Lon Po Po

Title: Lon Po Po
Author, Translator, and Illustrator : Young, Ed
Publisher: Paperstar Books, 1989
Genre: Picture Book, Traditional Literature, Trickster Tale
Age Range: 2-4th grade
Awards: 1990 Caldecott Medal, Most Distinguished Picture Book

Summary: This is the Chinese Tale of Little Red Riding Hood. When the mother of Shang, Tao, and Paotze leaves to go see her grand-mother on her birthday, a mischievous wolf tries to take advantage of three children. The wolf dressed up as the grandmother and went knocking at the door. The children believe that it is their Po Po and tell her their mother has gone to see her. When the children ask why she has come so late "Po Po" answers, "The journey is long, my children, and the day is short." The children continue to question the wolf, but he is witty. Finally, the children let him in. They climb in the bed together and Shang felt a tail, sharp claws, and a hairy face! Shang was the eldest and most clever of all the children. She did not say anything to her siblings but instead asked Po Po if she had ever tried gingko nuts - nits that will make you live forever. The curious wolf wanted to taste one! Each of the children climbed up the tree, where Shang told them about the wolf. Shang tells "Po Po" that she has to directly pick the nuts from the tree for it to be any good. They assist the wolf by levering a basket up the tree with the wolf in it. They try lifting Po Po three times, dropping her each time. The last drop kills the wolf! When their mother returned, they told her the story.

Response: I remember my elementary school librarian reading this to me! I LOVED it then, and I love it now! It is so different from the traditional Little Red Riding Hood that I know. One of my favorite aspects about this book is how Young illustrates it. I love the panel pictures! They are so captivating and flow so well!

I also really enjoy the language that Young uses. This tale is definitely a Chinese tale, mostly by language. Names, choice words, and pictures all help this book come to life - otherwise it would just be another Little Red Riding Hood.

Teaching Ideas: Just like we are doing in class, I think this book would be great to use with a Venn Diagram. In fact, comparing this with another traditional tale could be a good way to introduce that mapping concept. Teachers could also get vocabulary from this book; ginkgo, disguised etc. Teachers could also talk about the oral tradition; How might this story have changed through the years? For older students, Fairy Tale Autobiographies would be neat to do! Have fun with it! -jeana
-jeana