Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story from China

Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story from China. Ed Young. Illus. by Ed Young. New York: Philomel Books, 1989. 32 pages. $14.95 (Hardcover). ISBN 0-399-21619-7. Grades K-3.

My Thoughts...

Thank GOD some children have good sense! I really liked red-riding hood story because the children in it seemed to have a brain. I loved that the three little girls were wise enough to out smart the wolf. This is a break from the traditional woodman coming to save granny that I was raised hearing. I think this version promotes independence and smarts rather than curiosity and then needing to be saved. I also found the wolf quicker on his feet than wolves in the little red riding hoods I’ve heard. I am so used to the uncreative better to see, hear, hug, etc. you with my dear. I also think it was very wise of him to blow out the candle. I am pretty sure it was always day light in the versions I’ve heard. Not to mention was every Red Riding Hood in my youth missing her glasses/contacts and miss the furry face? Yeah she saw the eyes, teeth, etc, but not the fur? Really?!  I digress. I guess the wolf wasn’t too wise since he met his demise, but I think his quick answers and candle extinguishing made for a better story. I also like that this version turned the gross/scare factor down by the girls tempting the wolf with the gingko nuts, letting him switch his fascination from their flesh. I think this is less scary, and definitely less gross, for smaller children. The illustrations in this story were also great. I loved the split panels. It definitely helped me move my eyes across the page and follow the action in the pictures. I also like how the images were blurry. I think this is a great decision here because it makes the whole story seem like dream, which it pretty much is since it is a fairy tale of sorts. I did find one bit of the translation off. I thought that “All the chicks are in the coop” seemed out of place in the midst of PoPo and the other Chinese names. I don’t think this took away from the story, but it definitely caught my attention. I guess when it comes to translating that was probably the best saying Young could find. Anyway, I will definitely remember this red riding hood story.

Oh, as an afterthought that really occurred before I read the story itself. I loved the dedication “To all the wolves of the world, for lending their good name as a tangible symbol for our darkness.” This reminded me of Joe Kukla’s Wolf’s Coming, a story where the we think the wolf must be a bad guy like usual but we find ourselves pleasantly surprised at the end.