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This Is the Path the Wolf Took
A boy's little sister doesn't like the way he improvises when he tells tales, in this funny and bighearted tale about what makes a story good. The stories Gabe ¿reads¿ to his little sister start out sounding familiar --- a red-caped girl on her way to Grandma's house meets a wolf in the woods --- but then, just in the nick of time, Sir Gabriel swoops in to save the day. His sister points out that's not how the story is supposed to go. The boy says his way is better: ¿Nothing bad happens in my story.¿ But when his sister stops listening, the boy realizes he needs to reconsider. Are his stories boring? Why does it seem like there's always something missing? Laura Farina's funny and empathetic tale explores why a good story is never made up of only good things. Many young children want a story to be exciting, but they don't want anything scary or bad to happen. This picture book shows how a brief period of being afraid or sad is necessary to make a story worth hearing. It makes for a great discussion starter and works well for loads of language arts applications, including writing skills, elements of a story, and fairy tales or other literary genres. With its playful humor, endearing sibling relationship and high-energy illustrations by Elina Ellis, this book also makes an entertaining read-aloud.
42 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2020
1 person is currently reading
54 people want to read
About the author
Laura Farina
8 books6 followersLaura Farina's first book of poetry, This Woman Alphabetical, won the Archibald Lampman Award. She lives in Vancouver, BC where she teaches creative writing and wanders around.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
May 18, 2020
We loved all the colorful illustrations, but unfortunately the story fell a bit flat. It was a little confusing for my little one to follow.
Overall 3 stars
Overall 3 stars
July 14, 2020
This is the Path the Wolf Took by Laura Farina is a delightful little fairy tale retelling!
Gabe spins his sister a tale about the path the Wolf took in the woods. Red Riding Hood is there, there's dragon slayers and more exciting changes to this typical fairy tale.
The story is sweet in combination with the pictures. I expected something a little different, but it was still a wonderful children's read! If you're looking for a great little fiction story with fairy tale vibes, grab this book!
Three out of five stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kids Can Press for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.
Gabe spins his sister a tale about the path the Wolf took in the woods. Red Riding Hood is there, there's dragon slayers and more exciting changes to this typical fairy tale.
The story is sweet in combination with the pictures. I expected something a little different, but it was still a wonderful children's read! If you're looking for a great little fiction story with fairy tale vibes, grab this book!
Three out of five stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kids Can Press for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.
October 20, 2020
I would say this is a rather chaotic storybook for kids. If it was a retelling of the Little Red Riding Hood of some sort then it would have been fine but it was like some tired parent tried to tell a story but couldn't make up their mind on how to start the story. And yes, it ended just like that.
I would give all the stars to the illustrations. It's done well.
Thanks #NetGalley for the ARC.
I would give all the stars to the illustrations. It's done well.
Thanks #NetGalley for the ARC.
April 4, 2022
This is a delightful book about storytelling and what makes stories work. Or, from a more common child perspective, how to play with your sister so you're both having fun.
At first Gabriel is essentially creating self-insert fanfic of fairy tales, which was intriguing to me as I haven't seen that in a picture book, although it's clearly something kids do.
But, his sister Mia is bored by his version where "nothing bad happens." She wants the story they way mom reads it.
I especially liked that Gabriel manages to compromise and find a version that lets him be a creative adapter while also pleasing his audience and coming to a happy ending for all the characters.
At first Gabriel is essentially creating self-insert fanfic of fairy tales, which was intriguing to me as I haven't seen that in a picture book, although it's clearly something kids do.
But, his sister Mia is bored by his version where "nothing bad happens." She wants the story they way mom reads it.
I especially liked that Gabriel manages to compromise and find a version that lets him be a creative adapter while also pleasing his audience and coming to a happy ending for all the characters.
July 3, 2020
Gabriel wants to tell his sister Mia a story. He wants to read her the same stories mom and dad read, but different. In his stories Sir Gabriel shows up, saves the day, and everyone ends eating ice cream. But Mia doesn't like that. She wants the stories the way she knows them. There is a challenge for Gabriel.
