Lon Po Po

Young, Ed. (1989). Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story from China. Illus. Ed Young.New York, New York: Philomel Books.

Brief Annotation: Long ago in China, a mother sets off to visit her mother, leaving her three children, Shang, Tao and Paotze, at home. She warns the girls to lock the door at night. A wolf watches the mother leave, then knocks on the door, impersonating Po Po, the children's grandmother. The children let the wolf in, the wolf turns out the lights so the children can't see him, and they all climb into bed together. After discussing Po Po's bushy tail and clawed fingers, Shang glimpses the wolf and comes up with a plan. The children offer to gather gingko nuts for "Po Po," and they climb the gingko tree. The children offer to lift the wolf up to the top of the tree in a basket, and the wolf climbs in, only to be dropped from the top of the tree to the ground.
Genre: folktale
Grade Level: K-4
Readers who will like this: Readers who like interesting illustrations, readers who know the Red Riding Hood story, readers interested in China
Response/Rating (1-4): 4. The variation of the story is interesting, and the watercolor and pastel illustrations, done in the style of Chinese panel paintings, are unusual, beautiful, and complement the story well.
One question you would ask before a read aloud: Do you think that people in other countries tell the Red Riding Hood story the same way we do?