Review - Federico and the Wolf

Federico and the Wolf
by Rebecca J. Gomez
illustrated by Elisa Chavarri
Date: 2020
Publisher: Clarion Books
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 40
Format: e-book
Source: library

Clever Federico outsmarts el lobo in this Mexican-American take on Little Red Riding Hood.

With his red hoodie on and his bicycle basket full of food, Federico is ready to visit Abuelo. But on the way, he meets a hungry wolf. And now his grandfather bears a striking resemblance to el lobo. Fortunately, Federico is quick and clever—and just happens to be carrying a spicy surprise! Federico drives the wolf away, and he and Abuelo celebrate with a special salsa. Recipe included.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

Federico and the Wolf is a cute take on "Little Red Riding Hood" where the main character is a little boy with a red hoodie.

Sprinkled with Spanish words, the story follows the basic plot of the original. Federico takes a basket of food to his grandfather's store. But he meets a hungry wolf on the way, and the wolf decides to try to have a snack. (You get the idea.)

The text is charming, with a bouncy rhythm and great read-aloud rhymes. The pictures are certainly colourful, athough I wasn't blown away by them. The wolf is suitably scary, though.

Fans of fairy-tale retellings will probably enjoy this one. I would also recommend it to those looking for English books that have a smattering of foreign words. (The glossary at the back, complete with pronunciation guide, is always a nice thing to have in a book like this.) And don't forget to try the included pico recipe!

Quotable moment:

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

Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall: 3.86 out of 5