.
Equally, there are opportunities to explore the writing of instructions or directions given some of the interesting recipe suggestions in the story, "Place the boy in a warm room and allow to watch television.… Carefully add the bicycle”. This could look at form, complexity and varying types of instructions or directions. Children could pick a subject and write instructions both seriously and then more like those in the book. In a different take on this, children could give each other verbal directions and act out what each other say. This could be done in first by developing their ideas in groups or pairs and then delivering them to the class or other groups or pairs.
In art there could be opportunities to explore how different sections of the book could be represented to change the overall meaning. For example, if the boy were to be portrayed as scared at the beginning when being taken away or if the artwork were to be less cartoon in its nature and more realistic.
In addition, Beware of Boys could be used as a starting point for discussion on who was really the victim in the story as the boy is calm throughout and clearly knows what he is doing from the beginning. This could lead to a PSHE session on bullying not always being physical, that it can also be through manipulation or taking advantage of people.
When a boy is met by a hungry wolf and is promptly taken back to his cave there is only one likely outcome. Naturally that is what you would think but as the title suggests, small boys should be treated with caution. As the story unfolds the calm and cunning boy plays on the wolf’s desire not just to assuage his hunger but to have a lovely meal to boot. Conjuring up elaborate boy flavoured meals with a vast array of ingredients, the small boy takes the wolf’s eyes off his prize of a hearty meal. It all comes to comic and clever conclusion showing once again that brains can outdo brawn in all the oldest traditions.
Blundell hooks readers into his modern fairy tale jumping straight in at the point of capture. He writes with witty prose which is sophisticated enough to interest adults but independently manageable for children from the ages of seven to nine years of age. The illustrations capture the light nature of the book and add significant meaning to the story as it unfolds prompting responses and setting the tone. They also support aspects of the tale as it unfolds, for example repeating themselves at the points of written repetition. The writing also follows some of the basic formulas for creating a fairy tale by having a clear beginning, middle and end as well as having three sections of repetition in the main body.
The story could be used as a basis for investigation into the use of characters and plot in stories and how they relate to each other. For example, if other, familiar fairy tale characters were put in this story, how might they react differently and how might the story change or develop differently. Alternatively, were the boy or the wolf to be put in other well known stories or situations, students could consider how they might cope or react to change those story outcomes.
Equally, there are opportunities to explore the writing of instructions or directions given some of the interesting recipe suggestions in the story, "Place the boy in a warm room and allow to watch television.… Carefully add the bicycle”. This could look at form, complexity and varying types of instructions or directions. Children could pick a subject and write instructions both seriously and then more like those in the book. In a different take on this, children could give each other verbal directions and act out what each other say. This could be done in first by developing their ideas in groups or pairs and then delivering them to the class or other groups or pairs.
In art there could be opportunities to explore how different sections of the book could be represented to change the overall meaning. For example, if the boy were to be portrayed as scared at the beginning when being taken away or if the artwork were to be less cartoon in its nature and more realistic.
In addition, Beware of Boys could be used as a starting point for discussion on who was really the victim in the story as the boy is calm throughout and clearly knows what he is doing from the beginning. This could lead to a PSHE session on bullying not always being physical, that it can also be through manipulation or taking advantage of people.
October 7, 2012
When a hungry wolf meets a young boy he knows exactly what he wants for supper! He captures the boy but the boy has a very clever plan and suggests some special and delicious recipes - like Boy Soup, Boy Cake, and Boy Pie. Soon the greedy wolf is running round trying to find all the ingredients - with hilarious results. The book arrives at a very satisfying conclusion where by the end, the wolf is exhausted and collapses under a pile of ingredients. The boy happily bikes home to his mother, where he presents her with a bouquet of daffodils. He then sits down to a delicious meal that his mother has lovingly prepared for him.
The book is intelligently written and illustrated because both characters are portrayed to have strong personalities. The boy is cheerful and confident, while the boy-eating wolf is greedy but stupid. "Raw?" asks the boy, about the wolf's menu preparations. And the wolf obliges by roaring - because he had misunderstood the question. Also, throughout the entire book the boy is always smiling and the wolf is mainly looking confused, tired and impatient.
The recipes are funny, with lively illustrations of the strange ingredients, and also unusual instructions. Here is an example, "Place the boy in a warm room and allow to watch television.… Carefully add the bicycle, sand, and daffodils… If it rains, stand in the outhouse… Sit on the barrel of bricks and stir with the trowl until Thursday."
This book could be aimed at Key Stage 1 and also Key Stage 2. They would need direction of the book and also a clear understanding of the the writing styles. It is a trickster book which children find exciting to read. They will like the fact that the young boy is clever and able to mock the wolf. They will also enjoy the vibrant and comical illustrations which express so much of the story itself to the extent where a child will be able to recognise what may happen next. They also show different emotions portrayed between both characters such as being cheerful, tired, confused, sad and silly. The story of this book could be told by children themselves through role play; this keeps them active, engaged and interested in literacy lessons. Role play of stories is an effective aid which contributes in building confidence in the child and allows exploration of different expressions, emotions and feelings. Another activity which could be used to enhance a child's writing skills and develop their vocabulary further is by asking them to write their own recipes for Boy Soup, Boy Cake and Boy Pie. This activity can be done in groups or to make assessing the level the child is at, it may be easier to do it individually. If used for guided reading, there are a broad range of activities which can be thought of allowing a teacher to be creative in her teaching methods.
I really enjoyed reading this book; I found it to be a very intelligent but at the same time, comical and exciting read. My favourite part of the book is right at the end, where it states, "Moral of the Story - Do not forget the Salt."
The book is intelligently written and illustrated because both characters are portrayed to have strong personalities. The boy is cheerful and confident, while the boy-eating wolf is greedy but stupid. "Raw?" asks the boy, about the wolf's menu preparations. And the wolf obliges by roaring - because he had misunderstood the question. Also, throughout the entire book the boy is always smiling and the wolf is mainly looking confused, tired and impatient.
The recipes are funny, with lively illustrations of the strange ingredients, and also unusual instructions. Here is an example, "Place the boy in a warm room and allow to watch television.… Carefully add the bicycle, sand, and daffodils… If it rains, stand in the outhouse… Sit on the barrel of bricks and stir with the trowl until Thursday."
This book could be aimed at Key Stage 1 and also Key Stage 2. They would need direction of the book and also a clear understanding of the the writing styles. It is a trickster book which children find exciting to read. They will like the fact that the young boy is clever and able to mock the wolf. They will also enjoy the vibrant and comical illustrations which express so much of the story itself to the extent where a child will be able to recognise what may happen next. They also show different emotions portrayed between both characters such as being cheerful, tired, confused, sad and silly. The story of this book could be told by children themselves through role play; this keeps them active, engaged and interested in literacy lessons. Role play of stories is an effective aid which contributes in building confidence in the child and allows exploration of different expressions, emotions and feelings. Another activity which could be used to enhance a child's writing skills and develop their vocabulary further is by asking them to write their own recipes for Boy Soup, Boy Cake and Boy Pie. This activity can be done in groups or to make assessing the level the child is at, it may be easier to do it individually. If used for guided reading, there are a broad range of activities which can be thought of allowing a teacher to be creative in her teaching methods.
