Big Bad Wolf Investigates Fairy Tales - Catherine Cawthorne - ★★★★★

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AUTHOR: Catherine Cawthorne
ILLUSTRATOR: Sara Ogilvie
GENRE: Children's Nonfiction
PUBLICATION DATE: April 25, 2024
RATING: 5 sparkly, scientifically accurate stars.

In a Nutshell: This book and I were a match made in book heaven! Loved the approach that combines humour and logic to debunk the sillier elements of some fairy tales. Strongly recommended!


I enjoy fairy tales. I love scientific thinking. I adore logic. I relish humour. Seeing all four of these together in a single work was almost a “bookgasmic” moment for me! 😆

Had the book not delivered on any of these factors, I might still have been happy reading it. But the content not only reaches but also surpasses the promise made by the title and cover.

All of us know that there are several logically impossible elements in fairy tales. In childhood, we might have oohed and awwwed at the stories without overthinking the practicalities. In adulthood, we might have cringed at the gender bias, wealth bias, and the lack of consent that is so rampant in this genre. But how many times have we ever wondered about the scientific accuracy of fairy tales? Here comes the Big Bad Wolf to huff and puff the myths out of the way. (That sentence itself is scientifically inaccurate – I now know! Sorry, Mr. Wolf!)

Having the Big Bad Wolf as the narrator is a brilliant move. The opening note by him sets the right tone for the content. His character is upset by the unfairness of his depiction in such stories, and hence he is on the mission to debunk the myths and set the facts straight. I bet you won’t look at him with distrustful eyes once you read his investigation of the fairy tales.

The wolf has chosen six distinct fairy tales for the purpose of this book, covering princesses and pigs, balls and forests, peas and beanstalks. This keeps each analysis fresh.. He first presents a short recap-style version of the fairy tale, written in comic-style panels, and completed within a single page. This is an effective method of providing a refresher of the story in concern, just in case the reader is unaware of it. On the next page, the scientific analysis of the tale begins, with the wolf probing some key points from the story that are inaccurate in reality. This section doesn’t just stop at exposing fairy tale exaggerations but also provides interesting facts from the real world that are connected to some part of the tale. So we get a reality check as well as fun trivia for each of the six stories. Awesome!

The entire presentation is informative without being tedious. Every page is full of humour, as the wolf takes sly digs at the absurdity of the stories. His tongue-in-cheek presentation works so much better than a dry scientific analysis! I loved this light-hearted, partly satirical approach. There is a special section at the end, which will tickle the funny bone of every reader even further.

It won’t take a scientific investigation to understand that I adored this book! It hit the bull’s eye in terms of intent as well as execution. The illustration style, which is so reminiscent of children’s storybooks, is also perfect for this kind of content.

Heartily recommended to every little reader! This illustrated book will not make them detest fairy tales but see them with a new perspective. It will also boost scientific thinking and encourage an investigative mindset as a substitute to blind acceptance of the written word – so very important in today’s world of fake news and filtered content.

The book will be a great addition to homes as well as classroom libraries. Given the content and language level, it would be perfect for little readers aged 5-8 years. I am sure it will offer value even to children older than this range.

Dear author/publisher, could we please turn this concept into a series?

My thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK & ANZ) and NetGalley for the DRC of “Big Bad Wolf Investigates Fairy Tales”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

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