Warmth in a Grimm's Classic

Picture from Amazon.com

Little Red Riding Hood

by Jerry Pinkney

Published by Little, Brown and Company, New York, 2007

Summary: "A sweet little girl meets a hungry wolf in the forest while on her way to visit her grandmother."

Strengths: This picture book is beautifully illustrated with warm colors and detailed, delicate depictions. The people, animals, and nature in the book are presented with many colors and the pictures lure in the reader. Although the story of Little Red Riding Hood is well known, this book enthralls the reader with the illustrations, which correlate well with the words. I like the way that the illustrations are drawn from a variety of views: above, close up, far away, and looking into the house. The descriptive words in this book are a great introduction to new vocabulary, such as "cunning wolf", "frail voice", "crafty scoundrel".

Concerns: This classic story has some complicated or considerably negative elements, such as the grandmother and Little Red Riding Hood being eaten and the wolf being killed. In addition, students may be bored with the book if they already know the story.

Classroom use/Other Comments: This story can be compared to other versions of Little Red Riding Hood and spoofs on Little Red Riding Hood or can be used to teach about the importance of not talking to strangers. In addition, this story could be read and then acted out by the students to practice sequence of events. Teachers can also have students learn about adjectives through this book and have students write their own descriptive sentences. Children aged 4-8 would enjoy this book for these purposes, but all ages can appreciate the illustrations.