I really enjoyed reading this book; I found it to be a very intelligent but at the same time, comical and exciting read. My favourite part of the book is right at the end, where it states, "Moral of the Story - Do not forget the Salt."
November 27, 2011
Book Review
‘Beware of the Boys’ by Tony Blundell
‘Beware of Boys’ written by Tony Blundell tells the story of a small boy’s adventure after he is captured by a wolf. The wolf takes him back to his cave to eat him. The boy cleverly manages to trick the wolf into not eating him by suggesting new and exciting recipes for the wolf to try. Predictably he manages to escape from the wolf and is back home in time for dinner.
There are only two characters throughout the book, the wolf and the boy. The book focuses on their developing relationship and the interactions between them. They are both portrayed in a stereotypical way with the boy being seen as clever, brave and undaunted by the frightening wolf whilst the hungry and rather stupid wolf is depicted as easily fooled. The often challenging, yet informal, conversational language between the boy and the wolf uses repetition and alliteration. The boy introduces new recipes ‘Boy Soup, Boy Pie, and ‘Boy Cake’ using a similar format through-out, with the wolf desperately trying to find the increasingly odd ingredients. The ingredients are described in quantities using alliteration ‘ barrel of bricks, ‘oodle of onions’ but in the end the wolf always forgets the salt. The book contains humour which would certainly appeal to the young KS1 reader. At the end of the book a picture of the hapless and deluded wolf trapped alone in his cave underlines the main message of the story as ‘good wins out’ with the baddie receiving his just deserts. The last line of the book also helps to lift the mood ‘Never forget the salt!’
The coloured drawings throughout the book and on every page are detailed and well executed helping to illustrate the key moments. The front cover of the book is especially well drawn grabbing the reader’s attention. The recipes included in the book are all illustrated with the contents and a accompanied by a method for making the dish. The illustrations would help children who are more visual in their approach towards reading recognise and identify the ingredients. In my opinion the book could be used for a KS1 reader. The inclusion of recipes throughout the book would make an excellent cross-curricular resource for English where children could devise their own recipes. In FT children could make simple biscuits/soup/cake following a recipe and using a method.
‘Beware of the Boys’ by Tony Blundell
‘Beware of Boys’ written by Tony Blundell tells the story of a small boy’s adventure after he is captured by a wolf. The wolf takes him back to his cave to eat him. The boy cleverly manages to trick the wolf into not eating him by suggesting new and exciting recipes for the wolf to try. Predictably he manages to escape from the wolf and is back home in time for dinner.
There are only two characters throughout the book, the wolf and the boy. The book focuses on their developing relationship and the interactions between them. They are both portrayed in a stereotypical way with the boy being seen as clever, brave and undaunted by the frightening wolf whilst the hungry and rather stupid wolf is depicted as easily fooled. The often challenging, yet informal, conversational language between the boy and the wolf uses repetition and alliteration. The boy introduces new recipes ‘Boy Soup, Boy Pie, and ‘Boy Cake’ using a similar format through-out, with the wolf desperately trying to find the increasingly odd ingredients. The ingredients are described in quantities using alliteration ‘ barrel of bricks, ‘oodle of onions’ but in the end the wolf always forgets the salt. The book contains humour which would certainly appeal to the young KS1 reader. At the end of the book a picture of the hapless and deluded wolf trapped alone in his cave underlines the main message of the story as ‘good wins out’ with the baddie receiving his just deserts. The last line of the book also helps to lift the mood ‘Never forget the salt!’
The coloured drawings throughout the book and on every page are detailed and well executed helping to illustrate the key moments. The front cover of the book is especially well drawn grabbing the reader’s attention. The recipes included in the book are all illustrated with the contents and a accompanied by a method for making the dish. The illustrations would help children who are more visual in their approach towards reading recognise and identify the ingredients. In my opinion the book could be used for a KS1 reader. The inclusion of recipes throughout the book would make an excellent cross-curricular resource for English where children could devise their own recipes. In FT children could make simple biscuits/soup/cake following a recipe and using a method.
September 29, 2015
Beware of Boys is about a stupid wolf capturing a clever and clever young boy and wanting to eat him for dinner. However the story isn’t as simple as that, as the wolf is running around finding ingredients for recipes the young boy has made up e.g. Boy Cake. The wolf doesn’t realize what the boys cunning plan was until it was too late, and the wolf learns a silly moral at the end of the story.
This book could be used between both Key Stages 1 and 2; in Key Stage 1 it would be beneficial for the children if this book is read to the children by an adult due to some of the sayings, puns and language, this will ensure that the children will be able to identify that the text has a variety of language styles and could help them comprehend them. Key Stage 1 children could be able to story sequence the book, to strengthen their knowledge on elements of a story (beginning, middle and end); the can be able to identify character recognition and be able to match the speech in the book to the characters. In Key Stage 2 this can used in independent work/guided reading; the children should have more of a comprehension to different styles of language in a text and be able to understand puns and sayings within a book. They will also be able to have prior knowledge to answer questions within guided reading within Key Stage 2.
This book can also be linked to Literacy; the children can create a recipe to use instructional language and use the recipes in the book as example.
What I loved about this book is the illustration, it is very cartoony which is what would attract and engage most children; it was fun, bright and clear, the children could even try to tell the story without the words to see how close to the story they get. Another element of the book I am attracted to is the language style, the book uses puns and plays on words during the text which for an older read is easy to identify but with younger readers, teachers might need to check that all the children understand the different phrases and puns used in the book.
This book will make you RAWWWWWWWWWW in excitement! (Read the book and you’ll understand)
This book could be used between both Key Stages 1 and 2; in Key Stage 1 it would be beneficial for the children if this book is read to the children by an adult due to some of the sayings, puns and language, this will ensure that the children will be able to identify that the text has a variety of language styles and could help them comprehend them. Key Stage 1 children could be able to story sequence the book, to strengthen their knowledge on elements of a story (beginning, middle and end); the can be able to identify character recognition and be able to match the speech in the book to the characters. In Key Stage 2 this can used in independent work/guided reading; the children should have more of a comprehension to different styles of language in a text and be able to understand puns and sayings within a book. They will also be able to have prior knowledge to answer questions within guided reading within Key Stage 2.
This book can also be linked to Literacy; the children can create a recipe to use instructional language and use the recipes in the book as example.
What I loved about this book is the illustration, it is very cartoony which is what would attract and engage most children; it was fun, bright and clear, the children could even try to tell the story without the words to see how close to the story they get. Another element of the book I am attracted to is the language style, the book uses puns and plays on words during the text which for an older read is easy to identify but with younger readers, teachers might need to check that all the children understand the different phrases and puns used in the book.
This book will make you RAWWWWWWWWWW in excitement! (Read the book and you’ll understand)
October 2, 2012
This very humorous book is about a young boy who gets captured by a 'big, bad', hungry wolf as he walks through the forest. Unlike the assumed stance a child would normally take, this young boy is very bold, witty and intelligent, and throughout the story shows how he can outsmart the wolf.
