Red Riding Hood and the Sweet Little Wolf

by Rachael Mortimer, Liz Pichon (Illustrator)

Overview

A delightful twist on a classic fairy tale about daring to be yourself. Illustrated by Liz Pichon, creator of the bestselling Tom Gates series.

Little Wolf doesn't want to be a Big Bad Wolf - she's more interested in reading fairy tales and being kind.

But one day she's sent out to catch dinner ... and bumps straight into Little Red Riding Hood! Can Little Wolf find the courage to stay true to herself?

Perfect for children already familiar with the classic Red Riding Hood tale.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781444955644
Publisher:	Hachette Children's
Publication date:	02/08/2022
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	9.62(w) x 10.37(h) x 0.25(d)
Age Range:	3 Months to 5 Years

About the Author

Rachael Mortimer (Author)
 Rachael had many  successful years in advertising but is now a full time  writer and  mother. She lives in London with her husband and two  daughters who are a  constant source of inspiration for her children's  books. She won the  Books Factor Award with Three Billy Goats Fluff.

Liz Pichon (Illustrator)
 Liz Pichon studied graphic design at Middlesex Polytechnic and Camberwell School of Art in London. She is the creator of The Brilliant World of Tom Gates and has won the Waterstones Children's Prize, Blue Peter Award, Red House Book Award, and the Smarties Book Prize Silver Award.

Editorial Reviews

Another clever twisting of a tale—School Librarian

Liz Pichon's bright, expressive illustrations complement an original and humorous alternative-telling of a traditional fairy story—Book Trust

Packed full of action, expression and humour—The Scotsman

From the Publisher

The team behind The Three Billy Goats Fluff returns with another slightly softer take on a traditional story. Just how sweet and little is this wolf? She wears daisy chains around her neck, has lavender fur, and “loved all things pretty and pink, especially fairy tales.” The wolf’s parents (who are of the big and bad variety) insist that their daughter pick up the groceries for dinner—the shopping list concludes with “One little girl (tender and juicy)”—but the wolf’s gentle nature gets the best of her. She does wind up wearing Little Red Riding Hood’s grandmother’s “lovely pink robe and frilly nightcap,” but only because she “couldn’t resist trying them on!” After a near disaster when Little Red Riding Hood calls for a woodsman (who arrives with a terrifyingly sharp–looking axe), the two girls become friends, providing the sort of “happily ever after” that the wolf loves to read about. Pichon has fun subverting wolf stereotypes in her cheery paintings—the scene of the wolf seated at Grandma’s vanity, happily dousing herself in perfume, is especially amusing. Ages 3–7. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

PreS-Gr 1—Wondering when their youngster will become a "real" wolf, Sweet Little Wolf's furry parents send her to fetch dinner. As Red Riding Hood reads aloud while skipping through the woods to Grandma's house, Sweet Little Wolf scampers behind her. She loves pretty things, the color pink, and stories. Arriving at Grandma's house, she dresses in the old woman's pink robe and cap and climbs into bed. When Red Riding Hood checks on an odd-sounding grandmother, she is frightened by the young wolf and runs out, returning with a woodcutter. The two find Sweet Little Wolf sobbing, "I want to listen to fairy tales." In a further twist, Mortimer's compassionate Red Riding Hood writes a letter to the little wolf's parents explaining that their daughter doesn't want to eat girls and dreams of "being a good, kind wolf." In the saccharine ending, Mrs. Wolf tells Sweet Little Wolf that her parents love her just the way she is. The playful illustrations add much to the simplistic narrative. Pichon fills Grandma's house with dainty, homey furnishings. In an amusing scene, Sweet Little Wolf sits at the grandmother's dressing table spritzing herself with perfume. Read aloud with other versions of the story, this humorous take on the classic story offers material for comparison and contrast and comprehension lessons.—Lynn Vanca, Freelance Librarian, Akron, OH

School Library Journal

Misfit wolf meets mischievous lass in a red cape: Is she friend or foe? Sweet Little Wolf loves flowers and fairy tales, and she doesn't want to grow up to be big and bad, to the great dismay of her parents. To nudge her back onto the correct path, they send her out to get dinner with a shopping list that includes "one little girl (tender and juicy)." She does want to please her parents, and serendipitously, who should skip by but Red Riding Hood, reading a fairy tale aloud. Sweet Little Wolf is enraptured, then angry at herself, then enraptured again. She creeps into Grandma's cottage and tries to put on a scary face. But Grandma (who fortunately is not home) has such beautiful clothes that Sweet Little Wolf can't resist getting into a sparkly pink robe and dusting herself with powder. When Red Riding Hood arrives, Sweet Little Wolf doesn't attack her but hides under the covers. The two become friends and eat cookies together. Red Riding Hood writes a lovely letter to Sweet Little Wolf's parents. Anxious about her daylong absence, Mrs. Wolf does an about-face that evening and tells Sweet Little Wolf that she loves her just the way she is. Pichon's bright illustrations are a great match for Mortimer's sunny story, told with charm and no skimping on text. Despite the forced plot, this is likely to bring a smile or three. (Picture book. 3-7)

Kirkus Reviews