I know we all know of the story of the boy who cried wolf, however Gail Carson Levine has a different story to share! Betsy comes from the same town as the boy who had cried wolf, and has just turned eight and taken the Shepherd's Oath. She's ready to guide her sheep and protect them from any wolf who may try to eat them. Zimmo, a hungry and lonely wolf up on the Rosenrise Mountain refuses to let this happen! He knows he needs food, and soon, so he comes up with a plan. As Betsy leads her sheep up the mountain, Zimmo shows up several times. He hurries to hide every time she calls for help. Afraid that this is a repeat of the lying boy from years ago, the townsmen have a hard time believing her and send Betsy back to Shepherd School. They agree to give her one last chance and allow her to head back to the mountain. Betsy comes face to face with Zimmo. She calls for help, but nobody comes. This time, the hungry wolf runs towards Betsy and the sheep, but has eyes on Betsy's shepherd's pie. Betsy offers her lunch and pie to Zimmo, and he is no longer hungry! Zimmo turns out to be helpful and Betsy's new assistant in herding the sheep.
I loved reading the new twist to the old story of the Boy Who Cried Wolf. I think this would be a great read aloud to pair up with the original story. Scott Nash's illustrations with funny details make it even more enjoyable! I think that kids would really enjoy this fun book because of the relatable message. Adults can sometimes be oblivious to very important things that are obvious to kids. The unfairness and frustration of it all teaches some valuable lessons with a twist!
This sounds like a very cute book! I think that it would be a great book to use in the classroom because most kids know the story of the boy who cried wolf. You could definitely use this book as a starter activity. You could have your students take their favorite story as a little kid and change the ending to the way they want it to end.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your ideas about how to use this book in comparative writting in our classrooms. I like that it has a little girl. I believe that sometimes older fables exclude youngladies. I also liked the pictures because you can use them to show different literary devices and styles, like speach and interthought.
ReplyDeleteI loved this book when you read it :)
ReplyDeleteI have told the story "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" to the kids at my school SO many times that I think I need a new story to tell. I think that this classic story is one that had a lot of lessons in it, and I just love the twist because it still teaches kids a lesson, but it keeps them interested-- because they have heard the "original" one a lot.
The pictures were great because they told another side of the story, and it made reading it funnier, and it is a great way to keep the kids attention especially if they are reading it themselves.