After taking the young boy to his cave in the forest, he threatens to eat the young boy, however the boy cunningly sets the wolf a number of tasks to 'help' the wolf enjoy eating him even more. He devises three recipes overall; Boy Soup, Boy Pie and Boy Cake, which all have a long demanding list of ingredients for the wolf to collect. However, on each occasion this wolf is accused of "forgetting the salt!" (which humorously is not even stated once on any of the recipes given to him by the young boy). Amidst the wolf's frustrations of being hungry and not yet being able to eat this delicious young boy, he repeatedly falls for the young boy's tricks, out of pure greed. Eventually the poor and tired wolf is worn out, and is literally overwhelmed by all of the work he has put in to the preparation of his meal. This then leads to the young boy using some of the weird and wonderful 'ingredients', to trap the 'bad' wolf in his own cave- before safely returning home to his mother just in time for supper!
I must say I throughout this book I sincerely laughed! The humour is great and the storyline's 'ridiculous-ness' is something to be acknowledged, and even praised. The story uses the conventions of a fairy tale with a twist, in that it all ends on a 'happily ever after' note and uses key concepts such as repetition.
I would recommend this book for years 2 to 4. I think for guided reading purposes as well as whole class reading, this book would be highly recommended, however I think in the guided reading context, it would be best suited to high-reading ability year 2 pupils to low-reading ability year 4 pupils.
After taking the young boy to his cave in the forest, he threatens to eat the young boy, however the boy cunningly sets the wolf a number of tasks to 'help' the wolf enjoy eating him even more. He devises three recipes overall; Boy Soup, Boy Pie and Boy Cake, which all have a long demanding list of ingredients for the wolf to collect. However, on each occasion this wolf is accused of "forgetting the salt!" (which humorously is not even stated once on any of the recipes given to him by the young boy). Amidst the wolf's frustrations of being hungry and not yet being able to eat this delicious young boy, he repeatedly falls for the young boy's tricks, out of pure greed. Eventually the poor and tired wolf is worn out, and is literally overwhelmed by all of the work he has put in to the preparation of his meal. This then leads to the young boy using some of the weird and wonderful 'ingredients', to trap the 'bad' wolf in his own cave- before safely returning home to his mother just in time for supper!
I must say I throughout this book I sincerely laughed! The humour is great and the storyline's 'ridiculous-ness' is something to be acknowledged, and even praised. The story uses the conventions of a fairy tale with a twist, in that it all ends on a 'happily ever after' note and uses key concepts such as repetition.
I would recommend this book for years 2 to 4. I think for guided reading purposes as well as whole class reading, this book would be highly recommended, however I think in the guided reading context, it would be best suited to high-reading ability year 2 pupils to low-reading ability year 4 pupils.
October 4, 2013
This is a funny adventure book suitable to read to younger children from reception up, but has an instructional level of 90-95% for years 2 to 3 on average.
It is about a young boy who goes for a walk on the woods. He is captured by a greedy and seemingly fierce wolf, whom he then manages to cleverly outwit when the beast tries to eat him.
The boy outwits him by giving him several recipes, first for boy pie, then boy cake, then boy soup. Each time he is given a recipe, the wolf runs around madly gathering many ingredients, only to be told by the boy he has forgotten the salt and given a new recipe! The wolf’s memory fails him and, each time forgetting the salt, he eventually collapses in an exhausted heap of all the ingredients he has painstakingly gathered! The boy taunts him and then returns home to his mother, boasting about his conquest. However, his mother, knowing the power of her son’s imagination, does not seem to believe him!
This is a great book for adding to children’s knowledge about the adventurous ‘traditional tales’ genre. Not quite Little Red Riding Hood, Three Little Pigs and The Boy who Cried Wolf, it sits as a crossroad between these three tales. It utilises the big bad scary wolf concept which underlies the Little Red Riding hood, the idea of the victory of the underdog which permeates the Three Little Pigs, and the ending paints a stark reminder of the Boy Who Cried Wolf’s central themes. In this way, it is usable by even upper KS2 students who could make links between these different tales. As I stated above, in guided reading terms it would be suitable for a year 2-3 class on average, but is also a story year 1 and reception would really enjoy listening to and acting out with masks if it were read to them! Finally as a writing tool, children could write the diary of the boy/wolf or use it as a springboard for writing recipes or instructional writing.
It is about a young boy who goes for a walk on the woods. He is captured by a greedy and seemingly fierce wolf, whom he then manages to cleverly outwit when the beast tries to eat him.
The boy outwits him by giving him several recipes, first for boy pie, then boy cake, then boy soup. Each time he is given a recipe, the wolf runs around madly gathering many ingredients, only to be told by the boy he has forgotten the salt and given a new recipe! The wolf’s memory fails him and, each time forgetting the salt, he eventually collapses in an exhausted heap of all the ingredients he has painstakingly gathered! The boy taunts him and then returns home to his mother, boasting about his conquest. However, his mother, knowing the power of her son’s imagination, does not seem to believe him!
This is a great book for adding to children’s knowledge about the adventurous ‘traditional tales’ genre. Not quite Little Red Riding Hood, Three Little Pigs and The Boy who Cried Wolf, it sits as a crossroad between these three tales. It utilises the big bad scary wolf concept which underlies the Little Red Riding hood, the idea of the victory of the underdog which permeates the Three Little Pigs, and the ending paints a stark reminder of the Boy Who Cried Wolf’s central themes. In this way, it is usable by even upper KS2 students who could make links between these different tales. As I stated above, in guided reading terms it would be suitable for a year 2-3 class on average, but is also a story year 1 and reception would really enjoy listening to and acting out with masks if it were read to them! Finally as a writing tool, children could write the diary of the boy/wolf or use it as a springboard for writing recipes or instructional writing.
January 10, 2013
‘Beware of Boys’ is a humorous story with an interesting twist to the classic fairy tale of wolf meets child – wolf tricks child of Little Red Riding Hood.
In the story, a devilish (and hungry) wolf captures a boy, but this smart boy manages to outwit the creature by convincing him that he would taste better in a soup, pie and cake. The wolf returns from ingredient-finding missions only to find out that he is missing something to complete the recipes. With each errand the wolf becomes increasingly tired and frustrated. From the beginning, the boy has the upper hand because he is cunning and tricks the wolf with the promises of a tastier meal. As the title suggests, it is the wolf that learns a lesson from the events in this story as the boy definitely comes out on top (I won’t divulge the ending).
‘Beware of Boys’ would be perfect for guided reading with years 2-4. It contains plenty of dialogue, which would reinforce the use of punctuation, some difficult words that would add to a child’s vocabulary, examples of clever puns, and ideas and illustrations that would create further questions and discussions. This book could also be used by older pupils within a creative writing framework. They could take an original and classic tale and adapt it to make it more modern and unconventional. I feel that children would enjoy putting their own ideas and viewpoints into creating their own twisted tales.
I read this book as part of my PGCE course and in the process of learning how it could be used in a lesson, I found myself chuckling out loud on a number of occasions enjoying the illustrations and fun storyline.
In the story, a devilish (and hungry) wolf captures a boy, but this smart boy manages to outwit the creature by convincing him that he would taste better in a soup, pie and cake. The wolf returns from ingredient-finding missions only to find out that he is missing something to complete the recipes. With each errand the wolf becomes increasingly tired and frustrated. From the beginning, the boy has the upper hand because he is cunning and tricks the wolf with the promises of a tastier meal. As the title suggests, it is the wolf that learns a lesson from the events in this story as the boy definitely comes out on top (I won’t divulge the ending).
