Lon Po Po

A Chinese variation of Little Red-Riding Hood, at least that's how Ed Young described his 1990 Caldecott Medal-winning illustration book Lon Po Po.

This Chinese variation of the classic story is told from a Western reader's perspective for them to quickly grasp the essence of the story.

It depicts three little girls who show great courage and sharp wits in a fight against a cunning enemy---a creepy wolf.

Water-color based pictures illustrate the creepy wolf and the smart Chinese girl with her two cooperative little sisters.

The author seems to tell expand upon his wisdom that, when far away from our parents, we should disregard cowardice and face head-on any challenges, and solve these problems ourselves.

On the dedication page, Ed Young puts an image that is both a human and a wolf, and he writes:

"To all the wolves of the world for lending their good name as a tangible symbol for our darkness."

So, again Young pulls from his wisdom, thanking these "wolves" or "enemies" for providing a tool to make us even greater and braver.