Book Review: The Wolf and the Seven Little Kids
Rating: 
The classic story of seven anthropomorphized goat kids whose mother leaves them at home in order to look for food. She leaves them instructions to watch out for the wolf, who wants to eat them, and tells them how to identify him by his hoarse voice and black feet. The wolf does attempt to gain entry to the house, but they refuse to let him in until he tricks them by disguising his voice and feet. When he has eaten all but one of them up, he goes to a nearby field to sleep, and the remaining kid tells their mother what has happened. She courageously sets out to find the wolf, cuts him open, and replaces her children with rocks. When the wolf wakes up, he feels thirsty and goes to a well for a drink, wherupon the rocks cause him to fall in and drown.
This genre of predator fairy tale appeals to children, who instinctively know they are vulnerable to evil, and this one reinforces the responsibility of parents to protect their children from danger, regardless of the cost to themselves. In this story, the mother’s ingenuity allows her to defeat the wolf without having to face him in open combat (a contest she would almost certainly lose).
The illustrations in the book are quite pleasing, evoking a rich mood of simplicity and warmth. It’s not on the level of Little Red Riding Hood, but it would make a very nice addition to any fairy tale collection.
Categories: 4 Stars, Age 00-04
Tags: Courage, Defending the Weak, Fairy Tales, Good Against Evil, Ingenuity, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, Mothers, Obedience, Predators, Strong Families, Wisdom, Wolves
Posted on April 18, 2009
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