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By Nicki Richesin, The Children’s Book Review
Published: September 13, 2011

If the phrase, “The better to eat you with!” struck terror in your childhood heart, fear not, these inventive retellings of the classic Little Red Riding Hood story will delight your little ones. The Brothers Grimm were especially gifted at creating dark and often haunting fairy tales, but these books below have a bit more gentle appeal. They also may serve as a great conversation starter with your children about the inherent danger of talking to strangers. As the moral of the folktale advises, children should beware of the charming and kind wolf perhaps most of all.

The Story of Little Red Riding Hood by those daring Grimm brothers (beautifully illustrated by Christopher Bing whose youngest daughter modeled for little Red) comes in an old-fashioned album meant to capture the timeless quality of the story. A cautionary tale, including the original black and white illustrated version from 1857, is inserted as a fold-out in the back of the book complete with the underlying moral.

In Betsy Red Hoodie by Gail Carson Levine, the talented author of Ella Enchanted, brings a new spin on the story. Accompanied by her wise-cracking sheep to Grandma’s house, Betsy encounters many obstacles and diversions on her path. Grandma has an unexpected surprise in store for Betsy when she finally arrives at her home. This is the second installment of Betsy’s plucky adventures (preceded by Betsy Who Cried Wolf!) with comic illustrations by Scott Nash.

Bernadette Watts paints a colorful, wondrous forest filled with wildflowers that tempt Little Red Riding Hood to pick a lovely bouquet for her grandmother. The wolf meets a gruesome end when the huntsman cuts him open to rescue them and they fill his belly full of stones. It almost makes one feel sorry for the wolf… so fiendish wolves better watch out for hunters with an ax to grind.

In his bold inventive book, acclaimed artist Daniel Egneus recreates a gothic wonderland for

Reviewed by Carma Dutra, Picture Book Reviewer for the National Writing for Children Center

Title: The Bugliest Bug

Author: Carol Diggory Shields

Illustrator: Scott Nash

Reading level: Ages 4-8

Paperback: 32 pages

Publisher: Candlewick (April 12, 2005)

ISBN-10: 0763622931

ISBN-13: 978-0763622930

The news spread through the bug colony like wildfire. A contest for insects was happening and one lucky bug would be crowned the bugliest bug of them all. The main character, Damselfly Dilly, was nothing but a plain bug and knew she didn’t have a chance to win yet she still wanted to see who would be named the bugliest bug. Dilly crept down to get a closer look at click beetles clacking, crickets singing and lady bugs curtsying.

Fireflies and glowworms lit up the stage. All the bugs where there hoping for prizes. “There were more bugs than Dilly could ever have dreamed. From tiny no-see-ums to fat termite queens.” But when Dilly notices that the contest judges look suspicious with strings tied around their bodies she yells “We’ve been flim-flammed, bamboozled, distracted. Those judges aren’t insects,” she cried…” They’re Arachnids!” The contest judges were just trying to get a good night’s supper.

Once Dilly uncovers the spider’s dastardly plot she rallies the bugs together to do what each one can do best. The army ants marched, the mantises prayed then a real crowd pleaser… the stink bugs unite and give off their worst smells. “P.U. we give up!” the spiders all yelled. Children will love this ending and the illustrator’s drawing of stink bugs doing their best.

What five or six year old doesn’t love bugs? Children will derive great pleasure looking at the inventive illustrations by Scott Nash. The cartoon like bugs are drawn with pop-eyes and many of them have only four legs but they all have some kind of human expression. The story is written in verse with a steady pace. Also, colors of bright yellow, green and orange peeks a young reader’s interest. What’s more, kids get a kick out of the ending and they learn the scientific name for spiders.

About the author: Carol Diggory Shields is a poet, librarian and a published author. In addition to The Bugliest Bug some of her published credits are Saturday Night At the Dinosaur Stomp, I Am Really A Princess (Pbk), Monday, Monday, Rise and Shine.

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Carma Dutra is a children’s writer. Learn more about children’s writing tips and read reviews of award winning books by visiting Carma’s Window at http://carmaswindow.blogspot.com. Download the free EBooks, Tips for Children’s Writers and Illustrators, and Unite to Write, a compilation of articles from thirteen top expert authors.