The Wolf's Chicken Stew (Goodnight) [Paperback]

Keiko Kasza (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 16, 1996 | Age Level: 2 and up | Series: Goodnight

In an effort to fatten up Mrs. Chicken for his delicious stew, Wolf unwittingly makes some new friends. "The wolf is an endearing critter whose expressions run the gamut from sly to shy to downright lovable. A good option for story hours."--Booklist. Winner of the Kentucky Bluegrass Award. An ALA Notable Children's Book. Full color.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Wolf loves to eat almost more than anything else in the world. No sooner does he finish a meal, he's planning his next. He searches all day for a chicken for his stew. When he finally spies one, he hesitates and hatches a plan to fatten the bird, which will mean more stew. So he marshalls his considerable culinary skill and secretly delivers a succession of treats to the chicken's house: 100 scrumptious pancakes, doughnuts and pound cake. With each delivery he says: "Eat well, my pretty chicken. . . . Get nice and fat for my stew!" But a shock is in store for the wolf, and his next meal isn't quite what he'd planned. Sprightly watercolors illustrate this imaginative tale by a newcomer. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2 Resisting the immediate gratification of chicken stew, an insatiable wolf decides instead to fatten up his prey, leaving on her doorstep 100 ``scrumptious'' delicacies for each of three nights. On returning to claim his fat hen, he finds that her 100 chicks have shared the treats, and are now enamored of ``Uncle Wolf.'' Children will enjoy both the wolf's scheming and his comeuppance, as well as the story's repetitive form. The wolf's speech is problematic, though, as it switches from correct and somewhat formal usage (``Ah, she is just perfect for my stew'') to a sort of dialect (``Aw, shucks. . .I'll bake the little critters a hundred scrumptious cookies!''). Kasza's illustrations far surpass the story. Deft watercolors on wide open white pages, they convey the scheming wolf and the unflappable hen in a way that the text does not. The Wolf's Chicken Stew just needs a little more meat. David Gale, ``School Library Journal''
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 2 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Puffin (April 16, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0698113748
• ISBN-13: 978-0698113749
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 7 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,611 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #2 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Animals > Foxes & Wolves > Fiction
  • #2 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Animals > Ducks & Other Waterfowl
  • #3 in Books > Children's Books > Animals > Ducks & Other Waterfowl

More About the Author

Keiko Kasza was born on a small Japanese island in the Inland Sea of Japan. She grew up in a typical Japanese extended family with her parents, two brothers, and grandparents. Uncles, aunts, and cousins also lived nearby. "All the steps I took growing up were very normal," Ms. Kasza says. "The only unusual thing I did was go to college in the United States." She graduated with a degree in graphic design from California State University at Northridge. Ms. Kasza married an American, and the United States has been her home ever since.After publishing five children's books in Japan and working as a graphic designer for fourteen years, Ms. Kasza decided in 1988 to devote her time to picture books. She says, "Having two small boys and two professions was too much to handle."Ms. Kasza admires many great picture-book creators, such as Leo Lionni and Maurice Sendak, but says that the work of Arnold Lobel has influenced her the most. The subtle humor and warmth he created in his books continues to inspire me," she says. "I often go back to his work when I get discouraged or lose confidence."Ms. Kasza compares the process of making a book to acting on stage under the lights:"I become the character that I'm working on at that moment. I pretend that I'm a bird looking for a mother, or a pig trying to impress his girlfriend. When I'm acting, I'm a child myself."Ms. Kasza's ambition is not to create a hundred books, but to "create one really good book that will be kept on the family bookshelves for generations, although a hundred really good books would be even better, of course!"Keiko Kasza lives in Indiana with her husband and two sons.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Simple, Exciting & Funny, September 12, 2000

By 

Paul Martin (Waukesha, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Wolf's Chicken Stew (Hardcover)

This book is a great book for 3-7 year-olds. It is story that little ones will find interesting and funny, combined with good illustrations, and can be read in under 5 minutes!

Children will follow the Wolf as he searches the forest for a delicious chicken. Before seizing a chicken he finds, he decides to fatten her up first. So he spends the next few nights in the kitchen baking goodies and anomymously leaving them on her porch for the chicken to eat. Finally he decides to set out for his chicken dinner, only to discover that the Chicken had many, many children that had been eating the food the wolf had left. All of them thanked "Uncle Wolf" with a hundred kisses, and the wolf, in the end, grows attached to the little chicks.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great read-aloud for preschoolers!, October 15, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Wolf's Chicken Stew (Hardcover)

I highly recommend this to anyone reading aloud to preschoolers. I have read it to countless groups of young children over the past ten years, in many different situations, and it never fails as a crowd-pleaser. Keiko Kasza's other picture books also work like magic with the youngest listeners. Children and adults alike enjoy her gentle humor.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Charming wolf just can't be a bad guy., October 1, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Wolf's Chicken Stew (Hardcover)

I loved this book! My son received it for his 4th birthday, and I enjoy it as much, or more, than he does. The charming wolf, a wanna-be bad guy, goes to extraordinary measures to fatten up a chicken for dinner. An appealing aspect to this book is that the characters are expressive, good- natured, and non-threatening. A very young child can enjoy this book without fear of "scary" parts. I would like to get in touch with the author to inquire about purchasing prints of some of the illustrations, as my son and daughter are so taken with the pictures. I have purchased this book for other children, and look forward to seeing more of Keiko Kasza's work. (If anyone knows how I can reach the author, I would appreciate your input.)