Red Riding Hood

Written over a century ago but never illustrated, Beatrix Potter's slightly darker take on the classic The Tale of Red Riding Hood comes to life with beautiful illustrations from Helen Oxenbury.

Once upon a time there was a village child who was so pretty--so pretty as never was seen. The good woman, her mother, made the child a little hood of scarlet flannel. Wherever she went she wore it; and the folks called her "Little Red Riding Hood."

Told with Beatrix Potter's trademark forthright narration and wry observations, this unique take on the popular tale is sure to become as popular as her original stories. Award-winning illustrator Helen Oxenbury's illustrations complement the original text with moments of beauty, tension, and humor.

Beatrix Potter was born on July 28, 1866 at No 2, Bolton Gardens, Kensington, London. She loved nature and drawing as a child. In 1893, Beatrix sat down to write a picture letter to Noel Moore, the five-year-old son of her ex-governess, all about a naughty rabbit called Peter. Noel was ill in bed and so Beatrix wrote to him: "My dear Noel, I don't know what to write to you, so I shall tell you a story about four little rabbits...." And that's how The Tale of Peter Rabbit was created. It wasn't until 1902 that Frederick Warne published what would become one of the most beloved stories in children's books.