| Title | : | Honestly, Red Riding Hood Was Rotten! |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1404870466 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781404870468 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 24 |
| Publication | : | First published July 1, 2011 |
Honestly, Red Riding Hood Was Rotten! Reviews
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Once again the wolf is vegetarian (most of the time) and professes a liking for apples. But one sympathizes with his desire to rid the world of a narcissistic little girl obsessed with her own looks. Personally, I think the kid isn't to blame when Grandma is practically identical (except that her favorite colour is green, not red). It's the whole nature-versus-nurture dilemma. Whichever option y0u pick, in Red's case it's obvious, as the wolf observes, that the apple didn't fall far from the tree. [Insert rimshot here.]
This wolf should really consider stand-up comedy... -
Possibly I've read too many versions of LRRH at this point because I'm starting to see underlying parallels between various takes on it that are downright disturbing. Moon's version of Perrault's tale was flat out nightmare fuel, of course, and this is nowhere near that, but the "moral" of the story as viewed through the wolf's eyes is also fairly unsettling. The wolf wins in this one (obviously, as it's first person narration after the fact), and he explains that it wasn't his fault that Little Red Riding Hood and her grandmother got eaten. No, it's all their fault. He was an innocent party. On one level, that's funny, but it becomes significantly less so if one remembers that the wolf is usually a symbolic representation of either a kidnapper/murderer or rapist/murderer. Little Red's big vice in this is her vanity. She's pretty, and according to the wolf, what's worse is she knows it (oddly, this is also the grandmother's vice). Due to the fact she is attractive, the wolf believes he should be absolved from killing her because who could possibly control themselves around a pretty girl? Red happens to resemble a red apple, while the grandmother does a green apple, and the wolf (who declares he was previously a vegetarian with a penchant for apples) feels their appearance means they had it coming.
Their appearance means they had it coming? What they were wearing? How attractive they were? That Red is rather flirty? I doubt this was the author's intention, but wow, talk about inappropriate. -
The Big Bad Wolf is trying so hard to be good. He is after all a vegetarian and tries hard to resist meat. He much prefers apples but when red riding hood shows up looking as plump and juicy as a big red apple what is a hungry wolf to do?
I enjoy fairy tale retelling and although this wasn't my favorite it was a fun read. The pictures are adorable.
3.5 Stars
Source: Netgalley -
Honestly the only thing I could think of the whole time while reading this book was this.....
This book tried really hard to be like
The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs but it fails miserably at it (
The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs is a fabulous book by the way I highly recommend it).
Red Ridding Hood was very annoying and just talked about how lovely she was ON EVERY PAGE. Not only that but no matter how hungry the wolf is, I fail to see how he would really think of Red and her grandma looking like apples just because of the color of their clothes or that Red was shaped round would make him want to eat them.
And the idea that there is such a thing as a vegetarian wolf is a bit ridiculous since their diet really consists of meat. So I am not sure if this wolf is trying to do a Finding Nemo moment and be friends with what he eats but the whole thing just made the book pointless for me.
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it was ok - to be honest, I don't know what I was expecting. I liked the cinderella one a lot more.
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Illustrations were cute, but I didn't like this rendition at all. It was a weak imitation of
The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, but I feel like children will not get the intended humor of the book.
This ARC was provided to me by the publishers via Net Galley. -
This story is twisted so that it is the wolf’s point of view and explains why he had to eat red and her grandma.
This book is the wolf’s take on the events. The wolf is in the forest where he comes upon red. She is very vain and conceited. She tells him she is going to granny’s house. He asks were that is, and she tells him. He gets to granny’s and granny is the spitting image of red but wearing green. He ends up eating granny and red but after much much goading by both. Plus, he was starving. -
Everyone loves a twist
I really enjoy these twisted fairytales and think they’re great to teach children about opposing views. I would definitely use this in the classroom and perhaps encourage the children to write their own version of other fairytales from the villains perspective. The links and and questions provided at the back are a good starting point. -
An entertaining version
Very humorous and a nice twist to the story we all know and love. Kids will enjoy it. Give the wolf an English accent as you read this to them and have fun watching their little minds work in overdrive! -
Absolutetly loved this book! My students loved it. I will use this book for a lesson about fairy tales.
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Enjoyable story on the Wolf’s take what happened with Little Red Riding Hood.
