Lon Po Po is a multicultural children’s picture book, both
written and illustrated by Ed Young (1989).
Within the story, the sisters, Shang, Tao, and Paotze are staying home
alone while their mother visits their grandmother. While away, a wolf disguises himself as the
grandmother and tricks the girls into letting him into their house. Eventually the oldest sister discovers his
true identity, and concocts a way to get rid of the wolf. In the end, the wolf dies and the girls await
their mother’s return.
Lon
Po Po can be categorized within the folklore/folktale genre, as it is a “red-riding
hood story from China” (Young, 1989). When considering the story’s language and
illustrations, Lon Po Po is a quality
piece of literature. To begin with, this
translated tale “reflects the cultural integrity of early retellings” (Galda et
al., 2010, p. 178). Young (1989) clearly
introduces and describes the characters through text descriptions and behavior within
the story. The plot is sequential, as
the sisters encounter a conflict with the wolf, and the tale’s conclusion
provides pleasant closure when the girls outsmart the wolf. Also, the language used within the story flows
naturally in a third-person narrative format, and is appropriate and comprehendible
for children. The themes found within
the tale are also universally significant, as obeying one’s parents and not
trusting strangers is important for all children (Galda et al., 2010). Lastly,
Young’s (1989) illustrations portray excellence, as the panel-like watercolor
pictures complement the narrative.
The author, Ed Young was born in
China but currently resides in New York.
As a child, Young read a lot, no matter the type of literature. Growing up, Young knew that he wanted to
pursue something artistic, which led him to illustrate for many other authors
before writing and illustrating for himself.
Young is especially inspired by nature and folklore, which can be seen
within both his writing and illustrations.
Several books that Young has written and illustrated include Cat and Rat, I, Doko, and Night Visitors.
When I first read that Lon Po Po was a translated version of the Little Red Riding Hood
story, I was afraid that I would favor the classic tale due to its
incorporation into my childhood. After
reading the story, however, I actually preferred the Lon Po Po version. I loved
the cleverness and courage of the 3 sisters as they noticed the danger they
were in, and worked to escape the situation.
I also paged through the story several times just to take in Young’s
beautiful illustrations. Young combined
breathtaking illustrations with an inspiring narrative; what more could we
want? Vicki Blackwell’s (2003) website
displayed 2 illustrations from Lon Po Po which
can be viewed below.
Below are 2 motivational activities and reader
response questions that would be beneficial for students within the classroom:
- The first
activity would involve reading a classic version of Little Red Riding
Hood, and the Chinese version, Lon
Po Po. After reading both
stories as a class, students would partner up and complete a Venn diagram
comparing and contrasting the 2 versions.
Students would be urged to keep literary elements in mind, as well
as the quality of the illustrations in each. After the partnerships completed the
Venn diagrams, there would be a class discussion on the similarities and
differences of the 2 stories. I
would also be curious to learn which version the students liked better and
why.
- The second activity would be a “transition”
assignment that would be great for active engagement in the classroom. As the students will be writing their
own versions of Little Red Riding Hood within the folklore unit, I would
focus on the way Young (1989) used transition words throughout his story
to help organize the events and to help the tale flow freely. Each time the students hear me read a
transition word, I want them to put their hands out in a “stop”
position. Several transition words
include but are not limited to first, to begin with, finally, then, now,
the next day, once, and so on. After
the story is read, I will have the students do a class “retell” of the
events that occurred using transition words.
Reader
Response Questions:
- Did you
like the ending of the book? Why or
why not?
- Are there any words or questions that you have
from this version? If so, let’s try to answer them as a class!
- If you were an author, what would you change
about this story/version?
References
Blackwell,
V. (2003). Lon Po Po [online images].
Retrieved from
Galda,
L., Cullinan, B.E., Sipe, L. R. (2010). Literature
and the Child (7th ed.).
Belmont, CA:
Wadsworth, Inc.
Young,
E. (1989). Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding
Hood story from China. New York, NY: Penguin
Putnam Books