The Boy Who Cried Wolf

Hennessy, B., Kulikov, B. (2006) The Boy Who Cried Wolf. Illus. Boris Kulikov. New York, NY. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Brief Annotation: A young shepherd is bored one day, so for fun he decided to run into town yelling "Wolf! Wolf!" The people in the town respond to his screams but are angry when they find out he was lying. Still bored, the young boy tries it again, and again! Finally, fed up with his antics, the townspeople ignore his cries the third time....only this time there really is a wolf. Richly illustrated in watercolors, this amusing take on the classic fable tackles the issue of lying and explains the consequences of negative actions.

Genre: Fable

Grade Level: Pre-K - 2

Readers who will like this: Younger readers who look for illustrations, readers who like imaginative tales, teachers who are doing lessons about right and wrong.

Response/Rating (1-4): ***. I very much enjoyed this book. It was a classic take on the story but with new and interesting elements. The choral verse that is repeated throughout the book will help to engage younger readers who may not understand or connect to the main message about not lying.

One question you would ask before a read aloud: Have you ever told a lie? What were the consequences?

Reading Strategies Connection: This book would be a very fun one to do Reader's Theater (Yopp & Yopp. Pp 84). Since this book is aimed at younger readers, perhaps ones that are not well-practiced in reading, the students could act out specific parts of the book, each taking a role. This would help them understand the concepts that the book offers better and is an engaging way to get the children connected to the story.