Review by Booklist Review
The weakest point in Little Red Riding Hood is arguably Little Red's inability to spot the wolf in grandma's clothing, so to speak. Not so in Woollvin's savvy rendition. Few details change in the story itself, but the tone, strategic page turns, and clever illustrations inject some welcome humor and intelligence into this classic tale. Using a palette of only black, white, and red, Woollvin sends Little Red into the woods, where she is soon stopped by a hulking wolf Which might have scared some little girls. But not this little girl. Unfazed by the encounter, she continues to Grandma's, where things get a refreshing twist. Noticing the door is ajar, the girl peeks through the window and sees a badly disguised wolf waiting in Grandma's bed! Not to worry. Little Red is one tough cookie, and she has a plan. And an axe. Spare illustrations zoom in on Little Red's calculating gaze and diffuse the story's usual tension with subtle humor. A smart, empowering retelling suitable for storytimes.--Smith, Julia Copyright 2016 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Several recent versions of Little Red Riding Hood have reimagined its gentle basket-carrier as a caped heroine with attitude, and British newcomer Woollvin's retelling follows suit. The text and artwork are smart and economical: thickly stroked trees create a sense of goofy comedy, and a stripped-down palette of black, white, and soft gray makes Little Red's vermilion cape and boots stand out with exclamatory force. The wolf's feathery tail and sharklike snout loom, but his demand to know where Little Red is going doesn't faze her. It "might have scared some little girls," Woollvin writes, in a phrase repeated throughout, "but not this little girl." A droll close-up of the wolf's head shows a dinner plate with Little Red and Grandma in his brain space, a fork and knife on either side. At Grandma's, Little Red sees through the wolf's disguise. There's a hatchet in a stump outside, and another tight close-up shows Little Red's eyes shifting to the right. With a page turn and no further explanation, Little Red returns home wearing a wolf suit and a toothy grin. It's fairy tale revenge that leaves the details to readers' imaginations. Ages 5-9. (Apr.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2-Little Red is one tough cookie. When a menacing wolf blocks the path to her grandmother's house, she looks him in the eye, answers his questions, and continues on her journey. The wolf "might have scared some little girls. But not this little girl." This phrase is repeated throughout the story. Woollvin's street-smart character cannot be fooled by the wolf, even when he dresses up as her grandma. Little Red "wasn't fooled for a minute." The familiar phrases of "Oh, Grandma! What big ears you have" and "What big ears and teeth you have" are included in this story, but the little girl doesn't wait for a woodsman to save her. She dispatches the wolf herself with an axe that she carries into the cabin. The dark humor continues to the end when readers see Little Red journeying home not in her red cape but in a shaggy wolfskin. The gouache and digital illustrations were made with black, gray, and red only. The close-ups of the wolf's face and Little Red's eyes add a sense of fright to the story. There is no bloodshed on the pages, but easily scared children might not like a couple of the illustrations. VERDICT This is how fairy tales were meant to be told.-Tanya Boudreau, Cold Lake Public Library, AB, Canada © Copyright 2016. 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
You know the story: girl in red sets out for Grandmas house in the woods. Girl meets wolf en route. Girl is free-and-loose with information. Wolf beats girl to Grandmas house and devours Grandma. Wolf dons Grandma get-up in effort to fool girl and then eat her. But this time, the girl is no dummy: through Grandmas window she sees the wolf waiting for her -- which might have scared some little girls. But not this little girl. So goes the refrain in Woollvins sly, economical, tables-turning retelling, in which the woodcutters services arent needed: Little Reds own ax-wielding skills (demonstrated off camera) save the day, and the books final spread shows the girl walking home in what looks like high-fashion wolf wear -- the equivalent of a hunters animal-head trophy. No delicate brushstrokes or pale palette here: Woollvins chunky gouache and digital illustrations are restricted to black and gray against white, with red accents that nod to the classic tale (while also conjuring blood thats hinted at but never shown). As it happens, Little Reds fiercest illustration is a wordless stunner showing nothing but the girls almond eyes, black bangs, and red hood, all outsize to fill two facing pages, as she prepares to have her revenge -- and wear it, too. nell beram (c) Copyright 2016. 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
Little Red gets a bold look and attitude while the wolf gets his comeuppance. The text starts off traditionally enough, with Little Red's mother sending her into the woods with cake for her ailing grandmother, but the graphic art style portends innovation. Throughout, striking black and gray images deftly occupy the white of the page, with red as a vibrant highlight. When the red-cloaked girl encounters the wolf, she's unafraid, but in keeping with tradition, she tells him about her grandmother. Alas, this doesn't end well for Grandma, whom the wolf devours as one toothsome bite. When Little Red arrives after the fact, she peeks inside to see a "badly disguised wolf." Upon entering, she plays along, casting a withering side eye as she rattles off "what big [] you have!" lines. The gullible wolf lunges at her with the familiar cry: "All the better to / EAT YOU WITH!" But Little Red has a little secret: she holds an ax (no need for a burly woodcutter to swoop in and rescue her), and after a double-page spread extreme close-up of her magnificent eyes, the next spread depicts her sporting a wolf-skin, much as Roald Dahl's Little Red does in Revolting Rhymes (1982). It's a satisfying ending for Little Red, yet Grandma remains unmentioned anddead. A fine, feisty retelling of "Little Red Riding Hood," albeit with a loose thread. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
