Not So Little Red Riding Hood

Not-So-Little Red Riding Hood is a fabulously funny take on a classic story from two giants of children's books!   Little Red Riding Hood and her brush with the Big Bad Wolf is shown here with a modern twist. Little Red Riding Hood - who is not-so-little anymore! - is riding her pony through the woods to visit Granny for a picnic and a surprise. Now that she is bigger, she feels much braver than the last time she went. Until . . . what was that? Was it the Big Bad Wolf?

As they ride through the woods, both Pebbles and Red become a little more apprehensive. She sings a little song and the trees sing to her, offering surety. But Red sees ears jutting out behind a bush; is this the Big Bad Wolf? Some noises seems close by; is this the Big Bad Wolf? Then she hears eating, could this be the Big Bad Wolf? At last they reach Grandma's house but there is no answer to Red's knocking. Peering through the letterbox she sees something in Grandma's bed which could be Grandma - or it could be a wolf!  Suddenly Grandma is behind her, hugging her in welcome. And all is well and the surprise is in Grandma's bed.

This funny take on Little Red Riding Hood, is beautifully read by Michael Rosen.  This recording shows adults and older readers how to sing the verses by Red and the trees, and Rosen demonstrates some other features including predicting a rhyming word, singing along with the tale, anticipating what happens next and simply laughing at the story.

Beautiful illustrations by David Melling add carefully placed details of Red and Pebbles as they go through the woods, fearing the presence of the Big Bad Wolf. The looks on their faces are priceless as they get closer to Grandma's house; Pebbles' tail is a strong indicator of how the horse feels.

This is will be a much loved addition to any book corner, it will be a wonderful end of the day story linked to traditional tales or a story to be enjoyed in a wonderful book nook.

Picture book / Reviewed by Amanda Shipton, teacher

Suggested Reading Age 14+