Peter and the Wolf

The story of Peter and the Wolf was written by the Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) to introduce children to the sounds of different instruments in the orchestra. It was written in 1936 and is still quite enjoyable today. Prokofiev decided that each character would be played by a different instrument in the orchestra. You can hear the different instruments from the story and their characters below.

Peter and the Wolf is such a wonderful story that many illustrators and authors have reinterpreted the story. You can find many of these versions in your local library or bookstore. Some of the versions we read in class are listed below.

1. Chappel, Warren, Illustrator. Peter and the Wolf. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf, 1940.

2. Lemieux, Michéle. Peter and the Wolf. Orlando, FL: Harcourt Brace & Company, 1991.

3. Beck, Ian. Peter and the Wolf. New York, NY: Atheneum, 1995.

4. Malone, Peter, Illustrator. Peter and the Wolf. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf, 2004.

5. Raschka, Chris. Peter and the Wolf. New York, NY: Atheneum, 2008.

In addition to storybooks there are video versions of this tale. The first three are for anyone. The last one listed is for older students and adults (not for kindergarten).

1. Make Mine Music. Walt Disney, Producer. Buena Vista Home Entertainment, 1946.

2. Peter and the Wolf. Jim Gamble, producer. Jim Gamble Puppet Productions, 1992.

3. Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf / Royal Ballet School. Ross MacGibbon, director. Image Entertainment, 2001.

4. Sergei Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf. Suzie Templeton, director. Magnolia Home Entertainment, 2008.

(This version won the Oscar for Best Short Film (Animated) in 2007.)

If you know of any other versions of this story please let me know! I LOVE finding new versions of this story. (I could read the story every week for the whole year if they'd let me.)