BEN MILLER’s book Diary of a Big Bad Wolf is a hilarious fairytale mash-up through the eyes of the big bad wolf!
Good Reading for Kids asked Ben about the Big Bad Wolf and his favourite fairytales.
What inspired you to write a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood?
I wanted to write fairy stories from the point of view of the villains! We all know the story of Little Red Riding Hood, but what about the story of the Big Bad Wolf? Seriously, I think he gets a bad press, and I wanted to show things from his side of the dinner table.
What can you tell us about Laurence the Wolf?
Well he’s had a tough winter. There’s been nothing to eat – and I mean nothing. And he’s been thrown out of the pack for being a bit of a wimp, so he’s now a lone wolf. All of which has made him very HUNGRY indeed.
This book is described as a ‘fairytale mash-up’ – what other fairytale creatures will feature in this book?
Laurence spends his time trying to catch Little Red, but she’s too clever for him. She sends him to blow down the Three Little Pigs’ houses (which we all know is impossible), and tells him her grandmother lives in a house made of gingerbread, where he almost gets eaten by a Wicked Witch. And he keeps getting butted into the river by a very angry Troll!
What are some of your favourite fairytales?
My all-time favourite is Sleeping Beauty! I wrote a book about that once, too, called The Day I Fell Into A Fairytale. It’s about a girl called Lana who discovers a trapdoor in the sweet section of her local supermarket that takes her into the story of Sleeping Beauty.
What was your favourite part of writing this book?
I loved coming up with the story, but my favourite bit was seeing Elisa Paganelli’s amazing illustrations! She really brought Lawrence and Little Red to life. By the way, the hardback version of the book has a beautiful colour illustration under the cover.
Describe this book in three words.
Hungry. Wolf. Diary.
Or maybe
Girl. Tricks. Wolf.
Or even possibly
Wolf. Becomes. Vegetarian.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ben Miller is the bestselling author of magical stories for the whole family: The Night I Met Father Christmas, The Boy Who Made the World Disappear, The Day I Fell into a Fairy Tale, How I Became a Dog Called Midnight, Diary of a Christmas Elf, and The Night We Got Stuck in a Story. He is an actor, director, and comedian best known for The Armstrong & Miller Show, the Johnny English and Paddington films, BBC’s Death in Paradise, and recent Netflix smash Bridgerton.
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