Module 3- Fantacy

 There's a Wolf at the Door

By Zoe B. Alley


Summary
Within this fantasy book five classic folktales are combined to create a humorous new tale. Story elements and characters from The Three Little Pigs, The Boy Who Cried Wolf, Little Red Riding Hood, The Wolf in Sheeps Clothing, and The Wolf and the Seven Little Kids are combined in a clever way that draws readers in who have heard the classic tales time and time again. The story depicts Wolf as a well dressed character who is down on his luck and just trying to have a good meal. His attempt at a roasted pig dinner fails as does his attempt eat sheep as they are guarded by the boy who cried wolf. He stumbles upon a fashionista in a red hood that brings him no luck. The tale ends with an exasperated Wolf that reflects on becoming a vegetarian after all the troubles of his day. 

Personal Reflection
This story personally makes me smile as Wolf makes his way through five familiar tales with a literary twist to each tale.  Poor Wolf has so many failed attempts to have a nice dinner that I often find myself rooting for him to be successful in the story. In order for this book to make sense, readers must have a background knowledge of the five folklores mentioned in the summary. The important messages related to each folklore are bolded within the text which connect readers to the original text. 

Literary Elements
The book is written and illustrated in an oversized graphic novel style. I would classify the text as fantasy as the story depicts events that could not happen in real life. The text throughout the book used very descriptive language that allows readers to visualize important details of the plot that are not depicted in the images. The important messages related to each folklore are bolded within the text which connect readers to the original text.

Illustrations
When viewing the illustrations of the text my eyes are drawn to the lines that have a scratchy looking texture to them that suggest the images are in movement. The techniques used to depict the movement of the characters relate to the text in meaningful ways. Watercolors used throughout the images support story elements and have a classic, nostalgic feel to them. 

Activities
As a closing activity, a writing prompt could be explored to answer the question "Do you think the Wolf was a good guy, or a bad guy?" Students must used details from the story to support their argument.  


Other Works by the Authors
  





References

Alley, Z. B. (2008). There's a Wolf at the Door. Roaring Book Press. ISBN 978-1952521089


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