The Greedy Wolf by Timothy Knapman and Jean Jullian

There was once a greedy wolf. He was so greedy that every day he would eat enough food for TEN birthday parties and still be hungry for more...

But his favourite food was young goats so when he comes across Mother Goat heading off to buy food, leaving her seven kids alone he believes all his dreams have come true. So, disguising himself as a postman he rings the doorbell....

But the little goats are not fooled and refuse to open the door, even though the wolf tries other disguises. But then, when he says he is "a talking rosebush with a flowerpot on his head", they relent and...

Highly reminiscent of the original tale by the Brothers Grimm, but with significant, modern twists, this is a story that also has elements of Little Red Riding Hood and The Three Little Pigs that young readers may recognise, setting it up for some interesting compare-and-contrast discussions as they look for the similarities and differences. Older students could even investigate the concept of plagiarism to understand how much an original piece has to be changed to be considered new and unique as this is - they can't just copy and paste and change a few words to call something their own.

Bold text and bold illustrations, along with the kids' innovative way of saving themselves not only make this an engaging read but may also open up doors to read the original and other variations while also being a golden opportunity to talk about stranger danger and keeping themselves safe.

Barbara Braxton