‘Beware of Boys’ would be perfect for guided reading with years 2-4. It contains plenty of dialogue, which would reinforce the use of punctuation, some difficult words that would add to a child’s vocabulary, examples of clever puns, and ideas and illustrations that would create further questions and discussions. This book could also be used by older pupils within a creative writing framework. They could take an original and classic tale and adapt it to make it more modern and unconventional. I feel that children would enjoy putting their own ideas and viewpoints into creating their own twisted tales.
I read this book as part of my PGCE course and in the process of learning how it could be used in a lesson, I found myself chuckling out loud on a number of occasions enjoying the illustrations and fun storyline.
October 10, 2012
This hilarious fairytale tells the story of a young boy who gets captured by a wolf. However, as the title suggests, it is the wolf that has reason to be worried.
The wolf's intentions are clear from the start; he plans on eating the boy. If only it were that simple. In an attempt to save himself, the boy suggests that the wolf make 'Boy Soup'. Excited by this idea, the wolf gets a list of ingredients that he will need. Upon returning to his cave and the boy, the boy tells the wolf that he has forgotten the salt, an ingredient that was never mentioned. Clearly upset, the wolf foolishly listens to the boy describing another recipe which doesn't need salt; Boy Pie. When the wolf returned yet again from ingredient hunting, he boy informs him that he has forgotten the salt! The wolf is annoyed by this point, but is yet again distracted by the prospect of a tastier treat; Boy Cake. As expected, the wolf returns to the boy only to discover that he has forgotten the salt.
The Boy has cleverly got the wolf to get ingredients that he can use to create a wall, trapping the wolf inside his cave, clearly illustrating brain over brawn. He goes home to his mum and explains his adventure whilst sitting down for some dinner.
This book is ideal for guided reading sessions. Children can discuss the language used and the use of repetition and the effect it has. Students could also use the story for purposes of art by recreating characters or inventing their own. Taking the story further, children can discuss the moral behind the story and the real victim.
I would recommend this book for children in Key Stage 2 onwards.
The wolf's intentions are clear from the start; he plans on eating the boy. If only it were that simple. In an attempt to save himself, the boy suggests that the wolf make 'Boy Soup'. Excited by this idea, the wolf gets a list of ingredients that he will need. Upon returning to his cave and the boy, the boy tells the wolf that he has forgotten the salt, an ingredient that was never mentioned. Clearly upset, the wolf foolishly listens to the boy describing another recipe which doesn't need salt; Boy Pie. When the wolf returned yet again from ingredient hunting, he boy informs him that he has forgotten the salt! The wolf is annoyed by this point, but is yet again distracted by the prospect of a tastier treat; Boy Cake. As expected, the wolf returns to the boy only to discover that he has forgotten the salt.
The Boy has cleverly got the wolf to get ingredients that he can use to create a wall, trapping the wolf inside his cave, clearly illustrating brain over brawn. He goes home to his mum and explains his adventure whilst sitting down for some dinner.
This book is ideal for guided reading sessions. Children can discuss the language used and the use of repetition and the effect it has. Students could also use the story for purposes of art by recreating characters or inventing their own. Taking the story further, children can discuss the moral behind the story and the real victim.
I would recommend this book for children in Key Stage 2 onwards.
October 13, 2013
This book tells the tale of a young boy who goes for a walk in the woods. As he strolls through the woods, he becomes captured by a fiercely terrifying wolf. As the wolf is bigger, scarier and stronger than the him, the boy realises that he must use his intellect to outsmart and trick the wolf. The boy does so by giving the wolf recipes from which he must gather the ingredients. Each of the recipes are based around a tasty dish which the wolf could use to cook the boy in including boy pie, boy cake and boy soup. Each and every time the wolf runs around frantically gathering the ingredients, he forgets an ingredient (the salt) and is given an entirely new recipe and list of ingredients to follow. The wolf continues to forget the salt each time and eventually collapses out of sheer exhaustion in the heap of ingredients he has uselessly collected. After doing so the boy then jeers the wolf and returns home to boast to his mother about his day. The mother cannot seem to be persuaded by the verity of his tale and puts the whole story down to hear sons creative imagination!
I really enjoyed this story as I felt it was creative, imaginative and original. I felt it kept the readers attention all along with its witty story-line. I think this tale would be suitable for the higher years in Key Stage 1 and the lower years in Key Stage 2. I think this book would be a useful resource in the classroom in terms of teaching and encouraging children to develop their own ideas for creative writing. I think it could be useful in terms of teaching children how to write in an instructional form by allowing them to devise unique recipes of their own.
I really enjoyed this story as I felt it was creative, imaginative and original. I felt it kept the readers attention all along with its witty story-line. I think this tale would be suitable for the higher years in Key Stage 1 and the lower years in Key Stage 2. I think this book would be a useful resource in the classroom in terms of teaching and encouraging children to develop their own ideas for creative writing. I think it could be useful in terms of teaching children how to write in an instructional form by allowing them to devise unique recipes of their own.
October 4, 2015
Beware of boys by Tony Blundell
This book is hilarious and very engaging. It is about a hungry wolf who meets a young boy in the forest as he takes a short cut. The big bad wolf knows exactly what he intends to eat. But the boy is very witty and has a very clever plan, he suggests some very special recipes including the ‘Boy’. The boy tells the wolf of some great recipes including Boy Soup, Boy Cake and Boy Pie. The wolf falls for the little boys trick and goes to gather all the ingredients. But he always forgets the one ingredient, the salt!!! Soon the greedy wolf finds himself exhaustive and flat on the floor with the unnecessary ingredients on top of him which helps the boy escape home to his mother.
The book reinforces prior knowledge of books with similar characters to the wolf from previous books children have read. This can be used to build a description on the wolf which can be used to demonstrate the story to the children. I think this book is well suited to children in key stage 1 and key stage 2 although it may be needed to be explained further in key stage 1 as there are some difficult phrases and the use of pun although the book has excellent illustrations. The book can be used as a comprehension in English lessons and the children can recall the key points from the book which would help assess the children’s understanding. The book can also be split in three parts, before each ingredients where the children can predict what would happen next.
Overall I think this is a brilliant book which is quite comical and engaging, one that children would enjoy to read and excellent for guided reading.
This book is hilarious and very engaging. It is about a hungry wolf who meets a young boy in the forest as he takes a short cut. The big bad wolf knows exactly what he intends to eat. But the boy is very witty and has a very clever plan, he suggests some very special recipes including the ‘Boy’. The boy tells the wolf of some great recipes including Boy Soup, Boy Cake and Boy Pie. The wolf falls for the little boys trick and goes to gather all the ingredients. But he always forgets the one ingredient, the salt!!! Soon the greedy wolf finds himself exhaustive and flat on the floor with the unnecessary ingredients on top of him which helps the boy escape home to his mother.
The book reinforces prior knowledge of books with similar characters to the wolf from previous books children have read. This can be used to build a description on the wolf which can be used to demonstrate the story to the children. I think this book is well suited to children in key stage 1 and key stage 2 although it may be needed to be explained further in key stage 1 as there are some difficult phrases and the use of pun although the book has excellent illustrations. The book can be used as a comprehension in English lessons and the children can recall the key points from the book which would help assess the children’s understanding. The book can also be split in three parts, before each ingredients where the children can predict what would happen next.
