Friday, November 14, 2014

Super Red Riding Hood by Claudia Davila - NO

Davila, Claudia Super Red Riding Hood. PICTURE BOOK. Kids Can Press, (no copyright to date). $16.95

Ruby is a young girl with a big imagination. She loves all things red, especially the red cloak her grandma made her. When she puts on that cloak, she turns into the brave and fearless “Super Red Riding Hood”. Mom decides it’s time for Ruby to get some fresh air, so “Super Red Riding Hood” heads to the woods to pick raspberries. Bravely, “Super Red Riding Hood” enters the scary woods and fills her lunch box with fresh raspberries. Shortly after, she hears a growl and out pops a wolf. Desperately wanting what is in her box, the wolf chases “Super Red Riding Hood” around the woods and up a tree. Once the wolf realizes he can’t get what he wants, the wolf begins to moan and cry about how hungry he is. Feeling sorry for the wolf, “Super Red” decides to share.

This book makes a failed attempt to show a strong female protagonist. The story line feels unplanned, and the writing sounds like it was written by a middle-school-student. The mood and pacing change randomly throughout the text, and I lost interest with the story before I even got to the climax. With so many wonderfully clever options available for young readers, it seems a waste to spend time on bland story like this one.

Pre-K, EL (K-3) -- NOT RECOMMENDED. Reviewer: Rebecca H., Language Arts teacher

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