Long, long ago, a good woman lived contentedly with her three daughters—Shang, Tao, and Paotze—in the countryside of northern China. But one day she had to leave to visit their granny, so she warned her children to close the door tight and latch it.

Soon after, to their surprise, there was a knock at the door and a voice saying it was their granny, their Po Po. What could the children do but let her in? But what a low voice she had, what thorny hands, and what a hairy face!

The Chinese tale of Lon Po Po, Granny Wolf, like the European tale of Little Red Riding Hood, comes from an ancient oral tradition and is thought to be over a thousand years old. It is a favorite tale of Ed Young, who translated and illustrated this version. Using a dramatic style that combines techniques used in ancient Chinese panel art with a powerful contemporary palette of watercolors and pastels, Mr. Young has created a book of classic beauty and charm.

From the dust jacket