Overall I think this is a brilliant book which is quite comical and engaging, one that children would enjoy to read and excellent for guided reading.
January 14, 2012
Book review of ‘Beware of Boys’ by Tony Blundell
This story is about a hungry wolf that meets a young boy and wants to eat him for supper. However, the boy has a clever plan and suggests some delicious recipes, such as Boy Soup, Boy Cake, and Boy Pie. The boy manages to succeed in his plan and makes the wolf very tired from collecting all the ingredients for his recipes. This results in the wolf being too tired to eat his supper and the boy traps the wolf in his cave and manages to escape.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book due to the fact it contained a character that was amusing and cheeky and many children might relate to him. The front page of the book is colourful and will attract children’s eyes. The illustrations inside the book are also colourful and very good to help children gain a better understanding of what is happening in the story.
This story is best suited for year 2 pupils; it contains some difficult words, tricky language features and some concepts which children might misinterpret. It is important you are aware of these, so you can focus some attention on these areas when reading the story to children. It is ideal to use this book if you were looking into speech marks or different ways of speaking with your class. An interesting feature within the book is the recipes; therefore this book could also be used for teaching features of writing instructions. Overall this is a good read and teachers could incorporate this story in various ways to aid their teaching.
This story is about a hungry wolf that meets a young boy and wants to eat him for supper. However, the boy has a clever plan and suggests some delicious recipes, such as Boy Soup, Boy Cake, and Boy Pie. The boy manages to succeed in his plan and makes the wolf very tired from collecting all the ingredients for his recipes. This results in the wolf being too tired to eat his supper and the boy traps the wolf in his cave and manages to escape.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book due to the fact it contained a character that was amusing and cheeky and many children might relate to him. The front page of the book is colourful and will attract children’s eyes. The illustrations inside the book are also colourful and very good to help children gain a better understanding of what is happening in the story.
This story is best suited for year 2 pupils; it contains some difficult words, tricky language features and some concepts which children might misinterpret. It is important you are aware of these, so you can focus some attention on these areas when reading the story to children. It is ideal to use this book if you were looking into speech marks or different ways of speaking with your class. An interesting feature within the book is the recipes; therefore this book could also be used for teaching features of writing instructions. Overall this is a good read and teachers could incorporate this story in various ways to aid their teaching.
October 5, 2012
This book is not the greatest fairytale I've ever read nor is it the worst. The main reason why I say its not the greatest piece of childhood literature I've ever seen is because the language at times can be quite colloquial.I feel this is far from ideal as most Children in the Key Stage 1 category find it difficult enough to grasp everyday words.
What this book has is beautiful illustrations which Children in Early Years and Key Stage 1 will adore. This book can be best described as an adventure story in which a boy roams into a forest, only to come across a Wolf. It soon becomes obvious that this is a very astute boy, that knows exactly how to deceive the Wolf. The boy has the ability to order the Wolf to get particular ingredients for boy soup, boy pie and boy cake. It is a rather ironic story in that the Wolf should take orders from the boy, however this is what makes the story appealing for young Children.
In terms of teaching this book in the classroom, I think there is huge opportunity. For the visual learners in the class this book will be enthralling as the pictures are wonderfully presented. The idea of instructions on how to cook receipes is a very effective tool used by Blundell. It presents the chance for Children to compile instructions or guidelines in other subject areas, such as Science on how to brush your teeth for instance. Also, I could see this book used in Key Stage 1 circle time to build oral language, for example, the children could be asked to explore how they would feel if they were the boy in the middle of the forest.
What this book has is beautiful illustrations which Children in Early Years and Key Stage 1 will adore. This book can be best described as an adventure story in which a boy roams into a forest, only to come across a Wolf. It soon becomes obvious that this is a very astute boy, that knows exactly how to deceive the Wolf. The boy has the ability to order the Wolf to get particular ingredients for boy soup, boy pie and boy cake. It is a rather ironic story in that the Wolf should take orders from the boy, however this is what makes the story appealing for young Children.
In terms of teaching this book in the classroom, I think there is huge opportunity. For the visual learners in the class this book will be enthralling as the pictures are wonderfully presented. The idea of instructions on how to cook receipes is a very effective tool used by Blundell. It presents the chance for Children to compile instructions or guidelines in other subject areas, such as Science on how to brush your teeth for instance. Also, I could see this book used in Key Stage 1 circle time to build oral language, for example, the children could be asked to explore how they would feel if they were the boy in the middle of the forest.
December 8, 2012
Beware of Boys is a fairy tale written by Tony Blundell. It tells the story of a boy who is captured by a wolf. Unfortunately for the wolf, the boy uses a lot of cunning to outwit him – that is, tiring him out by sending him for endless ingredients for boy recipes. The story ends with the wolf locked in his own cave by the cunning boy.
Blundell’s story has a difficulty rating of 90 – 95%. This makes it suitable for students in Y2, Y3 and Y4. During guided reading, the teacher can test the student’s reading comprehension by asking questions with different difficulty levels. For example, pupils with poor reading comprehension can be asked questions that are on the surface of the text – such as, what is the moral to the story?; whilst pupils with good reading comprehension can be asked questions that are beyond the text – such as, is the boy nice? The teacher can also use guided reading to test the pupil’s decoding abilities; namely, checking how well they can sound out words in the story. The teacher can then add up comprehension and decoding skills to place the pupil on The Simple View of Reading accordingly.
In addition to being used for guided reading, Beware of Boys can be read on the carpet. The teacher can use this as a chance to point out difficult words, language features and concepts. This would be particularly useful for EAL pupils who have difficulties understanding written English – the use of puns, for instance. Different styles of punctuation, such as ellipses, are also used in the story, which the teacher can point out to the pupils.
Blundell’s story has a difficulty rating of 90 – 95%. This makes it suitable for students in Y2, Y3 and Y4. During guided reading, the teacher can test the student’s reading comprehension by asking questions with different difficulty levels. For example, pupils with poor reading comprehension can be asked questions that are on the surface of the text – such as, what is the moral to the story?; whilst pupils with good reading comprehension can be asked questions that are beyond the text – such as, is the boy nice? The teacher can also use guided reading to test the pupil’s decoding abilities; namely, checking how well they can sound out words in the story. The teacher can then add up comprehension and decoding skills to place the pupil on The Simple View of Reading accordingly.
In addition to being used for guided reading, Beware of Boys can be read on the carpet. The teacher can use this as a chance to point out difficult words, language features and concepts. This would be particularly useful for EAL pupils who have difficulties understanding written English – the use of puns, for instance. Different styles of punctuation, such as ellipses, are also used in the story, which the teacher can point out to the pupils.
September 29, 2015
Beware of Boys by Tony Blundell is a very enjoyable book that allows children to explore their imagination as to what could potentially happen in the story.
The story is based on a small boy who takes a walk in the forest, when all of a sudden, he encounters a wolf, who happens to live in a cave. The wolf has prepared his taste buds several times as he wants to eat the boy, but on three separate occasions, the boy sends the wolf on a wild goose chase for ingredients that will make himself desirable and delicious for the wolf. On each occasion, the wolf thinks he's got all the ingredients he needs until the boy tells him he's forgotten a key ingredient: salt.
