Little Red Riding Hood: A Newfangled Prairie Tale

Ernst, L. (1995). Little Red Riding Hood: A Newfangled Prairie Tale. Illus. Lisa Ernst. New York, New York: Simon & Schuster.

Brief Annotation: In this midwestern, feminist spin on Red Riding Hood, Little Red Riding Hood heads off to Grandma's house on her bike to bring Grandma some lemonade and prize-winning muffins. On her way through the fields, the wolf, smelling the muffins, approaches Little Red Riding Hood. While Red Riding Hood picks some sunflowers, the wolf goes on ahead to steal the muffins and the recipe from Grandma. The wolf sneaks up on a farmer on a tractor, only to have Grandma, who is the farmer, grab him. The scared wolf notes Grandma's big eyes, ears and hands. Luckily she shows mercy, and ends up hiring the wolf to work at her muffin shop.
Genre: Folk tale
Grade Level: K-4
Readers who will like this: Readers who know the story, readers who like a twist on a familiar tale.
Response/Rating (1-4): 3. I liked how the author twisted the original tale around to create strong female characters in Little Red Riding Hood and her Grandma. They are no longer victims that are rescued by the passing woodsman.
One question you would ask before a read aloud: Could you think of a different ending to the Little Red Riding Hood story?