A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Young, E. (2012). Lon po po: A red-riding hood story from China. New York: Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers.
B. PLOT SUMMARY
Lon Po Po is a retelling of Little Red-Riding Hood from China. In it, three young children - Shang, Tao, and Poatze - are visited by a wolf posing as their Po Po (grandmother) after their mother leaves them alone in the house one day. The wolf cleverly convinces the children to unlock their front door, and once inside, he blows out the candle so that the children cannot see his face. The wolf feigns being tired, and gets in bed with all three children. Once in bed, the children become suspicious of the fact that their grandmother now has a tail and sharp claws. The wolf attempts to dismiss their concerns by making up the fact that he has brought a rope and tools with him. The oldest child then lights a candle, and sees the wolf's hairy face before it can be blown out again.
The children then devised a plan to get rid of the wolf once and for all. Shang, the oldest child, convinces the wolf the the ginkgo nuts growing in the tree outside the house can make him live forever. The children climb up the tree first, and tell the wolf to throw up a rope so that they can pull him up in a basket. On the first attempt, one of the children begins pulling him, only to release the rope when he is about halfway up the tree. The wolf falls down hard, but gets back in the basket after another child begins helping to pull the rope. Again, the children drop the rope, and the wolf falls to the ground hard. Finally, all three children begin pulling the rope until the wolf can nearly touch the top of the tree. But when the children release the rope this time, the wolf falls from the basket and dies. The next day, the children's mother returns, and they tell her the story of the wolf pretending to be their Po Po.
C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
There were some really interesting changes in this retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. To start with, instead of just one character that the wolf is trying to eat, we have three siblings all working together to defeat the big bad wolf in this version. There were similarities between the version that I had been told as a child as well, even including similar lines to "Grandmother, what sharp claws you have!" The trickery and cunning of the wolf was once again no match for these children, and ultimately the wolf failed in his mission to eat them.
The real difference, at least in my memory, between this version and the one I grew up with is the tone this version carries. The artwork, and even the ending, seemed a bit darker than what I remember as a kid. The images of the wolf throughout are frightening, and I always felt that the version I read growing up had a lighter, more playful tone. I've heard the original version with the woodsman is pretty dark as well, so I'm wondering if this version is more consistent with the original European version of the story.
In terms of cultural markers throughout the book, the artwork, and especially the wolf, are definitely representative of a more Eastern-based style. The names of the children, and even using Po Po - the Chinese translation of grandmother - makes this story feel unique in its retelling. The children even trick the wolf into climbing up a ginkgo tree, a plant that is native to China. I feel that Ed Young did a wonderful job with this retelling, adding cultural elements that made this story feel different than many of the Little Red-Riding Hood retellings I have encountered.
D. REVIEW EXCERPTS
''A gripping variation of Red Riding Hood. This is an outstanding achievement that will be pored over again and again."
--School Library Journal, starred review
"This compelling tale, translated from a "collection of Chinese folktales," may be the finest book yet from this excellent illustrator...Absolutely splendid."
--Kirkus Reviews
"(Young's) command of page composition and his sensitive use of color give the book a visual force that matches the strength of the story and stands as one of the illustrator's best efforts."
--Booklist
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