I give 4 stars to the illustrations, but the story felt short. It is a great premise, with sweet characters, but things don't come together at the end. I couldn't see what was so different or better in his last story compared with the previous one, or what finally convinced Mia.
I received this book from Kids Can Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I give 4 stars to the illustrations, but the story felt short. It is a great premise, with sweet characters, but things don't come together at the end. I couldn't see what was so different or better in his last story compared with the previous one, or what finally convinced Mia.
I received this book from Kids Can Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
July 8, 2020
I loved the concept of this story: An older brother reading two fairy tales to his little sister changes up the story to be something less scary. She's not fooled though and wants the stories back to something less boring. But as much as I loved the concept, the story didn't quite work for me. Part of my issue was that I never knew what the true overall goal or moral of the story was. Are we to root for the brother and his retelling? Or are we rooting for the sister who thinks he hurt the story by taking out all the drama? Are classic fairy tales better left as they are? Along those lines, I also wasn't sure if the focus was supposed to be on the brother, the wolf, or how he retells the story at the end when he tries to make it less boring. Yet, even that opens up further questions such as why was the brother so scared of the real story? Or why was the last retelling supposed to be so much better because that one fell a little flat for me as well? The illustrations were nice, but there were some confusing layouts that made the flow of the story more difficult to follow than it should have been.
Rating: 2.5 stars
Rating: 2.5 stars
May 12, 2020
I received an advance reader's copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.
This is a cute story about a boy and his sister sharing stories together. The boys little sister likes the classic stories told with the wolf like her parents read them to her but the big brother only likes books where nothing bad happens because he is the hero in the story. He then comes to realise that always being the hero can become boring and then tells a tale they'll both enjoy.
I thought this book was a fun read.
This is a cute story about a boy and his sister sharing stories together. The boys little sister likes the classic stories told with the wolf like her parents read them to her but the big brother only likes books where nothing bad happens because he is the hero in the story. He then comes to realise that always being the hero can become boring and then tells a tale they'll both enjoy.
I thought this book was a fun read.
May 3, 2020
I'm not sure why I didn't like this one more. Sometimes books just don't "click" with the reader.
Gabe is reading stories to his little sister, but he doesn't like for anything bad to happen, so he swoops in as Sir Gabriel to save the day. His sister eventually gets tired of listening to the stories (because she knows how they're supposed to go; even this toddler seems to realize that you can't have a great story without conflict) and Gabe finally gets the message that his stories are boring. So he allows a villainous wolf into his story... and manages to still have a happy ending.
Part of the problem here will be if kids aren't familiar with stories like "Little Red Riding Hood" and "The Three Little Pigs". (I mean, they should be, but not everybody reads to their children, unfortunately, and younger kids especially might not understand how these particular stories usually go... and why Gabe's sister doesn't like the sanitized versions.)
The pictures are kind of cute, but the story just doesn't work for me. Your mileage may vary, of course.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kids Can Press for providing a digital ARC.
Gabe is reading stories to his little sister, but he doesn't like for anything bad to happen, so he swoops in as Sir Gabriel to save the day. His sister eventually gets tired of listening to the stories (because she knows how they're supposed to go; even this toddler seems to realize that you can't have a great story without conflict) and Gabe finally gets the message that his stories are boring. So he allows a villainous wolf into his story... and manages to still have a happy ending.
Part of the problem here will be if kids aren't familiar with stories like "Little Red Riding Hood" and "The Three Little Pigs". (I mean, they should be, but not everybody reads to their children, unfortunately, and younger kids especially might not understand how these particular stories usually go... and why Gabe's sister doesn't like the sanitized versions.)
The pictures are kind of cute, but the story just doesn't work for me. Your mileage may vary, of course.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kids Can Press for providing a digital ARC.
May 4, 2020
The illustrations were beautifully done but the story was a little lacking. I did think the idea of the older brother wanting to tell his baby sister less "scary" versions of the classic fairy tales was cute though.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
June 12, 2020
Sir Gabriel, slayer of dragons (and sometimes wolves), rode out of the forest on his trusty steed. His armor was made of truth, his shield was made of glory, and his sword was made of courage.
