Pistes d'exploration

Talk about the wolf’s point of view. How does this version of the story differ from the one we usually hear? Discuss the definition of the word framed.

Choose another fairytale and write the story from a new point of view.

In fairy tales, wolves are often perceived to be bad (e.g. Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Little Pigs). Why do you think this is? Can the wolf ever change his reputation?

Write the newspaper article that the wolf refers to in the story.

Retell the story. Compare the wolf's version of the story to the traditional version told from the pigs’ point of view. Put this information into a Venn diagram.

In a small team, choose another well-known story and tell it from a different point of view. Dramatize or write and illustrate the new story.

Talk about the wolf’s point of view. How does this version of the story differ from the one we usually hear? Discuss the definition of the word framed.

Considering point of view is essential to understanding this “true” story. In addition, the way the text complements or contradicts the illustrations adds to the meaning of the story.

In small groups, read the text together. Share and discuss your initial thoughts, using the text to back up your ideas.

Following a discussion, use a response process to write about the text. Consider the meaning of the story in relation the big idea.

Create a word web with vocabulary that could describe the stereotypical “big bad wolf” of fairy tales. After reading, create a second web for Mr. Alexander Wolf. Compare the two.

Consider the impact of the illustrations. Explain, in a paragraph, how the artist influences the way we perceive Mr. A. Wolf.

Mr. Wolf blames his bad reputation on the media. Choose another fairy tale bad guy or antagonist. Write a script for an interview between a journalist and the antagonist, who presents his/her side of the story. Act out the interview for the class.

Beware of the Storybook Wolves

Mots-clés

Folklore , Humour , first-person narration , fractured stories , pigs , point of view , prejudice , wolves

Commentaire descriptif

This comical parody of the Three Little Pigs from the bad guy's point of view casts the pigs as a silly and impolite lot and the wolf as an innocent bystander that the media framed for a good story. The clever design begins with a snappy cover page created to look like a fictional tabloid called the Daily Wolf, which includes a headline – the book title – and a tongue-in-cheek byline: “by A. Wolf.” Dark and textured full-sized surreal illustrations, portraying the wolf's version of events, accompany a one-sided first-person account that reverses the stereotypical evil image of the wolf and casts him in a positive light. This is a softer, kinder wolf in bow tie and reading glasses, while the pigs, as characters, are less important. Whose story is believable? How does a situation change depending on one's role in it? The story lends itself to a discussion of point of view as a literary device and how to be critical consumers of media.