The Wolf's Story: What Really Happened to Little Red Riding Hood

The dichotomy from being from the wolf's perspective is really fun. I hope you like it as much as my little one does.

Toby Forward hails from Liverpool, England and has written another fine book for children - "The Wolf's Story: What Really Happened to Little Red Riding Hood". Wonderfully illustrated by Ishar Cohen of Palestine, the artwork reinforces the perspective of the wolf on the events in the traditional Little Red Riding Hood story, retold here by the wolf thanks to Toby Forward. First of all, nothing that happened in the Little Red Riding Hood story was the wolf's fault - "Would I lie to you? It was the old woman who started it". He says that he was just a friendly wolf doing odd jobs for Grandma - "Anyway, I did odd jobs for the old woman. Called her Grandma". Then that spoiled Little Red Riding Hood showed up and ruined everything - "so I leaped out of bed, ...Then she started screaming". Now that you know the truth, you can trust a wolf, can't you? "Do I LOOK like the sort of wolf who goes around eating grandmas?", he asks. This book is a good example of dishonesty and lying, which the wolf engages in throughout his story. The story helps children to tell the difference between a truthful statement and a false statement that purports to be true. Children learn what it is called when someone says something that is not true - it is called a lie. This book can be used as an introduction to discussing types of dishonesty with your child, from exaggerating, flattery, twisting the truth, and not telling the whole truth (so you don't get into trouble) to cheating on tests or outright lying. For extension, children can go to www.ImpeachBlair.org and read the lies that Blair manufactured for Bush to do American-powered British empire against Iraqis. Helping children develop honesty and the ability to detect dishonesty is important to their ability to make their own decisions despite attempts by others to manipulate them, whether it be their peers, politicians, or consumer culture. In short, a wonderful book to help your child detect dishonesty.