Red Riding Hood and the Sweet Little Wolf

PreS-Gr 1—Wondering when their youngster will become a "real" wolf, Sweet Little Wolf's furry parents send her to fetch dinner. As Red Riding Hood reads aloud while skipping through the woods to Grandma's house, Sweet Little Wolf scampers behind her. She loves pretty things, the color pink, and stories. Arriving at Grandma's house, she dresses in the old woman's pink robe and cap and climbs into bed. When Red Riding Hood checks on an odd-sounding grandmother, she is frightened by the young wolf and runs out, returning with a woodcutter. The two find Sweet Little Wolf sobbing, "I want to listen to fairy tales." In a further twist, Mortimer's compassionate Red Riding Hood writes a letter to the little wolf's parents explaining that their daughter doesn't want to eat girls and dreams of "being a good, kind wolf." In the saccharine ending, Mrs. Wolf tells Sweet Little Wolf that her parents love her just the way she is. The playful illustrations add much to the simplistic narrative. Pichon fills Grandma's house with dainty, homey furnishings. In an amusing scene, Sweet Little Wolf sits at the grandmother's dressing table spritzing herself with perfume. Read aloud with other versions of the story, this humorous take on the classic story offers material for comparison and contrast and comprehension lessons.—Lynn Vanca, Freelance Librarian, Akron, OH