The Wolf's Chicken Stew

A hungry wolf's attempts to fatten a chicken for his stewpot have unexpected results.

In an effort to fatten up Mrs. Chicken for his delicious stew, Wolf unwittingly makes some new friends. "The wolf is an endearing critter whose expressions run the gamut from sly to shy to downright lovable. A good option for story hours".--Booklist. Winner of the Kentucky Bluegrass Award. An ALA Notable Children's Book. Full color.

Publishers Weekly

Wolf loves to eat almost more than anything else in the world. No sooner does he finish a meal, he's planning his next. He searches all day for a chicken for his stew. When he finally spies one, he hesitates and hatches a plan to fatten the bird, which will mean more stew. So he marshalls his considerable culinary skill and secretly delivers a succession of treats to the chicken's house: 100 scrumptious pancakes, doughnuts and pound cake. With each delivery he says: ``Eat well, my pretty chicken. . . . Get nice and fat for my stew!'' But a shock is in store for the wolf, and his next meal isn't quite what he'd planned. Sprightly watercolors illustrate this imaginative tale by a newcomer. Ages 4-8. (April)

Keiko Kasza was born on a small Japanese island in the Inland Sea of Japan. She grew up in a typical Japanese extended family with her parents, two brothers, and grandparents. Uncles, aunts, and cousins also lived nearby. "All the steps I took growing up were very normal," Ms. Kasza says. "The only unusual thing I did was go to college in the United States." She graduated with a degree in graphic design from California State University at Northridge. Ms. Kasza married an American, and the United States has been her home ever since.

After publishing five children's books in Japan and working as a graphic designer for fourteen years, Ms. Kasza decided in 1988 to devote her time to picture books. She says, "Having two small boys and two professions was too much to handle."

Ms. Kasza admires many great picture-book creators, such as Leo Lionni and Maurice Sendak, but says that the work of Arnold Lobel has influenced her the most. The subtle humor and warmth he created in his books continues to inspire me," she says. "I often go back to his work when I get discouraged or lose confidence."

Ms. Kasza compares the process of making a book to acting on stage under the lights:
"I become the character that I'm working on at that moment. I pretend that I'm a bird looking for a mother, or a pig trying to impress his girlfriend. When I'm acting, I'm a child myself."

Ms. Kasza's ambition is not to create a hundred books, but to "create one really good book that will be kept on the family bookshelves for generations, although a hundred really good books would be even better, of course!"

Keiko Kasza lives in Indiana with her husband and two sons.

copyright © 2000 by Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers. All rights reserved.