The Power of the Invisible Sun

Gr 1—4—This newly illustrated fairy tale includes three versions of an old favorite. The first and primary telling is Grimm's story. The grandmother and Little Red Riding Hood are consumed by the wolf, but freed by the hunter and live happily ever after. A second, lesser-known tale shows a resourceful girl who outfoxes the wolf, and all ends happily. In Perrault's shorter, darker version, which appears on the back endpaper with its original art, the old woman and girl are eaten and not saved. And Perrault moralizes, warning against charming wolves. The new, yet traditionally styled illustrations for the first two tales are well matched to the old stories. From the front cover to the back, the pen-and-ink, watercolor artwork gives the illusion of age. Pages are edged with faux foxing and curled corners, creating the look of a thick, old volume. "Pressed flowers" and "stains" are scattered throughout the "well-used" book. The brightly colored paintings induce a variety of moods, from serene to eerie to explosive fear. The forest is both safe and threatening. Bright sunshine streaming through it welcomes readers on the path to Grandma's house, while large craggy trees hold a bit of menace. An odd realism, in which Little Red Riding Hood is unnaturally outsized by the wolf, highlights the threat that he poses. More than one spread leaps out at readers with startling reality. The drama may be a bit too much for sensitive readers, but traditionalists will applaud the artist's work. He successfully takes the story back to its traditions.—Carolyn Janssen, Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, OH