Product Description

Everyone knows there are at least two sides to every story, and if you believe the big-eared, sharp-toothed villain of LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD, there’s a logical explanation for everything. As our antihero tell it, it all starts with the helpful wolf doing odd jobs for Grandma (are you sure you don’t want to sit a little closer?). How was he to know that the spoiled Little Red would come along and ruin a good working relationship?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #255885 in Books
• Published on: 2005-10-11
• Released on: 2005-10-11
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 32 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780763627850
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 2–The wolf's interpretation of what happened in the Little Red Riding Hood story tries too hard and misses the mark. He tells how he did odd jobs for Grandma and one day, as the woman was reaching into her wardrobe, she 'accidentally bumped her head and was knocked out cold. In a panic, he pushed her inside and donned her dress to fool the granddaughter who was knocking at the door. The text has several lapses in logic. In one situation, the girl says, What BIG ears you have, and the response is 'Oh, these old things,' I said, and changed the subject.' However, he didn't change the subject since the girl is the next to speak. Throughout the retelling, the wolf poses questions that are meant to exude innocence–Would I LIE to you? I did nothing wrong. Would I? Not everyone likes a wolf, do they? The watercolor-and-pencil illustrations reveal a shiny-faced young girl, a cozy-looking grandmother, and a scraggly gray wolf with sly yellow eyes. They offer interesting perspectives: bird's-eye views of the forest; looking into the wolf's eyes to see the reflection of a small red-coated girl; and a view of the child framed by the wolf's tooth-rimmed mouth. At story's end, the animal walks away with his shortened tail wrapped in a bloody bandage while telling readers that he's still available for hire. Stick with Jon Scieszka's The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs! (Viking, 1989) for a humorous, and involving, story of fabricated guilelessness.–Maryann H. Owen, Racine Public Library, WI
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From the Publisher
Little readers will love second-guessing this funny, fractured fairy tale replaying the story of Little Red Riding Hood from the poor maligned wolf’s point of view. Zooming in dramatically from strategic angles, the amusing illustrations offer visual clues that this is a story to be taken with a grain of salt – and a lot of giggling.

About the Author
Toby Forward is the author of many books for children, including SHAKESPEARE’S GLOBE. He has also written for adults and is currently working on a Victorian detective story. Toby Forward lives in Liverpool, England, with his wife and two daughters.

Izhar Cohen's artwork has appeared in everything from the pages of the Times of London to postage stamps and calendars. THE WOLF’S STORY is his first book with Candlewick Press. Izhar Cohen lives in Israel with his wife and daughter.

Customer Reviews

A Fine Example of when the Illustrator and Author do not speak....
Although I think the illustrations are lovely I really disagree with the previous reviewer. During a residency for a Library Science class we were asked to look at ARC of some children's books and this was one of the titles I chose. I found the illustrations did not match the text. The illustrations would have been fine for the original tale of Little Red Riding Hood. But for a reverse of the tale it did not work. The wolf was too scary and one does not sympathize with scary creatures. I would not recommend this title.

Beware the Wolf's Story!
Toby Forward hails from Liverpool, England and has written another fine book for children - "The Wolf's Story: What Really Happened to Little Red Riding Hood". Wonderfully illustrated by Ishar Cohen of Palestine, the artwork reinforces the perspective of the wolf on the events in the traditional Little Red Riding Hood story, retold here by the wolf thanks to Toby Forward.

First of all, nothing that happened in the Little Red Riding Hood story was the wolf's fault - "Would I lie to you? It was the old woman who started it". He says that he was just a friendly wolf doing odd jobs for Grandma - "Anyway, I did odd jobs for the old woman. Called her Grandma". Then that spoiled Little Red Riding Hood showed up and ruined everything - "so I leaped out of bed, ...Then she started screaming". Now that you know the truth, you can trust a wolf, can't you? "Do I LOOK like the sort of wolf who goes around eating grandmas?", he asks.

This book is a good example of dishonesty and lying, which the wolf engages in throughout his story. The story helps children to tell the difference between a truthful statement and a false statement that purports to be true. Children learn what it is called when someone says something that is not true - it is called a lie.

This book can be used as an introduction to discussing types of dishonesty with your child, from exaggerating, flattery, twisting the truth, and not telling the whole truth (so you don't get into trouble) to cheating on tests or outright lying. For extension, children can go to www.ImpeachBlair.org and read the lies that Blair manufactured for Bush to do American-powered British empire against Iraqis. Helping children develop honesty and the ability to detect dishonesty is important to their ability to make their own decisions despite attempts by others to manipulate them, whether it be their peers, politicians, or consumer culture.

In short, a wonderful book to help your child detect dishonesty.