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Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story from China
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"Not for the faint-hearted, Lon Po Po (Grandmother Wolf), is a tale of a menacing danger and courage....(Young's) command of page composition and his sensitive use of color give the book a visual force that matches the strength of the story and stands as one of the illustrator's best efforts." --Booklist"Absolutely splendid." -- Kirkuse Reviews. "An extraordinary and power
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Hardcover, 32 pages
Published
November 1st 1989
by Philomel Books
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Start your review of Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story from China


the origins of the little red riding hood story are unclear, but they can be traced to well before the 17th century perrault interpretation most familiar to western readers. earlier versions of the tale have turned up in other parts of europe, in africa, asia, and the middle east. in some of the stories, the children are eaten, in some they escape, in some they are eaten and still escape, sometimes the antagonist is a tiger, a fox, a hyena...
this book is presenting itself as A Red-Riding Hoo ...more

My daughters are participating in “Book Bingo” this summer, a reading program from their school librarian that involves them “playing bingo” on a card with 25 different reading opportunities.
Last night's box to be filled was “a Caldecott winner,” and, since we own several, we struggled to choose just one, and this involved a small scuffle with painful elbows and the near-destruction of the winning book.
The fighting ninjas eventually chose Lon Po Po, the only Caldecott winner penned and illustra ...more
Last night's box to be filled was “a Caldecott winner,” and, since we own several, we struggled to choose just one, and this involved a small scuffle with painful elbows and the near-destruction of the winning book.
The fighting ninjas eventually chose Lon Po Po, the only Caldecott winner penned and illustra ...more

Mar 25, 2018
Calista
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
award-various,
bage-children,
favorite,
award-caldecott,
1989,
diversity,
genre-fantasy,
women,
genre-horror-gothic
Unsettling! So much more intense and scary than Little Red Riding Hood. These 3 girls are brave, fierce things standing up to this hungry wolf. I mean, this gave me chills.
Plus, the art is impressionistic and the uncertain depictions really helped to unsettle the story. I really enjoy this story. It is wonderful and wow. It shows what being brave really is.
This was intense for the kids and they still enjoyed it. The nephew needed some reassurance it would be alright.
Plus, the art is impressionistic and the uncertain depictions really helped to unsettle the story. I really enjoy this story. It is wonderful and wow. It shows what being brave really is.
This was intense for the kids and they still enjoyed it. The nephew needed some reassurance it would be alright.

This is the Chinese version of Red Riding Hood and it is quite wonderful. We get three children in danger of the wolf and they handle it by using their brains so it's a much more intelligent spin than we often get in European versions of fairy tales.
Plus, this book has some very nice artwork completing the overall look of the story. Simple but beautiful. ...more
Plus, this book has some very nice artwork completing the overall look of the story. Simple but beautiful. ...more


“Lon Po Po” is a Caldecott Medal winning book by Ed Young that is a remake of Brothers Grimm’s classic “Red Riding Hood,” only this time, there are three sisters who outwit a cunning wolf in this tale. “Lon Po Po” may be a bit too scary for smaller children because of the images, but older children will easily love this story that is full of mystery and suspense.
Ed Young has done a great job at writing and illustrating this old Chinese folktale about how three sisters outwit a cunning and frigh ...more

I've found my favourite version of Little Red Riding Hood! This one is Chinese, and had me laughing myself into a bellyache with the wickedly clever counter-schemes by the little girls to outsmart the Big Bad Wolf.
Like the Western version we're familiar with, there's a mother fretting over an ailing grandmother, a need to go visit said granny, and the wolf disguising himself as the old woman in hopes of getting a tasty meal. There's even the Grandmother, what big teeth you have! question and ans ...more
Like the Western version we're familiar with, there's a mother fretting over an ailing grandmother, a need to go visit said granny, and the wolf disguising himself as the old woman in hopes of getting a tasty meal. There's even the Grandmother, what big teeth you have! question and ans ...more

An interesting cautionary tale in the style of 'Little Red' from China. Unlike the western version, this one has a different ending where the children outwit the wolf. The illustrations accompanying the text are wonderful, and match the text well.
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I have very much enjoyed both narrative and accompanying illustrations of this Red Riding Hood type of tale from China, how the three sisters are able to outsmart and later kill the "big bad wolf" by subterfuge, and by specifically focusing and playing on the latter's greediness and gluttony. Author/illustrator Ed Young's water colours and pastels evocatively and expressively provide a perfect physical and atmospheric mirror of and to the text, with just enough creepiness to mildly frighten (alt
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Lon Po Po is another book I wanted to check out because it made the Top 20 Most Beautiful Children’s Books list. I love the creepy wolf on the cover. I think Ed Young loves wolves too because he puts a dedication at the beginning of the book.
To all the wolves of the world
for lending their good name
as a tangible symbol
for our darkness
This is an old Chinese folk tale called Granny Wolf. The illustration is excellent, and I loved the old world feeling the book had. Lon Po Po may be bit too creepy ...more
To all the wolves of the world
for lending their good name
as a tangible symbol
for our darkness
This is an old Chinese folk tale called Granny Wolf. The illustration is excellent, and I loved the old world feeling the book had. Lon Po Po may be bit too creepy ...more

