The Wolf is Coming! [Hardcover]

Elizabeth MacDonald (Author), Ken Brown (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up

A rabbit family is first to notice the crafty intruder on their peaceful hillside, and they hurry to warn others. But the wolf pursues, and the comedy mounts as an ever-increasing band of animals flees before him. Full color .

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 1?In this slight romp across a barnyard, the much-maligned wolf is once again the villain. A dandelion-nibbling rabbit family is seemingly the answer to the wolf's hunger until the father rabbit's alarm sends the bunnies running for cover. The mother hen takes them in but the wolf persists. Rabbits and chickens take off, seeking refuge first with a brood of pigs and then with a trio of cows. When the fleeing procession finally crowds into the donkey's flimsy shack, the sides burst in protest, scattering boards and animals every which way. Now, it's a terrified wolf that is on the run?last seen disappearing into the distance. Brown stages the story against sun-splashed watercolor landscapes and gives the creatures expressive faces, creating an appealing visual experience. However, the story's allusions to Chicken Little (the title and the repetitive "the wolf is coming" phrase) don't match up. After all, Chicken Little's fear was imaginary; with a prowling predator in pursuit, these animals have real reason to be scared.?Barbara Elleman, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ages 2^-5. Great for storytelling, this farmyard cumulative tale combines excitement and slapstick. The wolf is coming, so the rabbits run to hide. First, they ask the hen for help, and they all squeeze in with her and her chicks in the little wooden coop, but the wolf is coming, so the hen and her chicks and the rabbits run to the pig sty and squeeze in there. Then the rabbits, chicks, and pigs all have to fit in with the cows in the barn, until finally, they all have to hold their breath and try to fit into the donkey's shack. Brown's dappled watercolor illustrations of the bucolic countryside express the danger and the farce of the various animals all squashed up together. Every preschooler who has loved the tension in a game of hide-and-seek will recognize the delicious fear, the bated breath, and the uproar. Hazel Rochman

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Juvenile (February 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525459529
• ISBN-13: 978-0525459521
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,280,736 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The wolf can't leave!, April 3, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Wolf is Coming! (Hardcover)

I ended up ordering this book because my 3 year old son refuses to return it to the library. We have renewed it 3 times (a total of about 9 weeks) and he still has not grown tired of it. The story is quite funny with great pictures and has a "surprise" ending that leaves my son in stitches (the wolf isn't that scary after all!)

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Wolf is Coming!, April 6, 2000

By 

Darby S Hartman (usa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Wolf is Coming! (Hardcover)

I provide daycare in my home and my group LOVED this book! They kept begging for me to read it again and again! This is a book with a hilarious ending (no nightmares either!). This is a must read for children, especially preschoolers! Teachers would be able to use this book in many projects and areas, it would be like "The Old Lady that Swallowed the Fly" in many aspects.