LON PO PO: A RED-RIDING HOOD STORY FROM CHINA

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Young, Ed. 1989. LON PO PO: A RED-RIDING HOOD STORY FROM CHINA. Ill. by Ed Young. New York: Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0698113829

B. PLOT SUMMARY
This is a Chinese version of the fairy-tale, Little Red Riding Hood. Three sisters are left along and the wolf comes calling disguised as Po Po. The story shows how the sisters regain control after the wolf gets into the house.

C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Ed Young retells the Chinese version of Little Red Riding Hood using dark, hazy illustrations to enhance the mood throughout the story. In this version, three sisters, Shang, Tao, and Paotze are left alone for the night while their mother visits their grandmother. That action allows the story to occur. The old wolf saw an opportunity and took it. The youngest two sisters are fooled by the wolf and that is how he gets into the house. The bed scene resembles the other version of this story, but in this story the quick-thinking oldest sister outsmarts the wolf. Resourceful Shang gets all of them out of the reach of the wolf by tempting him with gingko nuts. Young gives the girls childlike reactions along with problem solving skills. The dialogue is direct in this story.
The illustrations, also done by Young, enhance the text by creating a mood of darkness and fear. The illustrations are a combination of water color and pastels with smoky indistinct shapes. The focus is on the eyes of both the girls and the wolf. The vagueness of the illustrations adds to the allusion of fear.
Both the text and illustrations contain cultural markers. The illustrations are divided into panels of one to two per page. The names of the characters are another cultural marker. The gingko nut that is used to tempt the wolf is a food found in Asia.

D. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Horn Book starred (February, 1990)
Young has given his fine retelling of this Red-Riding Hood variant the look of old Chinese decorative panels. The illustrations throb with the mystery and terror of the wolf and the round-eyed fright of the children. Review, p. 79.

Kirkus Review starred (1989)
This compelling tale, translated from a "collection of Chinese folktales," may be the finest book yet from this excellent illustrator--and is certainly among the most beautiful books this year. Three little girls are left alone while their mother, after warning them to keep the door well latched, goes to visit their grandmother (Po Po) for the night. Under cover of darkness, the wily wolf disguises himself as Po Po, prevails on the younger children to let him in, and blows out the candle. But when he doesn't feel like Po Po, the eldest, Shang, contrives to see his hairy face; then she devises a clever plan to trick the wolf and save them all. Another suspenseful version of this tale appeared in Yep's The Rainbow People (p. 774/C-138). Young's graceful translation is both mellower and nobler in tone, while the story is still satisfyingly frightening as the children contend in the dark with the invader. Young's dramatic illustrations, in watercolor and pastel, appear in vertical panels--one or two per page--with some double-spread vistas extending across two or three panels, a device he uses effectively in his wonderfully harmonious designs. The story's terror is both mitigated and enhanced by the artist's suggestive, soft-edged style: there's none of Hollywood's ghoulish precision, but plenty of the mists and shadows where creatures of the imagination thrive--highlighted by the sisters' expressive eyes. A symphony of lovely color progresses from page to page, always related yet fascinating in its variety and contrasts. Even Young's eloquent dedication--"To all the wolves, of the world for lending their good name as a tangible symbol for our darkness"--is perfect. Absolutely splendid.

School Library Journal (December 1989)
Gr 1-5-- A gripping variation on Red Riding Hood that involves three little sisters who outsmart the wolf ( lon or long in Cantonese) who has gained entry to their home under the false pretense of being their maternal grandmother ( Po Po ). The clever animal blows out the candle before the children can see him , and is actually in bed with them when they start asking the traditional ``Why, Grandma!'' questions. The eldest realizes the truth and tricks the wolf into letting them go outside to pick gingko nuts , and then lures him to his doom. The text possesses that matter-of-fact veracity that characterizes the best fairy tales. The watercolor and pastel pictures are remarkable: mystically beautiful in their depiction of the Chinese countryside, menacing in the exchanges with the wolf, and positively chilling in the scenes inside the house. Overall, this is an outstanding achievement that will be pored over again and again.--John Philbrook, San Francisco Pub . Lib .

School Library Journal (November 1998)
Gr 1-5-With forceful impressionistic paintings, Young artfully entices readers across the fairy-tale threshold into a story of three girls' fearless battle of wits with a famished wolf. (Dec. 1989)

E. CONNECTIONS
Children could compare different version of Little Red Riding Hood, choosing their favorite parts from each story and telling why they like it best.

Other versions of LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD:
Ernst, Lisa Campbell. LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD: A NEWFANGLED PRAIRIE TALE. ISBN 0689821913
Hyman, Trina Schart. LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD. ISBN 0823404706
Pinkney, Jerry. LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD. ISBN 0316013552