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Little Red Riding Hood has ten cookies to take to her dad. On the way she meets some familiar (and hungry) characters. Rapunzel, the three bears and three billy goats. But as always there is a problem: a wolf is in the way. Will dad get any cookies - or will the wolf get there first? A clever story that links with famous tales and also works as a math counting book.
"An imaginative sequel to the traditional tale. A lovely book to read aloud... Stripes, spirals, dots and squares abound in the bold illustrations in bright, strong colours... these sort of details engage children's interest over many retellings." Books for Keeps Not Again Red Riding Hood! Big Book and audio CD sold separately.
Book Review:
Not Again, Red Riding Hood! is a whimsical and entertaining book. The tale begins after Red Riding Hood’s “terrible ordeal with the wolf” and follows her on a new adventure.
When her mother asks her to bring some cookies to her father, who is working in the woods, Red Riding Hood agrees to go, despite her nervousness. As she makes her way to her father, she encounters various storybook characters (Rapunzel, Goldilocks’ three bears, and the 3 Billy Goats Gruff) and shares some of her cookies with each of them.
As Red Riding Hood continues her journey, she is unaware that she is being tracked by the Big Bad Wolf’s brother. In many of the illustrations, we see either the wolf’s tiny figure tiptoeing in the background or parts of him (like his ears and tail) showing over a window or a fence as he peeps at Red Riding Hood.
Near the end of the book, there is a terrible confrontation where the wolf attacks her. She is rescued at the last minute by her axe-wielding father, who chases the wolf away. Father and daughter then share the last two cookies.
One aspect of the story that I particularly liked was the integration of math concepts. For example, at one point they count the cookies by twos. The cookies themselves have what look like colorful M&Ms on them, so the reader can count both the cookies (which the storyline has us do) and the M&Ms on the cookies. As Red Riding Hood distributes the cookies to the other characters in the book, the author is able to incorporate subtraction (as well as the virtue of sharing).
This charming story, with its fanciful illustrations and its clever use of familiar storybook characters, is an enjoyable adventure that children and parents will delight in reading again and again.
Book Review by Maureen Pugh
From the June 2009 issue of Culture Connection newsletter | 
