Little Red Riding Hood [Hardcover]

Andrea Wisnewski (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2006

Andrea Wisnewski makes the story of Little Red Riding Hood fresh and new in this ingeniously designed retelling. She has set her tale in the rural New England of the early nineteenth century, basing her interiors, architecture, and costumes on models found at Old Sturbridge Village, the living-history museum in western Massachusetts. The images, full of lovingly rendered period detail, are done in a medium Wisnewski has made her own: black-and-white prints made from intricate papercut designs (the results look much like woodcuts) that are then hand painted in gloriously vivid watercolor. This is surely to become the favorite American retelling of this classic tale from Grimm, the one about a stout-hearted little girl and the crafty, hungry wolf.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Wisnewski (A Cottage Garden Alphabet) retells the familiar story, adorning it with graceful illustrations that emulate woodcuts, washed with saturated watercolors, and brimming with details. In her retelling, she recasts the nearby woodsman as Little Red Riding Hood's father and, arriving at Grandmother's, the heroine recognizes the wolf straightaway and uses the familiar questions regarding the odd physiognomy to buy time. Other details strike familiar tones: Grandmother is swallowed whole ("It had been a slim winter"), and the girl's father, after "carefully slitting open the wolf's stomach," stares gravely into the belly of the flayed but bloodless creature. (Flowered bed curtains spare his daughter—and readers—any implied gore.) Unfortunately, the narrative suffers from several overlong sentences (e.g., " 'Thank you, wolf,' she said and started down the path not noticing that as soon as she turned her back the wolf slid back into the trees and took yet one more of his shortest short cuts through the woods"). Children will enjoy studying the detailed artwork, from Grandmother's pets (a tabby hides under the bed while a ginger cat flees) to cozy interiors modeled on Old Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts (according to an author's note). The bookmaking's lovely, too: lupine footprints trot across the front cover (beneath the book jacket), and red gingham endpapers conjure both the cloth protecting Little Red's basket and Grandmother's cheery tablecloth. Ages 7-up. (Jan.)
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From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 3—A handsomely illustrated version of a folktale favorite. Wisnewski's retelling is straightforward and the language has a comfortable, folksy cadence. The tale ends happily, as Little Red Riding Hood's father comes to the rescue, vanquishes the wolf, and extracts Grandmother from its stomach, "shocked and shaken, but none the worse for wear." The illustrations—black-and-white prints made from cut-paper designs and then painted in watercolors—have the depth and texture of woodcuts. An author's note sets the tale in Old Sturbridge Village, a living history museum in Massachusetts, and the artwork reflects details of life in early-19th-century rural New England. While the characters' faces tend to be a bit wooden, their clothing and other fabrics, the exteriors and interiors of the houses, and the snow-covered woods are all vividly and gracefully rendered. The endpapers' red-and-white checkered pattern is repeated on the napkin covering the basket of goodies and the tablecloth in Grandmother's kitchen, and bright red winterberries provide a colorful balance to the child's "bright as a berry" cloak. Visual details abound, and observant youngsters will notice that a calico cat plays a heroic role in the story. An eye-catching addition to folk and fairytale shelves.—Joy Fleishhacker, School Library Journal
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: David R Godine (October 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1567923038
• ISBN-13: 978-1567923032
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 7.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,134,250 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars James Michael, July 26, 2007

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James Michael (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Little Red Riding Hood (Hardcover)

This is the most beautifully illustrated contemporary edition of the classic fairy tale I have come across. It's especially good for boys in that the "huntsman" is now the "father" and the wolf is portrayed powerfully and dramatically. For girls, Riding Hood, Mother and Grandmother are strong feminine figures in their own right, too. My 3 year old Godson enjoys it immensely.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A beautifully illustrated classic, May 18, 2007

By 

no name "EvB" (Harrisburg, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Little Red Riding Hood (Hardcover)

This is one of the most outstanding children's books that we own. I first heard of Andrea Wisnewski's Little Red Riding Hood in the Wall Street Journal, where it recieved rave reviews. I ordered it right away, one for my daughter and one for my neice. The book did not disappoint. The illustrations are stunning and so interesting to study closely. The cultural details in each picture add to the charm of the story. The illustrations become even more engaging when you realize the medium used. Ms. Wisnewski created black & white prints made from papercut designs and then hand painted the prints with watercolors. Amazing! And that only gives testimony to the illustrations. The script is just as lovely. The classic story of Little Red Riding Hood is told in such a charming and entertaining way. It is as much a treat for me, as it is for my children, to read this story together. It is one of the "special" books that is kept on the highest shelve of the bookcase to preserve it for years and generations to come.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lovely...Simply Lovely, May 16, 2007

By 

Amy Graham (Scottsdale, AZ) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Little Red Riding Hood (Hardcover)

Lovely is really the only way to describe Wisnewski's retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. The most attractive feature of this particular version of one of the most retold stories around is the illustrations, which are actually not "illustrations" in the traditional sense. Here the author uses a cut paper technique that simulates traditional woodcuts which is quite effective and really compliments the story, giving it an old world flavor. The text is simple and is framed in each two page illustration, adding to the feel that what the reader is looking at is an old handmade story book with colorfully decorated and detailed woodcut artwork. This was truly a joy to read visually. The story itself follows the traditional bones and grandma IS eaten while Red buys time to try to escape with the "oh Grandma" lines, which I thought was a nice touch. There's nothing here that will scare young readers despite the wolf eating the Grandma and the Woodcutter cutting her out of the wolf (scene tastefully screened by bed curtains and left to the imagination). So what you have is pretty tame, simple text pared with rich artwork that makes Wisnewski's retelling of Little Red Riding Hood ideal for read aloud or for beginning readers. I'd recommend it for anyone who loves a good picture story book or who collects fairy/folktales, it would make a fine addition to any children's library, I give it 4 Stars!