Lon Po Po

Montag · Admin Posts: 123 Join date: 2008-04-20

Lon Po Po, by Ed Young

I remembered this book from my childhood -- oddly enough while reading a scene in Twilight with Jacob Black (perhaps my mind was clinging to books I remember fondly to get though the chapter).

Lon Po Po is a spin on the Little Red Ridinghood tale through the rich voice of Chinese heritage.

From Publishers Weekly
"This version of the Red Riding Hood story from Young ( The Emperor and the Kite ; Cats Are Cats ; Yeh-Shen ) features three daughters left at home when their mother goes to visit their grandmother. Lon Po Po, the Granny Wolf, pretends to be the girls' grandmother, until clever Shang, the eldest daughter, suspects the greedy wolf's real identity. Tempting him with ginkgo nuts, the girls pull him in a basket to the top of the tree in which they are hiding, then let go of the rope--killing him. One of Young's most arresting illustrations accompanies his dedication: "To all the wolves of the world for lending their good name as a tangible symbol for our darkness." Like ancient Oriental paintings, the illustrations are frequently grouped in panels. When the girls meet the wolf, e.g., the left panel focuses on their wary faces peering out from the darkness, the middle enlarges the evil wolf's eye and teeth, and the third is a vivid swirl of the blue clothes in which the wolf is disguised. The juxtaposition of abstract and realistic representations, the complicated play of color and shadow, and the depth of the artist's vision all help transform this simple fairy tale into an extraordinary and powerful book. Ages 4-8."

Beautiful artwork, strong narrative.

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On becoming a writer: First you write. Then you write some more. You write, and write, and write, and of course, write. You get angry, throw things, write, delete, write, and you write a bit more until blood comes out of your ears and you say, my God, I'm losing my mind.