The story ends with the wolf being exhausted from all the errands that his ingredients eventually leave him injured and hungrier before whereas the boy escapes unharmed and makes his way home, even bringing daffodils to his mother.
This story is great for children in KS1 and KS2 as it is very funny and engaging because the children do not expect the ending to be as humorous as it is. This story could also be an effective guided reading book for lower KS2 pupils, as it can be used to ask comprehensive questions, such as 'Why does the boy forget to mention the salt on each occasion?'. This type of questioning will increase pupils' language comprehension skills as well as allow them to understand key features of a fictional text.
For KS1 pupils, this book can be used for class reading and children could be asked to reenact the story in a way that will facilitate their understanding of the book.
The story is based on a small boy who takes a walk in the forest, when all of a sudden, he encounters a wolf, who happens to live in a cave. The wolf has prepared his taste buds several times as he wants to eat the boy, but on three separate occasions, the boy sends the wolf on a wild goose chase for ingredients that will make himself desirable and delicious for the wolf. On each occasion, the wolf thinks he's got all the ingredients he needs until the boy tells him he's forgotten a key ingredient: salt.
The story ends with the wolf being exhausted from all the errands that his ingredients eventually leave him injured and hungrier before whereas the boy escapes unharmed and makes his way home, even bringing daffodils to his mother.
This story is great for children in KS1 and KS2 as it is very funny and engaging because the children do not expect the ending to be as humorous as it is. This story could also be an effective guided reading book for lower KS2 pupils, as it can be used to ask comprehensive questions, such as 'Why does the boy forget to mention the salt on each occasion?'. This type of questioning will increase pupils' language comprehension skills as well as allow them to understand key features of a fictional text.
For KS1 pupils, this book can be used for class reading and children could be asked to reenact the story in a way that will facilitate their understanding of the book.
January 5, 2012
The story of a small boy who, when taking a short-cut through a forest on his way home, is captured by a hungry wolf.
When the wolf announces to the boy his intentions to eat him, the boy suggests a recipe for 'Boy Soup' that the gullable wolf finds intriguing enough to go out in search of the ingtredients for.
When he returns, the boy prompts the wolf wolf on a missing ingredient, leading to the repetitive cycle of the wolf being continually being outsmarted by the boy, who eventually plays out an ingenius plan of escaping the clutches of the wolf unharmed and returning home to his mum, along with the vast number of ingredients collected by the wolf throughout the course of their time together!
The book uses a humourous angle to play on children's likely preconceptions of a wolf being a vicious animal, who's desire for a delicious meal leads to his downfall, via the clever maneuvering of the boy.
I personally found the mildly dark humour employed ammusing, proving very effective alongside the ellaborately detailed illustrations.
A sizeable proportion of the plot is relient on the reader to comprehend the somewhat subtle tone of the humour, and for this reason I would possibly aim this book at Year 3/ 4 pupils.
In conclusion, I would wholly recommend this book to younger readers due to it's ability to encapture the imagination and engage interest.
When the wolf announces to the boy his intentions to eat him, the boy suggests a recipe for 'Boy Soup' that the gullable wolf finds intriguing enough to go out in search of the ingtredients for.
When he returns, the boy prompts the wolf wolf on a missing ingredient, leading to the repetitive cycle of the wolf being continually being outsmarted by the boy, who eventually plays out an ingenius plan of escaping the clutches of the wolf unharmed and returning home to his mum, along with the vast number of ingredients collected by the wolf throughout the course of their time together!
The book uses a humourous angle to play on children's likely preconceptions of a wolf being a vicious animal, who's desire for a delicious meal leads to his downfall, via the clever maneuvering of the boy.
I personally found the mildly dark humour employed ammusing, proving very effective alongside the ellaborately detailed illustrations.
A sizeable proportion of the plot is relient on the reader to comprehend the somewhat subtle tone of the humour, and for this reason I would possibly aim this book at Year 3/ 4 pupils.
In conclusion, I would wholly recommend this book to younger readers due to it's ability to encapture the imagination and engage interest.
June 7, 2012
'This is no ordinary fairy tale and no ordinary small boy! He knows how to get the better of any wolf, and what this wolf needs, he decides, is a very special cookery lesson...' Beware Of Boys is a brilliant twist on a traditional tale and truly an engaging read for primary children. The story sets up the traditional scenario of a boy threatened by a wolf who wishes to eat him. There is a brilliant twist at the end of the story which is complemented by small nods to this throughout the story and within the variety of strange and wonderful recipes, invented by the boy to trick our unsuspecting wolf.
Teaching Point:
This story is a great read for KS1 and KS2 and would be very appropriate for guided reading sessions, as a wealth of comprehension and inference questions can be derived from story. Prediction and questioning are key elements that can be focussed upon in Beware Of Boys and literal thinking skills, based on the various recipes, can be significantly developed as a result. Furthermore the story provides an excellent resource for instructional writing as it incorporates humour, which may provide a high level of engagement for children in this type of task.
The story is wonderfully illustrated, humorous, and a fantastic read for all primary age ranges and mixed abilities.
Teaching Point:
This story is a great read for KS1 and KS2 and would be very appropriate for guided reading sessions, as a wealth of comprehension and inference questions can be derived from story. Prediction and questioning are key elements that can be focussed upon in Beware Of Boys and literal thinking skills, based on the various recipes, can be significantly developed as a result. Furthermore the story provides an excellent resource for instructional writing as it incorporates humour, which may provide a high level of engagement for children in this type of task.
The story is wonderfully illustrated, humorous, and a fantastic read for all primary age ranges and mixed abilities.
October 13, 2013
Beware of boys is a fantastic book about a boy who gets kidnapped by a wolf in the woods. He then continues to trick the wolf into collecting several unnecessary items by telling him different recipes of how to cook yummy boy.
I found this book funny, and I wanted to keep reading to find out what happened next! I think it will definitely keep children entertained throughout. It would be a good book to read for reception and KS1 to the whole class. It can then inspire many different activities for different lessons. It could be used to inspire creative writing: What recipe would you come up with? It can link into list writing, recipe writing and method writing; all these different areas within the story. It can be linked to cooking, making the children aware of different stages in a recipe, a strict guideline to follow and ingredients. They can try out a simple recipe themselves (no boy soup though!) It can also link to maths, looking at different types of measurement and how much of each. In the book he used different ways to measure, a set amount or litres etc. The children can experiment with scales and other ways to see how to measure different items and how much that measurement is really worth. It could also be used as a nice little warning not to go wandering in the woods on your own in case you come across a nasty stranger!
I found this book funny, and I wanted to keep reading to find out what happened next! I think it will definitely keep children entertained throughout. It would be a good book to read for reception and KS1 to the whole class. It can then inspire many different activities for different lessons. It could be used to inspire creative writing: What recipe would you come up with? It can link into list writing, recipe writing and method writing; all these different areas within the story. It can be linked to cooking, making the children aware of different stages in a recipe, a strict guideline to follow and ingredients. They can try out a simple recipe themselves (no boy soup though!) It can also link to maths, looking at different types of measurement and how much of each. In the book he used different ways to measure, a set amount or litres etc. The children can experiment with scales and other ways to see how to measure different items and how much that measurement is really worth. It could also be used as a nice little warning not to go wandering in the woods on your own in case you come across a nasty stranger!
