Review - Little Red Rhyming Hood

Little Red Rhyming Hood
by Sue Fliess
illustrated by Petros Bouloubasis
Date: 2019
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library

Because Little Red only speaks in verse, it's tough for her to make friends. The schoolyard bully, Big Brad Wolf, is always picking on her. One day, her grandma shows her a flyer for a poetry contest, and Little Red thinks it could be her big chance to make a friend. But on the day of the contest, Big Brad Wolf sneaks up on Little Red and scares the rhyme right out of her—and into him! How will they rhyme their way out of this dilemma?

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This is a cute take on the story of Little Red Riding Hood, featuring a little girl in a red hoodie who can't stop rhyming and a bully named Big Brad Wolf. Brad torments Little Red every day, but she tries to ignore him... until one day, he scares the rhymes right out of her and into him! It's the day of the big poetry contest, too. Brad is freaked out by speaking in rhyme, so Little Red agrees to try to help him.

I quite liked this book, except for one line that sort of implies that boys are mean to girls because they like them. It's time we get rid of that dangerous idea. Other than that, though, the story is cute and the illustrations are pleasant. I enjoyed the twists on the classic story (especially with the grandmother and her red hoodie). The rhymes and prose are pretty solid, too. So, overall, I would recommend this one, with just slight reservations. (Yes, Brad does eventually learn he doesn't have to scare a girl to be close to her, but the fact that the book gets a little close to the old "boys will be boys" stereotype makes me a little uncomfortable.)

Quotable moment:

Premise: 3/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 3/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall: 3.5 out of 5