A funny take on classic children stories. Little Red Riding Hood and the three little pigs put together in this path that the wolf took. Will the path lead to trouble? With a little humor, good guy vs bad guy, and taking the path is part of the journey, you will never know what who you will meet.
A Special Thank you to Kids Can Press and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
A funny take on classic children stories. Little Red Riding Hood and the three little pigs put together in this path that the wolf took. Will the path lead to trouble? With a little humor, good guy vs bad guy, and taking the path is part of the journey, you will never know what who you will meet.
A Special Thank you to Kids Can Press and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
April 28, 2020
We all know the classic fairy tales where the Wolf turns out to be the villain, but Gabriel tries to change that notion for his little sister. This story greatly weaves elements of plot, how to create an enticing story, and appealing to the reader audience--all skills that can be taught to students through use of this book! I especially admired the imagery used to describe the wolf towards the end of the book. This is a beautiful picture book that cannot only be treasured for its storyline, but also for its flexible use in the classroom. #NetGalley
April 29, 2020
This is a cute little fractured fairy tale that some elementary teachers might want to add to their collections. Gabe likes to change fairy tales up a little bit because he is a little scared of the Big Bad Wolf. However, his sister finds this incredibly boring. Eventually Gabe finds a way to make the story suit both him and his sister.
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.
May 18, 2020
A little boy improvises on some of the fairy-tales including wolves to avoid scaring his sister, but she doesn't like his versions. It's cute and would be engaging for kids and incorporates the stories 'Red Riding Hood and the Wolf" and "The wolf and the 3 pigs".
I think Netgalley and Kids Can Press for this digital ARC
I think Netgalley and Kids Can Press for this digital ARC
April 26, 2020
This is one of those books where the concept is better than the execution.
A big brother tries to retell Little Read Riding Hood and The Three Little Pigs without any threat to them, because his character, a knight, shoos the wolf away, without incident.
His little sister finds that she doesn't like these versions, because they are boring.
I agree.
If the book had begun with the brother's third attempt, where he had the knight saving pigs and girls and grandmothers from the wolf, then this could have been a much funner book. But since we had to go half way through the book to get to this point, then no, it didn't work.
At this point, I agree with the sister, that she would rather have her mother tell the stories.
Despite all the ice cream at the end.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.l
A big brother tries to retell Little Read Riding Hood and The Three Little Pigs without any threat to them, because his character, a knight, shoos the wolf away, without incident.
His little sister finds that she doesn't like these versions, because they are boring.
I agree.
If the book had begun with the brother's third attempt, where he had the knight saving pigs and girls and grandmothers from the wolf, then this could have been a much funner book. But since we had to go half way through the book to get to this point, then no, it didn't work.
At this point, I agree with the sister, that she would rather have her mother tell the stories.
Despite all the ice cream at the end.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.l
May 1, 2020
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.
Gabe is telling his little sister fairy tale stories but he has his own ideas for how they should end. However his sister does not like his versions of the story and eventually Gabe realizes that without the scary or "bad parts," the stories are boring. Can he come up with a story ending to suit everyone?
What a fantastically SILLY story! Mixed up fairy tales are the very best. This is a great read-aloud book. The speech bubbles and narrative text lend themselves naturally to silly voices. The illustrations are oh so cute and funny. The relationship between the siblings and the single-mindedness of children is spot on. It is a slightly longer picture book with references and nuance that very young readers may not understand, but I think all ages can appreciate the silliness of the story. My 4 and 5 year olds loved it.
Gabe is telling his little sister fairy tale stories but he has his own ideas for how they should end. However his sister does not like his versions of the story and eventually Gabe realizes that without the scary or "bad parts," the stories are boring. Can he come up with a story ending to suit everyone?
What a fantastically SILLY story! Mixed up fairy tales are the very best. This is a great read-aloud book. The speech bubbles and narrative text lend themselves naturally to silly voices. The illustrations are oh so cute and funny. The relationship between the siblings and the single-mindedness of children is spot on. It is a slightly longer picture book with references and nuance that very young readers may not understand, but I think all ages can appreciate the silliness of the story. My 4 and 5 year olds loved it.
