Friday, November 2, 2007

Little Red Riding Hood


LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD, retold and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney; New York: Little, Brown, and Co., 2007; 16.95; ISBN 0316013552 or 9780316031550; Picture Book

With Jerry Pinkney at the drawing board, one might imagine how beautiful this new version of Little Red Riding Hood is. In addition, it has several standout features: Pinkney retells the original story, in which the wolf eats Grandma and Little Red Riding Hood, and a passing woodsman kills the wolf with an ax and lets them out; Little Red Riding Hood is black; and the story takes place in the winter. The brilliant red of the cloak is striking against a backdrop of snow, evergreens, and pale birches. Recommended purchase for all libraries. It is a crime against art and society that Jerry Pinkney has never won a Caldecott award (editorial remark).

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