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Honestly, Red Riding Hood Was Rotten by Trisha Speed Shaskan instantly caught my eye! Gerald Guerlais’s lush, stunning illustration, beautiful frame the story focusing the reader’s eye on a rather convincing wolf. Finally, after years of listening to poor little Red’s sob story, Wolf gets his say. Told from his perceptive, readers learn his version of the events that transpired deep in the woods that fateful day. Poor, unassuming Wolf explains that it was all an honest mistake bought on by some rotten behavior and pure unadulterated hungry. It was a do or die situation and he couldn’t resist. Wolf appeals to the reader’s sense of right and wrong in an effort to convince the world of what really happened on that infamous day at Grandma’s house. The Wolf leaves readers with a few questions to ponder in his last ditch effort to convince us that he did what anyone of us would have done in his situation.
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A quick fun short story of Red Riding Hood told by the wolf.
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The story of Little Red Riding Hood, but told through the wolf's perspective. Not a favorite of the series at all, and had a dark twist at the end that wasn't necessary.
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Content: Clean
I don't even know what the point of a vegetarian wolf who didn't stick to his diet is. -
This book is a spin on the classic, Little Red Riding Hood, by listening to the events that took place from the Big Bad Wolf's perspective. The Wolf begins telling the story just prior to meeting Little Red in the forest, where he is complaining of being hungry after he'd "eaten every last vegetable and fruit in the garden". The Wolf claims to be a vegetarian who loves apples, so when he meets Little Red in the forest, he can't help but to see her as a juicy red apple, ripe for the eating. Upon talking with Little Red, the Wolf sees her as snobbish and full of herself, portraying a selfish attitude as she talks all about her looks and beauty. He learns she is going to her Grandmother's house, and realizes he now has the opportunity to eat both of them if things go right. As the wolf enters Granny's house, he sees her dressed in a bright green dress, and visualizes a Granny Smith Apple. With a "CHOMP", Granny is eaten. As Little Red arrives at the house, she continues talking about her beautiful looks, making the Wolf even more hungry. Again, viewing her as a bright red apple, the Wolf eats Little Red and the story ends.
Through the use of color and illustration, the reader is able to view this classic story through the eyes of the Wolf, a health conscious vegetarian with a keen appetite for plump, juicy apples. Little Red is drawn with a close resemblance to a bright red apple, and the illustrations of her give the reader the impression she was a selfish brat, twirling her hair and snobbishly viewing herself as better than others. When the Wolf eats both Granny and Little Red, the reader almost seems to agree with his actions and show very little sympathy for the other two based solely on the way the pictures tell the story. The colors used in the pictures do a wonderful job evoking the senses of taste and touch, allowing the reader to further empathize with the Wolf's actions.
Although the story is quite simple and differs from the original classic, there are many literary concepts that provide excellent teaching opportunities. The classic version of Little Red Riding Hood is told from an invisible narrator's point of view, but Wolf's story is from his point of view. In this way, students can identify how different points of view change the meaning of a story. Also, comparing and contrasting the two versions of the story allows readers to identify differences that may exist between them and formulate their own opinions about which one is more truthful.
I believe this story could also be adapted to incorporate the concept of selfishness or sharing in that Little Red was so preoccupied with herself that she failed to realize what the Wolf was planning for her. Had she been more caring of others, maybe she would have invited the Wolf to Grandma's house to eat dinner with them rather than ending up as dinner herself. -
I love this book so much! I read this book to my class as a read aloud. I read Honestly, Red Riding Hood was Rotten! in paperback form in my classroom. I decided to read this book because it seemed like a fun variation of the story - and I was right! My students really enjoyed listening to this story and comparing it to the classic tale - Little Red Riding Hood.
I enjoyed Honestly, Red Riding Hood Was Rotten because it told the story from the wolf's point of view. The author lightens the fact that the wolf eats Little Red Riding Hood and her grandma by noting the fact that he thought they were big juicy apples that he had been missing. The author also does a good job at getting readers to cheer for the villain. Little Red Riding hood is so infatuated with herself that you don't feel as bad that she got eaten.
The illustrations were so fun to look at too! My students loved the different expressions the wolf had on each page. This was a great book to read in the classroom. We compared this story to the classic tale. This book would also be great for discussing characterization. I highly recommend this picture book to children in early elementary school! -
Honestly, Red Riding Hood Was Rotten is written by Trisha Speed Shaskan and illustrated by Gerald Guerlais. It is a picture book for children and it is the first one I have ever reviewed. It is sweet (well in a way), most pages have one big picture in it and little text and it is short. It is a picture book after all.
