Red Riding Hood

book

In this unique version of the age-old story "Red Riding Hood," Caldecott medalist Beatrice Schenk de Regniers retells the tale in eccentric verse. Although de Regniers maintains the traditional storyline, the combination of her mastery and the skill of legendary illustrator Edward Gorey make the fable feel completely new.

De Regniers's verse, while it does rhyme, is by no means sing-song and is at times even delightfully puzzling. Phrases and exclamations dangle from the beginnings and ends of couplets--at first glance slightly misplaced, but also somehow appropriate and enriching. (All the better to amuse you with, my dear.) The illustrations are, in typical Gorey fashion, simultaneously spare and expressive. Though the drawings are primarily black and white, specific and random items are colored scarlet: the wolf's tongue, the grandmother's slippers, the feather in the woodsman's cap, and of course, the titular riding hood. (All the better to entrance you with, my dear.) Even if your kids know the story of "Red Riding Hood" by heart, this edition, with its unusual verse and priceless illustrations, will win their special and undivided attention. (Ages 4 to 8)