I particularly like the dedication page, in which Young creates an image that is both man and wolf, and is written:
"To all the wolves of the world
for lending their good name
as a tangible symbol
for our darkness." ...more
"To all the wolves of the world
for lending their good name
as a tangible symbol
for our darkness." ...more

Another book I read to my daughter when she was little. Liked it and remember the artwork being perfect for the mood and retelling of this children's classic. No rating due to this being read so long ago.
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.

When Shang, Tao and Paotze's mother leaves to visit their Po Po, or grandmother, she warns the three girls not to let anyone into the house. But a crafty wolf, observing her departure, soon presents himself at the door, masquerading as Po Po. When the sisters find themselves literally in bed with the wolf, they soon realize that they aren't snuggling up to Granny! But what can they do...?
This Chinese variant of Little Red Riding Hood sees the wolf coming to the girl(s), rather than the other ...more
This Chinese variant of Little Red Riding Hood sees the wolf coming to the girl(s), rather than the other ...more

This is a unique version of "Little Red Riding Hood," where the wolf comes to visit the little girls while their Mom is visiting Grandma (or "Po Po").
It is an interesting story, and although it might be a little scary for our girls, they really liked it. It's a wonderful book to read aloud at storytime. Great illustrations!
Mar 2012 update: We watched this story on DVD as part of Scholastic's Storybook Treasures. The story is not truly animated, but the illustrations are shown with various zoomi ...more
It is an interesting story, and although it might be a little scary for our girls, they really liked it. It's a wonderful book to read aloud at storytime. Great illustrations!
Mar 2012 update: We watched this story on DVD as part of Scholastic's Storybook Treasures. The story is not truly animated, but the illustrations are shown with various zoomi ...more

I remembered this as a very scary book, which I think was read to me at some point during elementary school. As an adult, I wasn’t nearly as disturbed by it, but the illustrations still gave me that creepy vibe. I was especially impressed by the illustrator’s use of eyes to convey emotions such as fear and curiosity. I also think it would be a good book for helping kids overcome their fears. The three children in the story are able to trick and defeat a nasty wolf without any adult intervention,
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Beautifully illustrated, with hazy, almost abstract watercolors picked out by pastel detailing in improbable muted rainbows of fur and leaves. The panels which divide the pages add back narrative progression and build effective vignettes. I love red riding hood, and was familiar with the content of similar East Asian tales, but reading one as a story rather than summary is a different experience and I'm glad for it. If iconic imagery is absent, that's also true of pre-17th century antecedents to
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I gave this book a 4 star rating. Lon Po Po won a Caldecott medal in 1990. The illustrations combine ancient Chinese panel art with contemporary watercolors and pastels. The reading level of this book is appropriate for children aged 4-8, but can be enjoyed as a read aloud with younger children and as a trip down memory lane for older readers. However, reader be warned, it is slightly morbid.
Lon Po Po is a red riding hood story from China. It fits into both the multicultural and traditional cat ...more
Lon Po Po is a red riding hood story from China. It fits into both the multicultural and traditional cat ...more

This is a version of the "The Little Red Riding Hood" from China about three siblings whose mother leaves to visit their grandmother. This book is a 1990 Caldecott Medal winner. The wolf sees the mother leave and approaches the house pretending to be the grandmother. In the end, the children out smart the wolf by tricking him into climbing a tree with them. The wolf falls to his death and the children return safely to their home. Upon their mother's return they enlighten her about how they escap
...more

Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story from China by Ed Young is a folklore book. The book won the Randolph Caldecott medal in 1990. The age group this book is intended for is primary to intermediate. The book is about a wolf trying to fool children, but in the end the children fooled and killed him.
The book takes on the theme of good versus bad. The children were tricked by the evil wolf; but once they figured out it was the wolf, they tricked the wolf. The book showed cultural aspects, such as t ...more
The book takes on the theme of good versus bad. The children were tricked by the evil wolf; but once they figured out it was the wolf, they tricked the wolf. The book showed cultural aspects, such as t ...more

