I really love fractured fairy-tales and this one was a lot of fun! I especially liked the safari theme and the confidence and creativity of Little Red.
Summary from the Publisher:
Little Red sets off to visit her auntie who is poorly. She walks under the giraffes, over the sleepy crocodiles, past the enormous elephants and the chattering monkeys. Then a Very Hungry Lion approaches Little Red, wanting to gobble her up. But despite all the cunning plans by Lion, Little Red outsmarts him and soon has him saying sorry and eating doughnuts instead.
Little Red and the Very Hungry Lion was written and illustrated by Alex T. Smith. It was published in 2016 by Scholastic Press.
Opening:
“This is Little Red. Today she is going to be gobbled up by a lion.”
My Thoughts as a Writer:
I liked the humorous tone of the story. It drew me in right away and set up an expectation that the Lion might be tricked. I loved Little Red’s personality, and how she set out to get back at the Lion – her ideas were a lot of fun and offered lots of possibilities for the illustrations.
The illustrations were interesting from a design perspective, since some of the pages were divided in unexpected ways. I liked the bright, fun colours that fit the safari theme, and details like the antics of Little Red’s tiny goat.
My Thoughts as a Teacher:
A good story for a read aloud. I really enjoyed all the animals Little Red met along her way, which could be paired with non-fiction books for additional learning. I also really liked the plan the lion made – this could be a model for students to use when making their own plan.
What I liked most of all were the fun story twists and the boldness of Red's character. It would be interesting to compare her actions to the Red Riding Hood in a more traditional version of the story. I wondered, though, if the idea of being eaten might be a little scary for preschoolers.
What I liked most of all were the fun story twists and the boldness of Red's character. It would be interesting to compare her actions to the Red Riding Hood in a more traditional version of the story. I wondered, though, if the idea of being eaten might be a little scary for preschoolers.
Ages: 5 - 8
Grades: K - 3
Themes: fairy tales, safari, Africa
Activities:
With a partner, make some props and act out the story! How do you think each character feels?
Read a traditional version of Little Red Riding Hood. Compare the stories and find similarities and differences.
Find out about one of the animals Little Red meets on her way to Auntie’s house.
Make a funny poster to show how it might escape the Lion.
Look through the book and find details that the author/illustrator used to show that the story takes place in Africa.
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