Lon Po Po

Young, Ed. (1989). Lon Po Po. New York, NY: Philomel Books.

Brief Annotation: This Chinese Red Riding Hood (of sorts) tells the story of three sisters, left home alone, who must use cunning and intuition to outwit a hungry and malevolent wolf.

Genre: Picturebook, Folktale

Grade Level: K-3

Readers who will like this: children familiar with Little Red Riding Hood, readers who enjoy tales of cleverness, students who appreciate books with smart, strong female characters.

Response/Rating (1-4): **** Ed Young’s text and vivid, impressionistic paintings bring this Chinese folktale to life. I believe that exposing children to literature from diverse cultures is a valuable goal, and that this book should be included in the primary classroom.

One question you would ask before a read aloud: What would you do if a stranger knocked on your door when you were home alone?