October 5, 2013
This book is about a Little boy who manages to outsmart a wolf who has captured him, whilst taking a short cut in the forest. The little boy asks the wolf whether he will cook him first and the wolf replies saying what he had in mind. The little boy first gives him a list of ingredients and the things for boy soup. The wolf then sets off to gather all the ingredients and items he will need to cook the little boy. When he returns the little boy says the wolf forgot the salt. He then gives the wolf a list of ingredients and items he will need for boy pie, again the wolf sets off and get the things he will need but forgets the salt. By this time the wolf is tired, hungry and frustrated but the boy gives another recipe for boy cake and the list of things he will need to make boy cake. The wolf sets out to get all the things he will need to make boy cake. When the wolf returns to his cave there is a loud crash with all the items from the three recipes falling on the wolf. The little boy traps the wolf in his cave and manages to make it home in time for supper.
This book is quite funny and one which the children will enjoy. It is aimed at Ks1 and can be read as a class book. It can also be used in a guided reading session, given that there are quite a few repetition words involved.
This book is quite funny and one which the children will enjoy. It is aimed at Ks1 and can be read as a class book. It can also be used in a guided reading session, given that there are quite a few repetition words involved.
October 6, 2013
Beware of the Boys is a book that I read in my English lesson in University and I had to analyse the book and see if the book would be a good read for children. The conclusion that I came to was that it is a good read for children as it is filled with vibrant colours and pictures which will engage the children. The story is a trickster story as it is about a boy outsmarting the wolf in number of humorous ways which will get the children laughing - mostly the boys.
I believe that it would be a great book to read to children as a whole class or as guided reading as it can be implemented into lesson activities. Such as asking children questions to discuss with each other and also encourage them to act out the story too. Also as it is a trickster story you can discuss with the children about how something small can overcome something that is powerful and what other stories it may relate to. There are many possible lesson ideas with this book and I believe that it would be a great read for children.
Finally this book I believe would be suitable for KS1 children who is at a higher ability at reading. This is becasue it does have a lot of text in some parts of the book and also some tricky words that may be challenging for some.
I believe that it would be a great book to read to children as a whole class or as guided reading as it can be implemented into lesson activities. Such as asking children questions to discuss with each other and also encourage them to act out the story too. Also as it is a trickster story you can discuss with the children about how something small can overcome something that is powerful and what other stories it may relate to. There are many possible lesson ideas with this book and I believe that it would be a great read for children.
Finally this book I believe would be suitable for KS1 children who is at a higher ability at reading. This is becasue it does have a lot of text in some parts of the book and also some tricky words that may be challenging for some.
October 11, 2013
‘Beware of Boys’, by Tony Blundell is a children’s book I read whilst in an English lesson in University. I along with most of my colleagues found the book incredible amusing.
The plot is about a little boy who comes across a wolf as he is taking a short cut through the forest, the wolf tells the little boy that he intends to eat him, but what the wolf does not know is that he has met his match as the little boy has a few tricks up his sleeve. The boy tells the wolf of a great recipe called ‘Boy Soup’, the gullible wolf finds this so tempting that he falls for the boys trick and goes to gather the ingredients. The little boy cunningly tires the wolf by giving him endless tasks which in the end works in the boys favour.
I think this is a fantastic book for children and is suitable for children in higher KS1 and lower KS2. I also really like the use of illustration as it would be beneficial for EAL students.
Overall I think this is a brilliant book for primary aged children, as it is cleverly written and filled with humour. A highly recommended read.
Beware Of Boys
The plot is about a little boy who comes across a wolf as he is taking a short cut through the forest, the wolf tells the little boy that he intends to eat him, but what the wolf does not know is that he has met his match as the little boy has a few tricks up his sleeve. The boy tells the wolf of a great recipe called ‘Boy Soup’, the gullible wolf finds this so tempting that he falls for the boys trick and goes to gather the ingredients. The little boy cunningly tires the wolf by giving him endless tasks which in the end works in the boys favour.
I think this is a fantastic book for children and is suitable for children in higher KS1 and lower KS2. I also really like the use of illustration as it would be beneficial for EAL students.
Overall I think this is a brilliant book for primary aged children, as it is cleverly written and filled with humour. A highly recommended read.
Beware Of Boys
October 3, 2015
Beware of Boys is a story about a boy who is captured by a wolf and taken to his cave. The book is about how the boy escapes the wolf’s cave by recommending how to cook a boy through three different recipes, with each one more delicious than the next. Throughout the book the wolf is required to collect ingredients to cook the recipes, however each time, the boy provides the list for each recipe, an ingredient is always left out.
This was a funny short story, which was well illustrated throughout so that the reader is able to know how both the boy and the wolf are feeling. I enjoyed reading the book and was kept engaged throughout. I particularly enjoyed reading the recipes for each dish and wondering why some none cooking ingredients were required.
I would recommend this book for 6-7 year olds. This can be used several ways in the classroom, as part of independent reading, or used as part of guided reading to develop comprehension. Due the length of the book it can also be used cross curricular in ICT, as learning about story writing, where you can use this in applications such as story bird where children can create their own short story similar to the book and add in their own illustrations.
This was a funny short story, which was well illustrated throughout so that the reader is able to know how both the boy and the wolf are feeling. I enjoyed reading the book and was kept engaged throughout. I particularly enjoyed reading the recipes for each dish and wondering why some none cooking ingredients were required.
I would recommend this book for 6-7 year olds. This can be used several ways in the classroom, as part of independent reading, or used as part of guided reading to develop comprehension. Due the length of the book it can also be used cross curricular in ICT, as learning about story writing, where you can use this in applications such as story bird where children can create their own short story similar to the book and add in their own illustrations.
December 30, 2012
This book follows the story of a young boy who encounters trouble with a hungry wolf. This hungry wolf is eager to eat the boy, however the young boy persuades the wolf to collect an array of ingredients to make him even more appetising. This would be a good book for year one or two as it uses basic vocabulary and has a lot of illustrations to aid the readers understanding. It also use repetition in threes to aid the learner in the structure of the story which would be useful in KS1 for sequencing.
Blundell’s Beware of Boys would be an effective text for guided reading as children can discuss the sequence of events, language and illustrations. This would also be good for mixed ability guided reading as many questions could be answered through the aid of the illustration if a child is struggling. This text would also be a good book to read to a class as it could be used as a starting point for talk partners and class discussion about themes and structure as a precursor to writing their own stories in literacy.
Overall this is an engaging text for children with vivid illustrations and humorous plot to enthuse a child to read more if not learn about structure and write their own.
Blundell’s Beware of Boys would be an effective text for guided reading as children can discuss the sequence of events, language and illustrations. This would also be good for mixed ability guided reading as many questions could be answered through the aid of the illustration if a child is struggling. This text would also be a good book to read to a class as it could be used as a starting point for talk partners and class discussion about themes and structure as a precursor to writing their own stories in literacy.
Overall this is an engaging text for children with vivid illustrations and humorous plot to enthuse a child to read more if not learn about structure and write their own.