April 28, 2020
This Is the Path the Wolf Took would be a great story to use to discuss story structure in a classroom and how to take a boring story and make it more interesting. Gabriel begins by telling his sister a "boring" story. As the book moves on, Gabriel realizes that if he wants to hold his sister's attention, he will need to make his story more exciting. His rewritten version of his own story is much better, his sister remains interested, and he realizes being a writer means adding excitement to his stories.
April 28, 2020
Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for providing me a free copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.
This is a cute book and the illustrations are wonderful.
A mix of "Red Riding Hood" and "Three Little Pigs" but nothing bad happens because Gabe doesn't want scary parts in the stories.
But great stories need danger and risk.
I really love the idea but implementation is a little flat.
This is a cute book and the illustrations are wonderful.
A mix of "Red Riding Hood" and "Three Little Pigs" but nothing bad happens because Gabe doesn't want scary parts in the stories.
But great stories need danger and risk.
I really love the idea but implementation is a little flat.
April 27, 2020
Review copy provided by NetGalley
This was a fun reworking of the tales of Little Red Riding Hood and Three Little Pigs. The essence of the story is the message that without peril most stories are quite dull. The illustrations are warm and engaging and the story is enjoyable. It would a good bedtime read between parents and their children.
This was a fun reworking of the tales of Little Red Riding Hood and Three Little Pigs. The essence of the story is the message that without peril most stories are quite dull. The illustrations are warm and engaging and the story is enjoyable. It would a good bedtime read between parents and their children.
April 24, 2020
This is the story of a little kid making up stories for his sister. It is an okay story book for kids, not one of the best. I felt the story was quite incoherent at times. The illustrations were nice.
May 14, 2020
I really liked the realistic dynamic between the brother and sister, and the fun way that the story shifted and turned throughout. The boy realizing his story was boring was great — I appreciated the garage sale instance. Very cleverly written, and the art is vibrant and engaging.
April 29, 2020
Liked the illustrations. Could connect personally as I keep making stories where nothing bad happens 😅
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 1, 2020
Really nice story about what makes a good story? The pictures are quirky and enchanting- the story good; would get this for my grandchildren 😊
April 23, 2021
Gabe is trying to tell his sister some stories, but he keeps on cutting out the wolf to make the story less scary, but not be boring. Is there a way for him to tell his story without losing the wolf, his sister or his ice cream? Find out!
The charming and playful illustrations by Elina Ellis accompany this delightful read-aloud story perfectly. This read is perfect for story time audiences, daycares and bedtime stories. The thing that I also appreciate about this particular book is how the reader or educator/grown-up can help guide the young reader through the map-like locations of the wolf's journey and even inspire kids to create their own maps of their fairytale journeys...maybe even create a real one that actually ends in ice cream.
Enjoy this fun fairy tale spin-off!
The charming and playful illustrations by Elina Ellis accompany this delightful read-aloud story perfectly. This read is perfect for story time audiences, daycares and bedtime stories. The thing that I also appreciate about this particular book is how the reader or educator/grown-up can help guide the young reader through the map-like locations of the wolf's journey and even inspire kids to create their own maps of their fairytale journeys...maybe even create a real one that actually ends in ice cream.
Enjoy this fun fairy tale spin-off!
September 21, 2020
This Is the Path the Wolf Took by Laura Farina is about a little boy who loves to tell his sister stories, really safe stories. The sister definitely wants more adventure and tells her big brother so. The boy realizes that the safe stories are just a little too boring and with the help of a wolf makes his stories bolder.
Elina Ellis does fantastic illustrations and the pictures in this book were fun to look at.
Thanks to the author Laura Farina, Kids Can Press, and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions are mine.
Elina Ellis does fantastic illustrations and the pictures in this book were fun to look at.
Thanks to the author Laura Farina, Kids Can Press, and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions are mine.
May 7, 2020
Title: This is the Path the Wolf Took
Author: Laura Farina
Illustrator: Elina Ellis
Publisher: Kids Can Press
Date: September 2020
Pages: 48
Let me get the positive thought about this book out of the way early so there is no mystery or beating around the bush: the artwork, as I expected, was wonderful. Kids Can Press does a really good job selecting artists for their stories. I always appreciate the effort that goes into nice colorful drawings.
