Little Red Riding Hood

A wordless retelling of the fairy tale about the little girl who meets a hungry wolf in the forest.

Kindergarten-Grade 3 In this wordless version of the oft-illustrated tale, the young heroine is depicted as a maiden mouse. Goodall's traditional half-page format achieves a pleasing sense of balance and perspective as the main action takes place in the center of the book, with smaller incidents and details flowing out from this focal point. A judicious use of color heightens the drama (the delicate watercolor background of a pastoral countryside is set against the rich and vivid colors used in illustrating the main action). In most spreads, the half-page illustrations are matched, but on several there is a distinct color inconsistency that is aesthetically jarring, and the size proportions are offthe bear woodsman is the same height as the mother mouse. This Little Red Riding Hood sets out at a leisurely pace, encountering various animals (an elegant frog gallantly escorts her across a stream), but young viewers familiar with the plot will soon spot the wolf lurking in the background. The tempo speeds up when the wolf arrives at Grandma's and goulishly gobbles her up and then Little Red Riding Hood, too. Unlike James Marshall's sheepish wolf (Little Red Riding Hood Dial, 1987), this one is rotten to the core, with no misgivings. In true folkloric fashion the violence here is graphic and the fear real, but the relief at the rescue is deeply felt. Caroline Ward, Nassau Library System, Uniondale, N.Y.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Goodall clearly has enjoyed embellishing the story of Little Red Riding Hood in this wordless edition of the tale. His heroine is a sociable young mouse who encounters a number of friendly animals on her way to visit her ailing grandmother: a family of ducks, a chivalrous frog and a squirrel who stops to tell her the time. Who can blame her for assuming that the intentions of an impeccably dressed wolfsporting an ascot and top hatare innocent? Goodall's trademark use of alternating full and half pages work well to accentuate the drama of the story; in a few quick flips of the page the wolf springs from granny's door into her bedwith granny's red-stockinged feet dangling from his mouth. The woodcutter is a brawny bear who, despite the grisly appearance of blood on his axe, still has the appetite for a civilizing cup of tea after escorting Little Red Riding Hood home to her mother. Lush watercolor paintings beautifully evoke the woodland setting, balancing the more sinister elements of the story; this is another impressive addition to Goodall's distinctive opus. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.