Lon Po Po, which means “granny wolf” in Chinese, is the Chinese retelling of the classic Little Red Riding Hood fairy tale. A mother leaves her three daughters—Shang, Tao, and Paotze—home alone when she sets out to visit their grandmother. The wolf dresses up as the grandmother and gains entrance to the family home soon thereafter. When the girls realize the wolf is not their grandmother, they use the lure of gingko nuts to trick the gluttonous wolf, allowing them to climb the gingko tree. Telli
...more

This Chinese version of Little Red Riding Hood provides a direct contrast to the original Grimm version--the teacher in me could envision the Venn Diagrams straight away! While the wolf antagonist, theme of caution, and children's observation skills remains the same, most other points differ. In this version, the mother leaves to visit the grandmother, the wolf comes to the children's home, the children outsmart the wolf and save themselves. The author and illustrator, Ed Young, born and raised
...more

Apr 09, 2017
Book Concierge
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
animals,
children-s-literature,
concierge,
fairy-tale,
china,
library,
illustrated,
caldecott
The story is a traditional Chinese tale, somewhat akin to Red Riding Hood. The children remain at home, however, while their mother leaves to go visit their grandmother. The wolf tricks them into opening the door, but they children outsmart the wolf.
It's a timeless lesson about heeding warnings, and obeying the instructions of your elders. But I really like the way these three young girls get the best of the bad wolf! They are brave and clever.
Young’s beautiful illustrations support and enhance ...more
It's a timeless lesson about heeding warnings, and obeying the instructions of your elders. But I really like the way these three young girls get the best of the bad wolf! They are brave and clever.
Young’s beautiful illustrations support and enhance ...more

Oct 01, 2008
ABC
rated it
it was amazing
Recommends it for:
kindergarteners and early elementary
Shelves:
younger-kids,
caldecott-medal-winner
This is a Chinese fairy tale. A mother leaves her three daughters alone and a wolf visits them pretending to be their Po Po (Grandmother). After thinking it is their granny, one of them catches a glimpse of the wolf's face. They then trick the wolf and the wolf ends up dying. Their mother comes homes and they live happily ever after.
The illustrations are dreamy and quity scary.
A funny story: My son looked at the picture with three daughters and said, "But in China, they're only supposed to hav ...more
The illustrations are dreamy and quity scary.
A funny story: My son looked at the picture with three daughters and said, "But in China, they're only supposed to hav ...more

The pictures are a little too vague and skimpy for a good readaloud, but this Chinese story is great and can be used to compare and contrast with the traditional "Little Red Riding Hood".
...more

Interesting take on the big bad wolf and grandma story. Beautiful illustrations and prose made for an enjoyable read.

The Caldecott Medal Winner of the year 1990 was a variety of the famous fairytale of Red. But for this Chinese version, there are three sisters, the oldest Shang, the middle one Tao, and the youngest Paotze, who are left by the mother alone at home overnight. She gave the girls strict instructions to behave and latch the door when she left. The sisters followed their mother instructions, but a wolf that lived nearby saw the mother leave and decided to pay the girls a visit. Dressed as the sister
...more

This is a wonderful variation of the classic, Little Red Riding Hood. Instead of one girl alone in the woods being tricked by a smart wolf, this story has three siblings at home alone. This is the Chinese version. Lon Po Po is a Caldecott Award Winner. The children in the story are home alone while their mother goes to visit their Po Po. Along comes a clever and hungry wolf who disguises himself as their Po Po. The wolf is invited in and the children entertain the thought he is their dear po po.
...more

1. Lon Po Po is the story of three young sisters who are left at home alone while their mother goes to visit their grandmother "po po." When the mother leaves, a smart, cunning wolf sees and comes up with a plan to pretend to be the childrens' grandmother. The wolf knocks on the door, and the cautious children ask him many questions to see if it really is their po po. They believe him and let him in. He blows out the candles in the house so that they can not see him. They get ready for bed. Whil
...more

Lon Po Po, translated and illustrated by Ed Young, is a red- riding hood story from China. It was the winner of the 1990 Caldecott Medal as the most distinguished picture book. I first read about this text within the chapter on traditional literature in the Children’s Books in Children’s Hands: A Brief Introduction to Their Literature and located it at my local library. A digital reading of this text can be located on youtube.com narrated by multiple readers. The youtube video I watched was read
...more
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Ed Young is the illustrator of more than eighty books for children, seventeen of which he has also written. Among his books is the Caldecott Medal winner Lon Po Po, which he both wrote and illustrated. He says that his work is inspired by the philosophy of Chinese painting. He lives in Westchester County, New York.
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“To all the wolves of the world for lending their good name as a tangible symbol for our darkness.”
—
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