Lon Po Po

Lon Po Po, A red riding hood story from China by Ed Young
Caldecott Medal 1990

No question, the illustrations are beautiful. I love Ed Young and he has been a prolific illustrator of children's books, and often the author as well (as is the case here.) He has received a Caldecott medal or honor three times! The pictures are a mix of water color and pastels. They have a curious way of being soft and details at the same time. Each page the illustration is divided into panels, I enjoy this reference to Asian traditions. It's not my favorite story, but the pictures are stunning.

This book is not for the faint of heart! He depicts the scariness of the wolf very dramatically and the children in the book look really frightened. Plus, the children manage to use their wits and survive, so it all ends well for the children. . . but not so much for the wolf,  and for animal lovers these drawings are also pretty scary.

I appreciate the author dedicating the book this way: "To all the wolves of the world for lending their good name as a tangible symbol for our darkness."