That's the easy part.
Now, the hard part.
I'm on the fence about this book to be honest with you. It's not because there's not a good idea behind it--who among us hasn't reimagined a story the way we would like it, where we are the hero, and with a bit of dramatic flair worthy of our best daytime 'stories' (i.e., soap-operas)? It's not that the story wasn't funny--there were some truly comedic moments. It's not that drawing upon time honored fairy tales (e.g., Little Red Riding Hood) to make a point is a bad idea.
I think part of the point attempting to be made is that stories need to have 'bad' or 'sad' parts and that stories made up of only 'good' or 'happy' or 'hero' parts are somehow falling short or missing the mark. Could be. And if that is the point, then that's not a bad point to be making. It's not that reimagining stories with all the bad parts gone is a terrible thing either (I can't tell you how many times I have wondered what would have happened if Edmond Dantes had never been imprisoned at the Chateau D'If and instead had married Mercedes, become captain of The Pharoan, and enjoyed his father's company.) Frankly, I think we all often think about what life would be like with all the bad or sad or terrifying parts removed.
Then there might not be any heroes. But maybe a world without heroes isn't such a bad thing.
With that being said, I find it a bit ironic that the storyteller in the story, Sir Gabriel, lost his audience (his sister) as part of the plot. Then Gabriel comes to his own realization that the is 'part of a very boring story' (!). I'm not sure if the author is communicating her own boredom to her readers or what. It was kind of funny though. What does an author or storyteller have to do to hold the readers' attention? Can stories be told without conflict? Without heroes? It's actually a rather brilliant question she is asking.
Kids probably won't care all that much. It is fairly classic in the sense that it borders on the edge of the hero journey. It's close, not perfect, but close. The hero does go through a crisis in the story and has to re-evaluate everything. The hero does reemerge to fight another day.
It's not a frighteningly terrible story. It think it has some places where students can be invited in to offer up opinions or make predictions about what's going on in the story. There are some relatable characters and, to be sure, I like that she was able to make allusions to classic fairy tales like Little Red Riding Hood and The Three Little Pigs. This provides the teacher or parent with opportunities to branch out and read those stories to children too. And that is always a good thing.
I think I'm where the average is on this book as far as stars are concerned. I hope the author will write more children's stories. Let's see where she takes us...
4.5/5 stars.
(I started out at 3 stars for this book. As the day went on, I slowly started changing my mind. I think the average is 4; it gets the additional half star because I like the presence of the hero element.)
I was provided a free Adobe Digital copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my fair and honest review. This I have done. There was no other considerations made in exchange for my review.
Author: Laura Farina
Illustrator: Elina Ellis
Publisher: Kids Can Press
Date: September 2020
Pages: 48
Let me get the positive thought about this book out of the way early so there is no mystery or beating around the bush: the artwork, as I expected, was wonderful. Kids Can Press does a really good job selecting artists for their stories. I always appreciate the effort that goes into nice colorful drawings.
That's the easy part.
Now, the hard part.
I'm on the fence about this book to be honest with you. It's not because there's not a good idea behind it--who among us hasn't reimagined a story the way we would like it, where we are the hero, and with a bit of dramatic flair worthy of our best daytime 'stories' (i.e., soap-operas)? It's not that the story wasn't funny--there were some truly comedic moments. It's not that drawing upon time honored fairy tales (e.g., Little Red Riding Hood) to make a point is a bad idea.
I think part of the point attempting to be made is that stories need to have 'bad' or 'sad' parts and that stories made up of only 'good' or 'happy' or 'hero' parts are somehow falling short or missing the mark. Could be. And if that is the point, then that's not a bad point to be making. It's not that reimagining stories with all the bad parts gone is a terrible thing either (I can't tell you how many times I have wondered what would have happened if Edmond Dantes had never been imprisoned at the Chateau D'If and instead had married Mercedes, become captain of The Pharoan, and enjoyed his father's company.) Frankly, I think we all often think about what life would be like with all the bad or sad or terrifying parts removed.
