Customer Reviews

Beware Of The Storybook Wolves

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I expected a lot from this book, from the catchy title and the great illustrations, and it delivered! My two girls, ages 5 and 3, absolutely love it too. The wolves try to be so scary, but they just end up being funny. Out of the many, many children's books I have read to my girls, this is probably my favorite. A definate buy!

There's nothing little Herb likes more than hearing his mom read his favorite bedtime story. You know, the one with the little girl in red and that horrible, slobbering, hairy wolf. And each night after she's finished reading, Herb makes sure she takes the book with her when she leaves his room. Mom thinks storybook wolves are harmless. Herb's not so sure and he's not going to take any chances. Sure enough, one night just as she's finished reading, the phone rings and his mother leaves the book lying open, turns out the light and runs to answer it. The next thing Herb sees is a couple of really nasty, hungry, drooling wolves that think he would make a good meal. But Herb's thinking fast, opening other story books and shaking out a few characters who might be able to help him outwit these two ugly carnivores..... Lauren Child has done it again as she captures the very real fears and runaway imaginations of the young mind. Her witty, silly text is only outdone by her marvelous and creative collage illustrations and youngsters will enjoy all the bright and busy details. With a surprise ending will have both kids and grown-ups laughing out loud, Beware the Storybook Wolves is perfect for youngsters 4-8 and is sure to amuse and delight everyone in the family.

Like the Jeff Daniels' character in Woody Allen's "Purple Rose of Cairo," the wolf steps out of a copy of "LIttle Red Riding Hood" that Herb's mother has been reading to him. Herb has a love/hate relationship with wolves; like many small fry, he's intrigued with what frightens him. While he can stomach a pictue of a wolf with a pig's tail sticking out of its mouth, he asks his mom to take "Little Red Riding Hood" with her, "because there's a wolf in it, of course." Fortunately, Ms. Child has the mother immediately reassuring Herb, "Herb's mother would smile to herself because she knew that storybook wolves are not at all dangerous.

That would be it, except for that convenient plot device, the maybe-dream (often paired, as it is here, with the one-eyebrow-raised, "Or was it a dream?"). Herb is suddenly confronted with two hungry wolves from his story book, one apparently a novice: "Ooh, can I have his pink toes? They look just like piglets," said Little Wolf. And he tried to lick his chops, but he wasn't very good at it and just ended up dribbling on the carpet.

Herb tricks the wolves with the nick-of-time assistance of a more benevolent character he shakes out of a different fairy tale. As a result, Little Wolf is accidentally inserted into "Cinderella," Big Wolf becomes a caterpillar, and Herb finally gets to sleep--after making sure that no one else can get out of his books. SPOILER AHEAD! The "was it really a dream" suggestion takes place inside, rather than outside, "Little Red Riding Hood." The next time, Herb and his mom read it, there's no wolf there!--"just a tiny caterpillar trying with all his might to terrify a little girl..."

Lauren Child has written a funny and imaginative book, even if, at times, parts of it seemed a little too conveniently patched together. The wolves and the boy get realistic portrayals, and adults might want to check the gullibility levels of their young audiences so that, like Herb's mom, they're sure their storybook villains can't magically harm them. Child illustrates with her trademark stylings: Sketchily drawn lines, an emphasis on facial expressions, ornate design, and wonderful collages that give some pictures a slightly skewed, 3-D effect. In other books, Child's text and pictures also play with familiar storylines, and there's a "Fractured Flickers" sensibility that those books share with 'Storybook Wolves.' While not her very best work, this one will be a winner with kids who like to turn fairy tales inside out.

The coolest part of this book for me is when Herb went to hisbook and shook it so the fairy godmother fell out and almost broke herleg. I also liked the title of this book it was very very shiny in thesun. The words were cool too wavy, and wired they were alsosideways. But when you see the nose and that every time you see Herbhis nose looks different. The illustrations for me were perfected. Ithink anyone who is the right age should read this book and if yourtoo small went you grow up you should read it! This book for me is oneof my favorite books that I have read so far. This I one of myfavorite books of my life. I hope you like this book. ....

Looks like I'm in the minority here. Clunky and inelegant prose and way too wordy. Add in an annoying font style and the story establishes no rhythm. The author's attempts at wit and creativity land flat. A definite thumbs-down.

For fans of parodies and twists done to traditional children's fairytales, Lauren Child's Beware of Storybook Wolves is a must read. Little Red Riding Hood is the initial book an adult and childlike smaller wolf escape from but if you or a child you're reading to is familiar with others including Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel then you'll delight in sitting back and enjoying the interactions with Herb, comments on those tales by their characters and the aftermath of Herb's decisions on events in those stores.

Basic plot is the book Little Red Riding Hood is left behind as the lights are turned off in a young boy named Herb's room. It's not long before Herb notices he's not alone. The wolf from Little Red Riding Hood and the one from a similar Three Little Pigs type story (different obviously so it could be a more child like wolf) called The Little Fierce Wolf and Three Pink Piglets are licking their lips and discussing what a nice meal Herb's going to be. Herb has to think quickly to delay his devouring, and will need the help of some characters in the pages of his and his sisters books to keep himself off the menu completely.

It's a really well written story. The illustrations of Herb and his mother are similar to the humans in the author's most famous books from the series Charlie & Lola. The wolves also look like giant rats so lessen the scare factor for younger children.

Herb also returns for more fairytale creature interaction in Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Book?.

This is another great Lauren Child children's book. The illustrations are vivid and exciting, and the story line is interesting. Good quality book as well with heavy glossy pages.

I absolute love this book and can listen to it over and over again (like my kids). I say listen, because I was able to buy it with a CD read by Hugh Laurie (in his natural British accent). Laurie does a fabulous job with the voices, and makes this book one of the ones that I will keep, long after my children have outgrown it.

This was adorable! The idea of creatures coming out of their books is not a new one, but it's still a fun one and this book gives it a great, sarcastic kiddie edge when a young boy is left alone with a copy of "Little Red Riding Hood". Of course, those pesky wolves pop up ready to devore human flesh, but the boy has some tricks from his other fairy tale books.

It's funny, surprisingly clever, and pays a great tribute to some classic fairytales.

I may actually enjoyed this book *more* than my daughter. It's along the lines of Seseame Street where a few adult jokes are thrown in so that the parents don't get bored. I can't say if it's "her best work", or not, but it got high marks from my daughter (4 yrs old). It's funny and silly and for a girl who's already into Princesses, the fact that the fairy godmother shows up and one of the wolves ends up going to Cinderella's ball instead of Cinderella made a connection with her. The boy really thinks on his feet when confronted with two slobbering, hungry wolves. If you've ever seen Charlie & Lola on the Disney Channel, you'll be very happy with the illustrations. As the story has already been 'nutshelled' in other reviews, I won't go into detail. Suffice it to say, it is a very entertaining story and one that I have given as a gift to other girls (would probably do well with a boy, too, but the cinderella reference makes it lean to a girl, I think.)

I highly recommend this for age 3 and up (oh, you can read it to a 2 yr old and earlier, but I think by 3 they "get" what's going on.)