Big Bad Wolf

Urgency Emergency

by Dosh Archer

Winner 2013 Cybils Easy Readers
The Best Children's Books of the Year 2014, Bank Street College

A choking wolf is rushed to City Hospital, and a lost little girl in a red coat has been found, looking for her missing granny. What on earth did the wolf eat? Early readers have never been such fun! With bright color illustrations on every page, minimal easy-to-read text and a brilliantly fast-paced plot, this zany hospital adventure based on the classic Little Red Riding Hood tale will have young readers devouring the pages and howling for more!

Genres: Picture Books, Humor, Fairy Tales, Childrens, Wolves, Fiction, Fantasy

48 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Paula]

City Hospital ER is a busy place. A red-cloaked sheep is crying because she can’t find her Grandma. Suddenly the doors burst open and Big Bad Wolf is brought into the emergency room by penguin paramedics. He appears to be choking and cannot breathe. Doctor Glenda, a dog, says it looks serious. Nurse Percy, a chicken and naturally afraid of wolves, really does not want to help out. Upon further examination, Doctor Glenda discovers Wolf has swallowed something and now it’s stuck in his stomach. With help from all the staff, Wolf is freed of his affliction when he coughs up Grandma. Someone calls the police, Wolf is arrested, Grandma and granddaughter are reunited and everyone lives happily ever after. This is a humorous story that takes the Red Riding Hood tale a step further. Large, bright, comical illustrations dominate the few lines of text per page. It’s a clever addition to the fairy tale section and a good choice for reading aloud.

[Barbara]

In this modern version of the Little Red Riding Hood story, Doctor Glenda and Nurse Percy work hard to save the life of a wolf that is choking to death. Despite Nurse Percy's understandable nervousness around the wolf, he helps the doctor remove the grandmother he has tried to consume. Young readers will love the characters and this funny version of the classic fairy tale accompanied by colorful illustrations.

[Samantha]

This easy reader title features familiar fairy tale characters in the emergency room. Here, the Big Bad Wolf comes in choking on something, but readers soon find out that it's someone.

All is made right and justice is served in a refreshing premise. Works as a read aloud and as a humorous what-happened-after-the-fairytale continuation.

Recommended for grades 1-3.

[Julie]

Doctor Glenda and Nurse Percy think the Big Bad Wolf is choking, and they try to clear his airway and execute the Heimlich maneuver. Being a chicken, Nurse Percy is afraid of wolves, but he overcomes his fear to help the patient. Of course, the wolf has swallowed someone he shouldn't have! A good book for young readers to learn a little about what might happen when someone is choking and needs assistance - and, of course, a fun take on some classic nursery rhyme characters.

[Sean Harding]

A different spin on old folk tales has the setting in an emergency room of the hospital and characters being brought in for treatment, such as in this case the big bad wolf. Some fun aspects here, but you would need to know the original tales first before reading this, so the youngsters may not realise the humour if they have not.

[Jitendra Kotai]

A Fun book that my son really enjoyed reading with me. The characters are cute and the setting is brilliant. Based on the tale of Little Red Riding Hood, the big bad wolf here is in big trouble and Doctor Glenda and Nurse Percy have to stay calm and help him get out of his serious condition. Will he respect them or gulp them down as soon as he is free from trouble. Read it to find out.

[Cheryl]

Highly recommended to the target audience. Not only is it funny, but kids learn a bit about medical care - in this case, what to do if someone is choking.

I love that Nurse Percy has to overcome his fear of the wolf. As the doctor says, he is still their patient.

I will look for others in the series, just for fun.

[Gail]

Hysterical!!

[Peacegal]

It was humorous, but I don't think the other titles in this series are quite up to the standards of wit set by the Itsy Bitsy Spider story.

[Andrea]

Fun easy-reader mystery series with familiar fairy tale characters—a fractured fairy tale.

[Nancy]

Too many words for a beginning reader and the the story was creepy!

[Lauren B]

Quite funny!