Then there might not be any heroes. But maybe a world without heroes isn't such a bad thing.
With that being said, I find it a bit ironic that the storyteller in the story, Sir Gabriel, lost his audience (his sister) as part of the plot. Then Gabriel comes to his own realization that the is 'part of a very boring story' (!). I'm not sure if the author is communicating her own boredom to her readers or what. It was kind of funny though. What does an author or storyteller have to do to hold the readers' attention? Can stories be told without conflict? Without heroes? It's actually a rather brilliant question she is asking.
Kids probably won't care all that much. It is fairly classic in the sense that it borders on the edge of the hero journey. It's close, not perfect, but close. The hero does go through a crisis in the story and has to re-evaluate everything. The hero does reemerge to fight another day.
It's not a frighteningly terrible story. It think it has some places where students can be invited in to offer up opinions or make predictions about what's going on in the story. There are some relatable characters and, to be sure, I like that she was able to make allusions to classic fairy tales like Little Red Riding Hood and The Three Little Pigs. This provides the teacher or parent with opportunities to branch out and read those stories to children too. And that is always a good thing.
I think I'm where the average is on this book as far as stars are concerned. I hope the author will write more children's stories. Let's see where she takes us...
4.5/5 stars.
(I started out at 3 stars for this book. As the day went on, I slowly started changing my mind. I think the average is 4; it gets the additional half star because I like the presence of the hero element.)
I was provided a free Adobe Digital copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my fair and honest review. This I have done. There was no other considerations made in exchange for my review.
September 2, 2020
I received an electronic ARC from Kids Can Press through NetGalley.
Amusing to see this young boy rewrite fairy tales to eliminate the scary parts. His character, Sir Gabriel, chases off the wolf and everyone gets ice cream. His younger sister is upset and wants to hear the stories as dad and mom read them. He realizes his changed stories are a bit boring so rewrites them again to have Sir Gabriel directly confront the wolf and win.
Told with captions and narration. Elementary level readers will enjoy the fun and realization that stories need some suspense and action to hold readers' interest.
Amusing to see this young boy rewrite fairy tales to eliminate the scary parts. His character, Sir Gabriel, chases off the wolf and everyone gets ice cream. His younger sister is upset and wants to hear the stories as dad and mom read them. He realizes his changed stories are a bit boring so rewrites them again to have Sir Gabriel directly confront the wolf and win.
Told with captions and narration. Elementary level readers will enjoy the fun and realization that stories need some suspense and action to hold readers' interest.
June 7, 2020
In this fun look at sibling love and look at what makes for a good story, which warms this grandmother's heart, two famous fairy tales are reinvented. A little girl's big brother offers to read her a book. However he does not like the way the story usually ends and he creates a gallant knight that saves the day when Little Red Riding brings a treat to her granny. But his sister does not like his story, she calls for her daddy to tell her the real story. . Ever the helpful big brother he tries another story. This time Sir Gabriel jumps in and saves the day for the three little pigs.
Again the sister cries out for the story she loves. Will her brother ever find the way to entertain his sister? Read This is the Path the Wolf Took by Laura Farina. You will enjoy the simple child like drawings on each page and be impressed with the vocabulary. Dragons whimper and are banished while knights ride trusty steeds and wear an armor of truth.
Recommended for children preschool - 2nd grade. It would be a great addition to any home, school or town library. It would also make for a fun way to begin a discussion with older students about the elements of a good story.
Again the sister cries out for the story she loves. Will her brother ever find the way to entertain his sister? Read This is the Path the Wolf Took by Laura Farina. You will enjoy the simple child like drawings on each page and be impressed with the vocabulary. Dragons whimper and are banished while knights ride trusty steeds and wear an armor of truth.
Recommended for children preschool - 2nd grade. It would be a great addition to any home, school or town library. It would also make for a fun way to begin a discussion with older students about the elements of a good story.