October 26, 2012
This book puts a twist on normal fairy tale stories in which the boy would be captured by the wolf and put into a stew. However in this story, through his witt the boy has been able to make a fool out of the wolf and trapp him in his own home through a series of tricks.
The book is very original,humorous and engaging for children especially those who have read the original fairy tales. The pictures are very detailed with humorous descriptions of recipes, which could never be possibly eaten. The trickster boy is likely to appeal to many boys humour in the class and engage them possibly into further reading for fun at home.
The book could easily be fitted into a reading time for keystage 2 pupils in year 3-4 because of the complexity of the theme and scope for class discussion. This discussion could be truly multi-curricular with targetted questions and debate ranging from: why did the boy make the wolf collect all of the items? Who is the real victim in the story- the boy or the wolf? And was it right for the boy to act the way that he did? What would the consequences of that be?
The book is very original,humorous and engaging for children especially those who have read the original fairy tales. The pictures are very detailed with humorous descriptions of recipes, which could never be possibly eaten. The trickster boy is likely to appeal to many boys humour in the class and engage them possibly into further reading for fun at home.
The book could easily be fitted into a reading time for keystage 2 pupils in year 3-4 because of the complexity of the theme and scope for class discussion. This discussion could be truly multi-curricular with targetted questions and debate ranging from: why did the boy make the wolf collect all of the items? Who is the real victim in the story- the boy or the wolf? And was it right for the boy to act the way that he did? What would the consequences of that be?
October 12, 2013
This funny story shows a boy's attempt to escape being eaten by the wolf. The familiar feel of this book of a big bad wolf immediately creates the sense of empathy for the boy and the assumption that the wolf is planning to eat the boy. However, the boy cleverly tricks the wolf into believing he is helping him create the best boy recipes i.e. boy soup, yet really the boy is planning to trap and escape from the wolf. The boy cleverly uses the sheer amount of ingredients to cause the wolf to become weak and eventually collapse and become trapped under the ingredients, allowing the boy to escape, of course taking some extra presents along with him.
This book would be a fun comprehension task for Upper KS1 or Lower KS2 as it has a familiar traditional tale feel to the story that most children would feel comfortable with. It could also be used to get children use to the layout of recipes or discussions could be launched surrounding the presumptions they had around the boy and the wolf. Did you expect the boy to outsmart the wolf? Is this similar to other stories? Such as Jack and the Beanstalk Etc.
This book would be a fun comprehension task for Upper KS1 or Lower KS2 as it has a familiar traditional tale feel to the story that most children would feel comfortable with. It could also be used to get children use to the layout of recipes or discussions could be launched surrounding the presumptions they had around the boy and the wolf. Did you expect the boy to outsmart the wolf? Is this similar to other stories? Such as Jack and the Beanstalk Etc.
May 9, 2012
‘Beware of the boys’ is a fantastic picture book featuring a small boy who has been captured by a hungry wolf. He announces to the boy that he is going to eat him but unfortunately for the wolf the little boy is very clever and outsmarts him. The boy offers a suggestion- a number of very tasty recipes for ‘boy soup, boy pie and boy cake’. The gullible wolf then demands a list of ingredients. The boy then tricks the wolf by suggesting various types of recipes the wolf could use to cook him. The wolf exhausted collapses under a pile of ingredients. The boy uses cement and bricks to build a wall around the wolf’s cave. The boy escapes the clutches of the wolf. And returns home safely to his mum. ‘Silly old wolf he thinks to himself’. In conclusion I would recommend this book to children and educators in both ks1 and ks2. It could be used as either part of a lesson or as an enjoyable reading book. This exciting book enables children to explore recipes and instructions in a fun way and could be used to explore features of instructional writing.
May 11, 2012
I was first introduced to this fabulous book during an English session at university as part of my PGCE course. I loved it so much I bought it to share with my step-daughter (7), and wasn’t surprised when she loved it too. A great example of twisting a classic tale, the very hungry Big Bad Wolf in this particular tale is beautifully deceived by a very smart little boy. The very clever boy offers the Big Bad Wolf a selection of very, well shall we say, interesting recipes for boy soup, boy pie and boy cake. The ingredients are unconventional to say the least!
The illustrations alone can be used as a great starting point during shared or guided reading sessions with children throughout the primary age-range. The recipes offer fantastic opportunities for instruction writing, and could also be developed into opportunities to explore ratio and proportion in maths. This wonderful book offers a plethora of opportunities in the classroom for pupils of all abilities, as well as being full of humour and a very good read.
The illustrations alone can be used as a great starting point during shared or guided reading sessions with children throughout the primary age-range. The recipes offer fantastic opportunities for instruction writing, and could also be developed into opportunities to explore ratio and proportion in maths. This wonderful book offers a plethora of opportunities in the classroom for pupils of all abilities, as well as being full of humour and a very good read.
January 13, 2013
When a hungry wolf encounters a young boy in the deep, dark wood he cannot quite believe his luck. Not only has his dinner arrived but the boy himself suggests the most mouth-wateringly, tasty recipe the wolf has ever heard. The wolf simply cannot resist the temptation to gather together the ingredients required for this delicious snack. However, all is not how it first appears and the seemingly innocent and naïve boy may just have a trick or two up his sleeve.
I would recommend this book to children aged 5-8. While the author’s use of witty puns and wordplay will be appreciated by older readers, the colourful illustrations and fantastic use of repetition also keeps younger readers engaged.
As a modern fairy tale, this book could be used in the classroom alongside a more traditional fairy tale for a compare and contrast task. Children could look at the similarities and differences between the two stories and discuss which one they prefer. The book could also inspire children to have a go at creating or telling their own modern fairy tale.
I would recommend this book to children aged 5-8. While the author’s use of witty puns and wordplay will be appreciated by older readers, the colourful illustrations and fantastic use of repetition also keeps younger readers engaged.
As a modern fairy tale, this book could be used in the classroom alongside a more traditional fairy tale for a compare and contrast task. Children could look at the similarities and differences between the two stories and discuss which one they prefer. The book could also inspire children to have a go at creating or telling their own modern fairy tale.
October 2, 2013
This book is a delightful tale of a young boy, who manages to trick the greedy wolf, and as a result stops the wolf eating him. He does this by persuading the wolf to collect ingredients for a number of boy recipes, with each recipe the wolf gets more tired and this both buys the boy time, but also lets him plan his escape. The text is funny and the use of repetition such as 'you forgot the salt' mean that it is a really interactive read.
I particularly enjoyed the recipe pages within this book, especially the way it illustrates the changing mood of the wolf. Although, not the most moral of tales,it does provide children with the feeling that someone small can trick someone who is larger, and at times I feel this could be empowering.
I would highly recommend this for guided reading for year 2 upwards as some of the text and the use of puns may be too difficult for those younger. The text is easily divided into sections and questions can be easily developed for each of the sections to successfully assess children's language comprehension.
I particularly enjoyed the recipe pages within this book, especially the way it illustrates the changing mood of the wolf. Although, not the most moral of tales,it does provide children with the feeling that someone small can trick someone who is larger, and at times I feel this could be empowering.
I would highly recommend this for guided reading for year 2 upwards as some of the text and the use of puns may be too difficult for those younger. The text is easily divided into sections and questions can be easily developed for each of the sections to successfully assess children's language comprehension.
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