The Boy Who Cried Wolf
Starred Review.PreSchool-Grade 2–Aesops The Shepherd Boy and the Wolf is given new life in this imaginative picture book. The story begs to be read aloud, and the large, colorful, and amusing watercolor-and-gouache paintings are perfect for group viewing. The traditional plot has been expanded to include some catchy refrains: Munch, munch, munch. Baaaaaaaaaaaaa, answered the sheep, and They looked everywhere for the wolf. No wolf in the pasture. No wolf on the hill. No wolf in the forest. These sheep have big expressive eyes and play leapfrog and put on blindfolds, and boys ride them. Instead of just one, there are three snarling, famished-looking creatures that finally appear when the shepherd boy cries wolf for a third time. The illustrations show an outlandish village with skyscrapers located on what appears to be a plateau in a landscape that is dotted with conical hills and a funny, discordant mix of townspeople that includes a knight running in his armor, women wearing mesh stockings and high lace boots, one man wearing a top hat and another a helmet with fluffy feathers on the top, one with a musketeer hat, and another a baseball cap. Each one is holding a weapon: the usual rakes and shovels, an umbrella, a baseball bat, and even a barber pole. The story ends with a fanciful twist, and the moral is understood but not included. A clever take on an old favorite.–Kirsten Cutler, Sonoma Library, CACopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.