It was published by Philomel (Penguin Young Readers Group) in 1989 and won the 1990 Caldecott Medal for distinguished American illustrated books for children.

The story is a Chinese version of the popular children's fable "Little Red Riding Hood" as retold by Young.

Contrary to the original fable, in which there is only one child (Little Red Riding Hood) who interacts with the nemesis of the story (the wolf), Lon Po Po (Mandarin for "wolf [maternal] grandmother") has three children, and the story is told from their perspective.

She tells the wolf about the delicious, magical gingko nuts that grow on the tree outside their home.

It was made into a 12-minute-long audiobook and colored video and DVD by Weston Woods Studios.

Barbara Auerbach of the School Library Journal wrote "The shadows and cautious, frightened faces coupled with the narrator's expressive storytelling will leave viewers on the edge of their seats"[1] Heather McNeil (Horn Book Magazine): "This production brings new life to an old favorite.

"[2] The text possess that matter of fact veracity that characterizes the best fairy tales...

The water color and pastel pictures are remarkable...Overall, this is an outstanding achievement that will be pored over again and again....