Humans have told stories about wolves for thousands of years. Sometimes they’re benevolent protectors and sometimes they’re our enemies in the tales we weave by the light of a fire. Wolves take on human characteristics and in some stories humans take on characteristics we associate with wolves, even transforming into wolves themselves.

The tale of Little Red Riding Hood, which has been retold throughout the centuries, is a familiar childhood story for many of us. The wolf who outwits Little Red Riding Hood warns us to be wary of strangers. The above image was produced by Walter Crane, a proof for his ‘Little Red Riding Hood’s Picture Book’.

Crane’s retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, as with all of his toy books, is wonderfully illustrated. Crane’s wolf isn’t just a beastly villain who is out to feed on innocent people; he’s comical and a little vain. He stops to admire himself in the mirror once he dons the clothing of the grandmother he has devoured. We think granny’s cap suits him but we’re not sure about those shoes!

We thought Crane’s comical depiction of the big bad wolf would be fun addition to the Colour Our Collections project in the run up to Halloween, so Steph hand traced an image of Crane’s proof and turned it into a colouring sheet for your enjoyment. You can read more about the Colour Our Collections project at the Whitworth here.

If you’re interested in taking a deep dive into some of the stories humans have told about wolves throughout the centuries, Matthew and Steph have both written about the topic:

#WhitworthBestiary: Little Red Riding Hood: Woods, Wolves and Wild Places

Admired Beast and Villain: A History of Human-Wolf Relations

Don’t forget to download your free colouring sheet of the big bad wolf rocking granny’s cap:

Happy Halloween!