[Katt Hansen]

You know where this is going right from the start, but still it's a funny take on a classic old story. We have a girl with a red cape wondering where her grandmother is, and wandering aimlessly around a hospital when the wolf is brought in - choking on something. A nurse has to find her courage and saves the life of the culprit and the ending will leave you laughing, satisfied at how the whole thing came out.

This story is simple enough for someone just learning to read to handle the book on their own, but still is a fun enough story where you can read it to your children. Overall, a fresh and fun retelling of the fairy tale.

3.5 stars.

[Rebecca]

While a little girl in a little red riding hood is at the hospital crying for her missing grandmother, a big wolf is wheeled in the emergency room because he's choking. Whatever could he be choking on? This book is one in the UE series. It's an early reader but not yet an easy chapter book. In addition to building vocabulary, this is a good book for emerging readers because it is a spin on Little Red Riding Hood and I think children familiar with the fairy tale will find great fun in knowing the why and the wherefores of this telling.

[Shawn Thrasher]

While the illustrations weren't my favorite (too clunky for my taste), the story ended up being a real kick. Doctor Glenda and Nurse Percy (a dog and a rooster) work in a hospital ER (St. Aesop's? Or perhaps, because this is an English import, maybe it's the hospital built after they tore down Toad Hall). Their urgent emergency in this story is the Big Bad Wolf, who is choking on something - and that something is EXACTLY what I wanted it to be!

[Robin]

A fun new (to the US - author is from the UK) easy reader series with a fairy tale twist. The animal characters are in a hospital waiting room when a wolf comes into the ER -- he can't breathe! Though Nurse Percy (a chicken) is reluctant to help, she does her duty. . . and it turns out it was grandma who was stuck in the wolves throat!

[Amanda]

There is so much to like in this series! I disagree with anyone who calls this a retelling of the Red Riding Hood story. Yes, it has the same characters, but that is all. What I particularly like is effortless integration of whimsical story and accurate information about human health. I read this aloud to my kindergarten students and they begged for more.

[Ellen]

We like this early reader series. Fortunately, my early reader wasn't terrified by the visual of a character still alive in the big bad wolf's belly, and, in fact, laughed out loud a few times. Spoiler alert - it's likely comforting as well to readers that the wolf is carried off to jail in the end.

[Nicola]

I picked up 3 of the Urgency Emergency books from the library. I didn't particularly like the text or artwork but Miss 4 seemed to.

Miss 4 and I like to explore different books and authors at the library, sometimes around particular topics or themes. We try to get different ones out every week or so; it's fun for both of us to have the variety and to look at a mix of new & favourite authors.

[Carol]

Urgency Emergency is a funny easy reader series that mixes and mashes a bunch of fairy tales all together. It is silly in story and illustration. Young readers will laugh out loud as they read this one where the doctor and nurse team try to get grandma out of the Big Bad Wolf's tummy!

[Donna F.]

Chelsea (age 6) read and reviewed: "It is really funny".
My review: I love a beginner reader that is smart and clever. We are going to hunt for more of these books. We hope they are not hard to find.

[Jen]

Fun retelling of mother goose stories set in a modern day emergency room( staffed with animals, of course) loved the quirky characters and illustrations.

[Lynn]

Really cute book for early readers. Loved the take on the fairy tale.

[Diana Pettis]

I enjoyed reading this story. I feel as though children that have read some back ground knowledge on the little red riding hood story would really enjoy it. Very humorous!

[Pamela]

Horn Book starred review Jan-Feb 2014.

[Brindi Michele]

wasn't a fan

[Franki Sibberson]

Fun series for early readers. Elephant and Piggie fans might like this series too. Discovered it from Cybils Finalists-Easy Readers.

[Lorna]

Cute easy reader that picks up where Little Red Riding Hood ends.

[Niki]

A fun twist on famous fairy tales. My second graders loved this book. We were all laughing out loud at the pictures.

[wildct2003]

Cute, fast and fun read.