2023 EDIT: Part of my 2023 clear-up, of books I no longer like, or am no longer interested in, or remember well as standing out, or find as special anymore, or I otherwise will not miss.
Final Score: 3.5/5
Original Review:
A classic Chinese retelling of 'Red Riding Hood' - a very different albeit similar take, with three young sisters at the forefront.
The misty watercolour illustrations really add to the darkness of the book. The wolf himself - Lon Po Po, the house intruder disguised as the girls' grandmother - is terrifying, yet at the end you can't help feeling sorry for him. An oddly tragic villain, is Granny Wolf. I love the dynamic between the three girls - Shang, Tao, and Paotze - and how they prove to be as cunning as the hungry wolf. These children work together, and show they are not so innocent as all that. For you see, they've got nuts, and trees, and a rope! They did learn from their rather callous mother, who leaves them alone in the house overnight to go out and celebrate their grandmother's birthday without them, apparently. Cultural differences? Thus leading to the wolf's plot and demise in the first place.
'Lon Po Po: A Red Riding Hood Story From China'- a gloomy, creepy and strangely funny fairy tale. I'd definitely read it to my kids - it's not that scary, and children's stories need a bit of depth and darkness to them. And diversity. And smart, brave, ordinary heroines to aspire to.
I'm glad I happened upon this shadowy beauty only today. I adore it to pieces.
Final Score: 4/5
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