Lon Po Po by Ed Young

1990 Caldecott Award

1. Bibliography
Young, Ed. 1989. LON PO PO. New York: Philomel Books. ISBN 0399216197.

2. Plot Summary
In this Red-Riding Hood story from China, three sisters left home alone outsmart the hungry wolf pretending to be their grandmother and save themselves from being his next meal.

3. Critical Analysis
The magic of this book is its illustrations. In watercolor and pastels, Ed Young captures the deepest, innermost, elemental fear of humankind represented by the wolf. Much of the artwork is paneled in the fashion of ancient Chinese art. The panels create tension by juxtaposing wide angles with closeups. Side by side panels depict first the children, whose faces glow in the black shadows, and then a close-up shot of the wolf, whose glowing eye and teeth fill the entire frame. The play of light and shadow links the wolf's menacing eye to the bright faces of the children. Through the use of panels, Young is also able to increase detail and stretch out the action, delaying the climax and keeping us stomach-clenched and on edge.

4. Review Excerpts
School Library Journal--"...this is an outstanding achievement that will be pored over again and again."
Publisher's Weekly--"An extraordinary and powerful book. "

5. Connections

*Other books written and/or illustrated by Ed Young (also Chinese folklore):

Louie, Ai Ling. YEH SHEN: A CINDERELLA STORY FROM CHINA. Ill. by Ed Young. Putnam Juvenile. ISBN 0698113888.

BEYOND THE GREAT MOUNTAINS. Chronicle Books. ISBN 0811843432.
RED THREAD. Philomel Books. ISBN 0399219692.
THE LOST HORSE: A CHINESE FOLKTALE. Voyager Books. ISBN 015205023X.
THE SONS OF THE DRAGON KING: A CHINESE LEGEND. Athenaeum. ISBN 0689851847.

*Red-Riding Hood tales from other cultures:
Artell, Mike and Jim Harris. PETITE ROUGE: A CAJUN RED-RIDING HOOD. Dial. ISBN 0803725140.

Daly, Niki. PRETTY SALMA: A LITTLE RED-RIDING HOOD STORY FROM AFRICA. Clarion Books. ISBN 0618723455.