June 9, 2020
This is the Path the Wolf Took is the tale a young boy tells his sister. He gives her a nice, watered down version of a few classic fairy tales in which he - or Sir Gabriel as he imagines himself - keeps everything under control. When she bores of his version, he realizes he needs to ramp up the drama and peril, but of course finishes with a happily ever after.
The illustrations were cute, and the concept of a twist on the classics is a nice one. However, the layout and the storyline just didn't do much for me. My girls are 4 and 3, and this did not in any way hold their interest and I have to say it fell flat for me too. I struggle to think of an age group that would both understand and be held captive with this book.
Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for providing me a free copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.
The illustrations were cute, and the concept of a twist on the classics is a nice one. However, the layout and the storyline just didn't do much for me. My girls are 4 and 3, and this did not in any way hold their interest and I have to say it fell flat for me too. I struggle to think of an age group that would both understand and be held captive with this book.
Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for providing me a free copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.
May 3, 2020
3.5 stars
In "The Path The Wolf Took", Gabriel, the "big" brother, tells his little sister some of the classical tales such as "Red Riding Hood" and "Three Little Pigs" but in a different way.
In his retellings, Gabe always finds a way of extinguish anything bad from it using the heroic figure of a knight that looks a lot like him.
But the little sister is upset, she thinks the way Gabe tells the stories is really boring and doesn't want to read any more from him.
So Gabe will have to find a way to overcome this obstacle like a real hero and to bring his little sister's attention to him again.
The illustrations were stunning! Really cute and funny.
The story was a little confusing but I liked the interpretations it left available: maybe Gabe doesn't like anything bad in the stories because »he« is afraid of them, maybe he thought than an invencible good character was the thing that matters...
Either way, he really learned something new and he cared enough for his sister to analyse the situation and make the best of it.
Special thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me a free digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
In "The Path The Wolf Took", Gabriel, the "big" brother, tells his little sister some of the classical tales such as "Red Riding Hood" and "Three Little Pigs" but in a different way.
In his retellings, Gabe always finds a way of extinguish anything bad from it using the heroic figure of a knight that looks a lot like him.
But the little sister is upset, she thinks the way Gabe tells the stories is really boring and doesn't want to read any more from him.
So Gabe will have to find a way to overcome this obstacle like a real hero and to bring his little sister's attention to him again.
The illustrations were stunning! Really cute and funny.
The story was a little confusing but I liked the interpretations it left available: maybe Gabe doesn't like anything bad in the stories because »he« is afraid of them, maybe he thought than an invencible good character was the thing that matters...
Either way, he really learned something new and he cared enough for his sister to analyse the situation and make the best of it.
Special thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me a free digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
May 5, 2020
I did read this as a digital copy via Netgalley. I believe it would do even better as a print oversize book for classrooms or as a moderate size picture book for older kids to read to younger siblings. It is the story of one child reading to another.
Although it does not say this, the person reading may have been afraid of some of the stories he heard told in a traditional manner. Let's face it - however you feel about the wolf as an adult, as a kid he was scary! This boy is trying to protect his little sister and glosses over some of the violent aspects of the story. She is not having it. She knows there is more to the story and a true story needs conflict and a problem to solve. The child reader's problem is how to add those dangerous parts without making the story too scary.
I think the author and illustrator did a wonderful job. There are parts of the delightful pictures to discuss. Enough there to create another story! And the words tell a nice story. You can discuss with your kids WHY the brother is telling it differently than Dad tells it, or why he prefers she doesn't call for Mommy.
There are some chuckles in the book too. Nicely done.
Although it does not say this, the person reading may have been afraid of some of the stories he heard told in a traditional manner. Let's face it - however you feel about the wolf as an adult, as a kid he was scary! This boy is trying to protect his little sister and glosses over some of the violent aspects of the story. She is not having it. She knows there is more to the story and a true story needs conflict and a problem to solve. The child reader's problem is how to add those dangerous parts without making the story too scary.
I think the author and illustrator did a wonderful job. There are parts of the delightful pictures to discuss. Enough there to create another story! And the words tell a nice story. You can discuss with your kids WHY the brother is telling it differently than Dad tells it, or why he prefers she doesn't call for Mommy.
There are some chuckles in the book too. Nicely done.
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