The Wolf's Story: What Really Happened to Little Red Riding Hood
PreSchool-Grade 2–The wolf's interpretation of what happened in the Little Red Riding Hood story tries too hard and misses the mark. He tells how he did odd jobs for Grandma and one day, as the woman was reaching into her wardrobe, she 'accidentally bumped her head and was knocked out cold. In a panic, he pushed her inside and donned her dress to fool the granddaughter who was knocking at the door. The text has several lapses in logic. In one situation, the girl says, What BIG ears you have, and the response is 'Oh, these old things,' I said, and changed the subject.' However, he didn't change the subject since the girl is the next to speak. Throughout the retelling, the wolf poses questions that are meant to exude innocence–Would I LIE to you? I didnothingwrong. Would I? Not everyone likes a wolf, do they? The watercolor-and-pencil illustrations reveal a shiny-faced young girl, a cozy-looking grandmother, and a scraggly gray wolf with sly yellow eyes. They offer interesting perspectives: bird's-eye views of the forest; looking into the wolf's eyes to see the reflection of a small red-coated girl; and a view of the child framed by the wolf's tooth-rimmed mouth. At story's end, the animal walks away with his shortened tail wrapped in a bloody bandage while telling readers that he's still available for hire. Stick with Jon Scieszka'sThe True Story of the 3 Little Pigs!(Viking, 1989) for a humorous, and involving, story of fabricated guilelessness.–Maryann H. Owen, Racine Public Library, WICopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.