The Little Red Hen [Paperback]

Paul Galdone (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

Galdone's dynamic, amusing pictures add much humor to the familiar tale of the industrious hen and lazy cat, dog, and mouse.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This imaginative rendition will surely help sustain the popularity of this old favorite." School Library Journal, Starred

About the Author

Paul Galdone was born in Budapest, Hungary in 1907 and emigrated to the United States in 1928. After finishing his studies at the Art Student League and the New York School of Industrial Design, Mr. Galdone worked in the art department of a major publishing house. There he was introduced to the process of bookmaking, an activity that was soon to become his lifelong career. Before his death in 1986, Mr. Galdone illustrated almost three hundred books, many of which he himself wrote or retold. He is fondly remembered for his contemporary style, bright earthy humor, and action-filled illustrations, which will continue to delight for generations to come.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: Sandpiper (March 18, 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0899193498
• ISBN-13: 978-0899193496
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 7 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #63,863 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #3 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( G ) > Galdone, Paul
  • #32 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Where We Live > Farm Life
  • #39 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Animals > Birds > Fiction

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Classic "Teaching" Tale Well Illustrated, June 20, 2005

By 

Pam Tee "Busy Mom" - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Little Red Hen (Paperback)

Paul Galdone is on my entering kindergartener's Summer Reading List and I can certainly understand why. He has a marvelous way of drawing expressions and displaying, with detail, a story in a manner that makes it real and concrete for little children.

Certainly, my children (3 and 5; boy and girl respectively) like this version of the Little Red Hen. And I found it really useful as a learning tool too.

While other versions just have the repetitive print "Not I" standing on it's own, the Galdone version has a picture of each animal next to the words. These pictures allow even a toddler to participate in `reading' the story aloud.

A Great Addition to the home library.


Some lesson activities for the "Little Red Hen' suggested by various websites include:

--Talking with older children about whether the Hen's treatment of her housemates was justified. Could Hen have handled the situation in another way?

--Tying the book into a lesson about plant growth, and/or cake making.

--Talking about Teamwork and then how families work as a team.

-- Reading different versions and discussing the merits of one versus the other.

-- For younger children, having them recite and fill in the blanks as you read.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A classic book that gets everything just right, February 18, 2005

By 

Matt Hetling "Matt" (Bethel, ME USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Little Red Hen (Paperback)

The Little Red Hen finds some grains of wheat on the ground, and asks for help in planting them. But her shiftless roommates, the dog, the cat, and the mouse, all refuse to help plant the wheat, water it, reap it, grind it, or bake a cake from the wheat. When the cake is ready to be eaten, they all want to help, but the hen eats the cake by herself. In the end, the lazy trio has learned to help with the household chores.

This is a nice simple story with a good rhythm and refrain (Not I! said the dog; Not I! said the cat; Not I! said the mouse) that should be very reassuring to a young child. The pictures in my 1974 edition (also by Galdone, I guess, since no illustrator is credited) are very nice, with lots of details to think about and enjoy. The moral is a good one for young children to learn as well.

This book has endured through the years because it has all of the elements that make a great kid's book; it is entertaining and comforting, teaches children where food comes from, and contains a lesson about the value of a day's work.

I highly recommend it.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As always with Galdone, a wonderful, faithful retelling, July 29, 2005

By 

Suzanne Amara (MA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Little Red Hen (Paperback)

You can never go far wrong with fairy tales and Paul Galdone! We have almost all his books, and they are the versions I almost always have read my sons. As in this version, he tells the story clearly, with interesting and detailed but not cluttered pictures. There is something about this particular story my sons have always loved. Perhaps it's because it's a pretty clear-cut ending---the ones who would not help don't get to share the treat, instead of the ending of many more modern tales where all learn their lesson and get included at the end! Kids often like things to be "fair but firm"! They also like the details of the cooking included here. Have a look at all of Galdone's books if you are interested in building up a fairy tale collection.