Review by Booklist Review
Inspired by the early-nineteenth-century buildings and interpreters' costumes at Old Sturbridge Village, Wisnewski places the story of Little Red Riding Hood in an old-fashioned New England setting. Wisnewski, whose first book was A Cottage Garden Alphabet 0 (2002), here illustrates the familiar tale of Little Red Riding Hood in a series of handsome double-page pictures that have the look of tinted woodcuts, Wisnewski's signature style. Actually, the black lines are intricately cut black paper, overlaid on white backgrounds painted with watercolors in pleasing hues. 0 From the tiny paw prints indented on the cover to the heavy, broad-bordered pages to the appealing endpapers, the book is thoughtfully designed and beautifully made. Parents looking for a version of the tale for young children may find the text a bit too long, but plenty of adults and children will admire the effective compositions, the restrained use of color, and the distinctive look of Wisnewski's artwork. --Carolyn Phelan Copyright 2007 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Wisnewski (A Cottage Garden Alphabet) retells the familiar story, adorning it with graceful illustrations that emulate woodcuts, washed with saturated watercolors, and brimming with details. In her retelling, she recasts the nearby woodsman as Little Red Riding Hood's father and, arriving at Grandmother's, the heroine recognizes the wolf straightaway and uses the familiar questions regarding the odd physiognomy to buy time. Other details strike familiar tones: Grandmother is swallowed whole ("It had been a slim winter"), and the girl's father, after "carefully slitting open the wolf's stomach," stares gravely into the belly of the flayed but bloodless creature. (Flowered bed curtains spare his daughter-and readers-any implied gore.) Unfortunately, the narrative suffers from several overlong sentences (e.g., " `Thank you, wolf,' she said and started down the path not noticing that as soon as she turned her back the wolf slid back into the trees and took yet one more of his shortest short cuts through the woods"). Children will enjoy studying the detailed artwork, from Grandmother's pets (a tabby hides under the bed while a ginger cat flees) to cozy interiors modeled on Old Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts (according to an author's note). The bookmaking's lovely, too: lupine footprints trot across the front cover (beneath the book jacket), and red gingham endpapers conjure both the cloth protecting Little Red's basket and Grandmother's cheery tablecloth. Ages 7-up. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 3-A handsomely illustrated version of a folktale favorite. Wisnewski's retelling is straightforward and the language has a comfortable, folksy cadence. The tale ends happily, as Little Red Riding Hood's father comes to the rescue, vanquishes the wolf, and extracts Grandmother from its stomach, "shocked and shaken, but none the worse for wear." The illustrations-black-and-white prints made from cut-paper designs and then painted in watercolors-have the depth and texture of woodcuts. An author's note sets the tale in Old Sturbridge Village, a living history museum in Massachusetts, and the artwork reflects details of life in early-19th-century rural New England. While the characters' faces tend to be a bit wooden, their clothing and other fabrics, the exteriors and interiors of the houses, and the snow-covered woods are all vividly and gracefully rendered. The endpapers' red-and-white checkered pattern is repeated on the napkin covering the basket of goodies and the tablecloth in Grandmother's kitchen, and bright red winterberries provide a colorful balance to the child's "bright as a berry" cloak. Visual details abound, and observant youngsters will notice that a calico cat plays a heroic role in the story. An eye-catching addition to folk and fairytale shelves.-Joy Fleishhacker, School Library Journal (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
In this version, Little Red Riding Hood lives in a snowy New England village and the woodsman is her father. Although the text is wordy, readers will enjoy the handsome, dignified illustrations set on thick, creamy paper. Wisnewski's technique visually mimics woodcuts, and the pictures are outlined in heavy black then filled in with deep, rich watercolors. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
This favorite fairytale has enticed many an illustrator. From Paul Galdone's standard-setter to Trina Schart Hyman's Caldecott winner to James Marshall's comical depiction to Beni Montressor's sensual version, the little girl in the red hood who escapes the wolf has had an array of faces. These handsome stylized illustrations look like woodcuts but are black-and-white prints made from intricate papercut designs and hand colored with watercolors. Wisnewski sets her retelling in 19th-century New England and used the costumes and interiors at Sturbridge Village (a living-history museum in Massachusetts) as models. Strong, carved-like lines imbue the flora, fauna, fur and fabrics with texture, and the framed text is incorporated into the scenes. This story has two variations: Little Red rides on the wolf's back to the path to Grandmother's house, and her father, not the woodsman stranger, comes to her rescue. One puzzling detail is a black shape on the people's cheeks, almost like an earmuff with fringe but only on one side; it's clearly not hair, so what exactly is it? Children will ask. Overall, however, an elegant addition to the cache of existing editions. (Picture book/fairy tale. 4-7) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
