Lon Po Po

Information for students
Author: Ed Young Title: Lon Po Po
Book Genre: Traditional Publishing Info: Philomel Books, 28

Summary: This is a Red-Riding Hood story from China. Three sisters are staying home alone overnight when a wolf that is disguised as their grandmother comes to the house. Shang, the oldest of the children, realizes that it is a wolf, and decides to trick him. She climbs up a gingko tree with her sisters, and while trying to lift the wolf up in a basket, they let the rope go, killing the wolf.

Personal rating: ****

Rationale: entertaining story, stereotypical characters, unique illustrations, helps children to realize that children from another part of the world have wisdom and courage

Information for teachers
Reading level: 2.6 Interest level: k-3rd

Thematic Areas: trickery, wisdom, good wins over evil, small outwitting big, survival, courage

Content Areas: geography, Asian history and culture

Potential Problems or Difficulties: Character names may be confusing for young readers. Parts of story may seem frightening to young children.

Possible use in classroom: Students write their own version of a Red-Riding Hood tale; compare details and themes of Lon Po Po and Little Red-Riding Hood; invite an Asian storyteller to talk to the class; use in geography unit to include information on China; allow students to experiment with different art media to create their own illustrations of the story