Review by Booklist Review
Grandma and Wolf are at the mercy of a headstrong toddler in this charming retelling of a storybook classic. Very Little Red Riding Hood is off to a sleepover with Grandmama when she meets the affable Wolf, who tags along for the visit. After gathering flowers and playing chase, they arrive at Grandmama's ready for an afternoon of drinking tea, painting, and dancing. As nighttime draws near, Red begins to miss her mother, but some quick thinking on Wolf's part dries her tears, and all three are soon happily asleep. Heap's mixed-media illustrations effectively capture the whimsical tone of the narrative, and the muted palette and minimal, sketchy style allow the physical actions and emotions of the characters to shine through. Debut author Heapy cleverly reworks the main elements of the familiar story into a lighthearted tale while giving several nods to the danger lurking in the original. Young children won't catch all the references, but older kids (and adults) will certainly be in on the joke.--Hayes, Summer Copyright 2014 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Very Little Red Riding Hood, the toddler who stars in British author Heapy's retelling (first in a planned series), is all ready to go to Grandmama's for a sleepover, and she's full of love. When she meets the wolf, she leaps on him: "A Foxie!" she says in delight. "No touch my cakes!" she orders. When Grandmama is nonplussed by the wolf in her doorway, Very Little Riding Hood explains, "Oh, Gramma, it's only Foxie." The three play hide-and-seek, dance, and draw until there's a toddler meltdown: "I don't know where is my Mummy," she weeps. "Oh, what big, wet eyes you have," starts the Wolf. "Oh, what a big, snotty nose you have." Will the Wolf's instinctive cruelty finally surface? Not to worry. Heap's childlike watercolor-and-ink spreads subtly signal contemporary life with props like Very Little Riding Hood's wheeled carry-all and Gramma's casual sweater and slacks. Heapy's toddler speech has the ring of authenticity, and it's not a parody, either. Rather, Heapy swaps a delightful new character into an old story and follows her wherever she leads. Ages 4-8. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-Immediately, readers know that Very Little Red Riding Hood has very definite ideas about things. Announcing to her mother that she is headed to Grandmama's for a sleepover and must take her cakes, the child heads off on her journey. Predictably, she runs into a Wolf (she mistakenly calls him "a Foxie") and gives him a big hug. After being denied one of the cakes, he tries tagging along, only to be told, "'No!... Go 'way!'" "'No touch my cakes!'" However, Wolf doesn't give up, and Very Little relents. Grandmama is understandably startled to see a bouquet-bearing Wolf on her doorstep and refuses him entry. Her granddaughter convinces her to let him in, and the Wolf joins them for a tea party, game playing, and even a bit of dancing. When Very Little Red's mood abruptly changes and she misses her mother, it is her new friend who is able to stop her tears. The full-color, watercolor-and-ink illustrations pop off white backgrounds with vitality. The Wolf's expressions are especially charming and funny. Text is placed above, below, and around, and the font size varies throughout, giving appropriate emphasis when needed. A fun, fractured adventure.-Sara-Jo Lupo Sites, George F. Johnson Memorial Library, Endicott, NY (c) Copyright 2014. 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 re-imagining, Little Red is a toddler. She's affectionate, stubborn, imperious, and has no time for the intimidation techniques of the wolf. "No touch my cakes!" She hugs him, calls him Foxie, and proceeds to order him around. Grandmama has her doubts, but Little Red insists that Foxie be invited inside for tea and an exhausting round of preschooler activities. When Little Red succumbs to homesickness, the wolf demonstrates unexpected child-minder skills. Was he ever really a threat or did he just come with a bad rap and a sweet tooth? The sprightly, scribbly watercolor illustrations particularize the characters: Red with her every emotion front and center; game Grandmama in her yoga pants; and the wolf, stylish in a mohair overcoat and polka-dot scarf and increasingly confused by kindness. Varied type sizes give the reader-aloud lots of performance hints. Tantalizing red endpaper maps, locating the houses of Very Little Goldilocks and Very Little Cinderella, expand our knowledge of this fairy-tale world. sarah ellis (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A sweeter-than-sweet retelling of Little Red Riding Hood.In this twist on the classic tale, Little Red Riding Hood is exactly thatlittle...very little. In fact, she is so young that readers may wonder why her mother would send a child whose grammar and vocabulary reflect that of a 3-year-old to venture out on her own to visit her Grandmama. So, off goes Very Little Red Riding Hood cloaked in a cat-ear hooded jacket. On the edge of a very safe-looking, light-colored, sparse wood, she meets a Wolf. The Wolf, bedecked in a furry coat and scarf, is quickly intimidated by the tots obstinate, toddlerlike demands. When they arrive at Grandmamaswhich is hard to distinguish from the woods since both have a white-space backgroundGrandmama shuts the door on the Wolf, but Very Little Red Riding Hood soon convinces her to let the Wolf in. Wolf is very well-behavedthe real problem is Very Little Red Riding Hood, who has a meltdown. The Wolf coaxes her out of it using the traditional dialogue Little Red Riding Hood usually uses (Oh, what big, wet eyes you have, etc.).While Very Little Red Riding Hoods agency is laudable, the incredibly feel-good plot (no consequences for foolish actions here!) and the bratty, baby-talking Red Riding Hood herself make this book one to pass by. (Picture book. 2-5) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
