Wolf Story [Hardcover]

William McCleery (Author), Warren Chappell (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1988 | Age Level: 4 and up

A young father tells his five-year-old son humorous variations on the theme of a hen escaping the clutches of a wily wolf.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-6-In this read-aloud version of William McCleery's Wolf Story (Shoe String, 1988), a small boy and a patient father take what began as a perfunctory bedtime story and massage it into a tale of greater proportions. After begging his father for a nighttime tale, Michael supplies his own elements leading to the story of Rainbow, a resourceful, courageous hen. She meets Waldo, a wolf who fits the pattern set by his predecessors of being persistent and threatening but not too bright. Later, the tale is continued at the beach and during car trips. Father, son, and a young friend mold the story to their own liking based on their moods and growing perceptions of what really should happen to these characters. Originally published in 1947, McCleery's story contains rich dialogue. Anthony Heald's expressive reading suggests the appropriate moods, from the father's playfulness at changing those timeworn stereotypes for the fun of it to Michael's intense insistence as he decides who will or will not be eaten. Heald's reading also underscores the father-child relationship as the two engage in shaping this oral masterpiece together. An example is Michael's father's patient, parentlike admonition as to why Michael should say "darn" rather than "damn" even though adults occasionally use it. This story will appeal to listeners who enjoy playing with story elements themselves. Teachers and librarians will find it an attractive selection for those listeners who enjoy a more subtle tale about characters having fun with a story.ANancy L. Chu, Western Illinois University, Macomb
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Inside Flap

Read by Anthony Heald
One cassette / 1 hour 8 mins.

Take one young boy, his father and their bedtime ritual--a story. Five-year-old Michael has somehow managed it so that he gets to order up the basic ingredients of each night's story, whereupon Dad spins the tale and adds the embellishments. The only thing is, Michael doles out the same essential ingredients each time: a foppish wolf named Waldo and a hen named Rainbow. As bedtimes go by, the stories become more and more outlandish. Not only that, they spread out into the daytime, too! So what used to be bedtime ritual is now an anytime-he-can-get-his-Dad-to-squeeze-in-an-eipsode arrangement. And as the delightfully absurd story unfolds (and unfolds even more) we can't help smiling while whitnessing the eternal battle between good and evil as orchestrated by a five-year-old boy. It's no wonder that this endearingly funny and down-to-earth classic has endured for years. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 88 pages
• Publisher: Linnet Books (December 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0208021914
• ISBN-13: 978-0208021915
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #837,340 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious, Charming, I'm so glad it's back in print!, November 13, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Wolf Story (Hardcover)

I was introduced to this book through the Chinaberry catalog and my two sons, ages 4 and 6, laughed themselves sick while I was reading them aloud. We've lent it to everyone in the neighborhood, too. My kids love the zany story Michael's father tells and are as eager as Michael for the story to just GO ON! As a parent who's been in the father's position, trying to come up with a creative story off the cuff when I am tired, too--I loved the realistic parent-child relationship depicted in the book. VERY highly recommended! We've read it over & over. It's slender, so on the pricey side for a hardback, but worth it.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My kids find the style of telling hilarious, April 19, 2000

By 

Jeffrey N. Peterson (Mercer Island, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wolf Story (Audio Cassette)

This is a story within a story about a boy who loves, even nags, his father to tell him tales. The father feigns resistance but always relents. He goes on to tell a long story in several sittings about a hen named rainbow, the wolf who tries to eat her, and the clever young boy who saves rainbow and catches the wolf.

Not only is the story line amusing and entertaining but Anthony Heald, who reads the story on the audiobook version, does an incredible job of changing voices and acting out characters an an engaging way.

My two boys who are ages 5 and 7 absolutely love this. We read hundreds of kids books and this one really stands out. We rarely buy audiobooks but in this case its well worth it.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wolf Story, October 17, 2002

By 

Susan K. Chrisinger "teacher2" (Rhinelander, WI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wolf Story (Hardcover)

Every year I read Wolf Story to my second graders and at the end of the year when I ask them their favorite chapter book read to them, Wolf Story is chosen every year to be the favorite. They love to follow the adventures of Rainbow and Michael. When you complete Chapter 1, the kids are hooked. They can not wait for the next day. I have even had kids who have been sick ask if I can re-read a chapter that they missed or if they can stay in at recess to read the missed chapter on their own.

Wolf Story is wonderfully written and captivating to young children. Every year I can not wait to read the book. I find myself anxious to share the next chapter.
When my own children have children, Wolf Story will be the book that I can share with them. I strongly recommend this book to every child and to every adult who enjoys reading to their children at bedtime.