Publishers Weekly
★ 04/28/2014
Elya remains a master at blending Spanish and English to create clever, lively verse, and she and Guevara give the story of Little Red Riding Hood an entertaining and thoroughly modern spin. Roja’s mother is busy watching telenovelas, so she sends her daughter to deliver sopa to her ailing Abuela. Riding on an ATV, Roja meets a wolf (“¡Cuidado! !Cuidado!” wail the forest birds in a kind of Greek chorus), who beats her to Abuela’s house. Guevara tucks fairy tale and nursery rhyme characters throughout her watercolor-and-gouche paintings, and Roja’s tech-driven solution to prevent future break-ins will leave readers smiling. Ages 5–8. Illustrator’s agent: Kendra Marcus, BookStop Literary Agency. (Apr.)
From the Publisher
Elya remains a master at blending Spanish and English to create clever, lively verse, and she and Guevara give the story of Little Red Riding Hood an entertaining and thoroughly modern spin.” –Publishers Weekly, starred review
“An inventive spin on a familiar tale, this will stand up to repeated readings and viewings.” –Horn Book, starred review
“This book has a flair all its own . . . . Elya’s engaging text features plenty snappy rhymes and plenty of contextual clues for Spanish words . . . Guevara’s illustrations provide a lot to see.” —School Library Journal
“This spirited interpretation of a classic fairy tale successfully mixes magic and reality, as well as Spanish and English words.”—Kirkus Reviews
A Horn Book Fanfare Title
School Library Journal
04/01/2014
PreS-Gr 2—Elya follows up Rubia and the Three Osos (her version of "Goldilocks and the Three Bears") with this Mexican influenced and modern take on "Little Red Riding Hood." The book has a flair all its own: Little Roja's mother watches telenovas, Little Roja drives an ATV, the wolf wears a bandana and skull necklace, Grandma has a laptop and a statue of Jesus, and when Little Roja saves the day, Grandma ends up investing in a good lock and security camera. Elya's engaging text features snappy rhymes and plenty of contextual clues for Spanish words, which are in easy-to-find bold type. Her rhyming scheme is essential in helping non-Spanish speakers with pronunciation. A glossary at the beginning of the book provides straightforward pronunciations and definitions for Spanish words. The main characters are well depicted and follow the story nicely. Guevara's illustrations provide a lot to see, such as the three blind mice and Roja's cat, who tag along for the entire adventure; slightly menacing sunflowers with eyes; talking magpies; and some very busy Spanish trickster elves, who are unexplained, except in Guevara's bio. Overall, the story shines through, and this is a must-have where Elya's other books have been popular.—Catherine Callegari, Gay-Kimball Library, Troy, NH
Kirkus Reviews
2014-02-19
Elya presents a modern twist on a familiar fairy tale in her signature style using rhyming, predominantly English text that skillfully incorporates Spanish words and phrases. Red travels through the woods to take hot soup to her sick abuela. Along the way, she is tricked by a sly wolf. Roja must act quickly to rescue Grandma, and then the two devise a technologically enhanced plan to prevent visits from unwelcome predators in the future. The playful illustrations elevate the book, blending a whimsical fairy-tale land with contemporary Latino-American life. In the kitchen, where Mamá watches telenovelas while chopping peppers and garlic, three blind mice scamper about, a pair of mischievous goblins lurk outside the window, and symbols reminiscent of milagros, or prayer charms, rise up in the steam from the clay pot of bean soup. As Red travels through the forest, the birds call out warnings to her in Spanish—"¡Cuidado!" Throughout the text, the Spanish words appear in bold and italicized print. Context and an opening glossary provide the definitions rather than simultaneous translation. This results in a story that avoids becoming repetitive for bilingual readers and that readers who do not speak Spanish will also easily understand. This spirited interpretation of a classic fairy tale successfully mixes magic and reality, as well as Spanish and English words. (Picture book. 3-7)