I do love picture books and I have read quite a few lately when temping at a kindergarten. I am sure they would have liked this fun story. I am not sure about ages, not too young since the wolf does eat Red and her granny so the kids have to see the humor in it. But it is also very short so too short for older kids. And I am sure adults would have fun reading it too. I sure did.
This is the story told by the big bad wolf who loves food, and then I mean food like apples. But then one day there is no food in his cupboards anymore and he is hungry. He sees a girl all dress in red, like one big apple. She looks good enough to eat, she and her grandmother that he hears about. Too bad the girl is full of herself. Her grandmother is all dressed in green, like a yummy green apple, and she is also very full of herself. And yes he eats them, but then that does not matter because I am all on Wolf’s side. He is funny and hungry.
Grandmother’s house was fun to see. There were portraits of her everywhere. That is one shallow family. I do think they had it coming for them.
At the end there are also some things to think about. Like how the story changed when it was told from his point of view, and there is a glossary too. And how you can read and learn more, and internet sites to check out. All good things for the kids.
Verdict: A good and fun story for everyone to like and the illustrations are really adorable. Rating, how does one rate a book like this one? Ok the pictures were cute! So that gets a 4 and because of the overall story is stays a 4. Very amusing and adorable. -
This is a very cute book about Little Red Hiding Hood told from the wolf's point of view. In the beginning of the story, the wolf is eating a salad for lunch, since he is a vegetarian of course. It made me laugh when he acknowledged why everyone believed he was big and bad since he ate Little Red Riding Hood. On that day, he had run out of his food (fruits and veggies) and he went out to try to look for food. He had went weeks without a meal until he smelled Reds cake and butter. He simply thought Red looked like a delicious apple in her red cape and dress. Red and the Wolf discussed how beautiful she was which only made the wolf more hungry. The Wolf realizes he can have two meals if he beats Red to Granny's house, which of course he does. Granny is dressed in all green and looks like a granny smith apple. The Wolf then eats her up. Red is still talking about how beautiful she is by the time she arrives at Granny's House, and doesn't notice that Granny is now a wolf. The funny part was when the wolf ate her he said "Things look different when you're hungry. She was no Fuji or Crispin apple (in fact, to be honest, she was a bit rotten". I loved the illustrations in this story and the theme of the apples!
The end of the story includes a section of questions which can be presented to students after reading it. This is a book I would use with students age 6-8, although it may be a difficult read for a 6 year old. I just believe they would enjoy listening to it! It would be a neat idea for students of these ages to complete a compare/contrast activity describing the similarities and differences between the story told from the wolf's perspective and red riding hood's perspective. -
Honestly, I probably wasn't the intended audience for Trisha Speed Shaskan's take on Little Red Riding Hood. Instead of the story focusing on the innocent, naive girl who goes off to the forest to visit with her equally self-absorbed grandmother, we see everything through the vegetarian wolf's perspective. He sees granny and Red as delicious apple-like beings bouncing around his field of vision. Not only do they force him to eat them by looking like apples, but they force him to eat nasty, nasty meat.
I adore fairy tales and re-tellings, so I was stoked when I saw this galley, but whenever I pick up a picture book, I ask myself if it would be fun to read to a little kid, and this one didn't do it for me. Children have a clear sense of justice. I think most of them would be really upset that the wolf at grandma and the pretty girl when he didn't even want them.
Still, it's an interesting idea. Some books in the series might work really well and others won't so much. -
While I love the idea--telling the story from another character's one of view, it was not well done. Instead of developing the wolf as a full character, Red and her Granny are made even flatter characters and blamed for their own deaths. If you're going to tell it from the Wolf's perspective, then find some empathy for him. Don't just make all the characters unlikable.
Also, Red was drawn way too seductive for a children's book.
The book gave me the creeps. -
I would add it to our fairy tale tub, but I didn't love it. It is fun for another perspective, but the story didn't sing to me like The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka did. That twist on a familiar tale is brilliant and I have willingly read it and reread it to children for years.
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Another in this collection of twisted fairy tales. Twisted in a good way that is! This one is also funny and cute. This is also free at the moment with Prime if you want to check it out. I can't wait to read the other books in this collection.
Recommended for 2-8 year olds again and definitely a good, quick choice for bedtime reading with your little one(s). -
This take on the story is hilarious. Red Riding Hood is annoying and vain, a red delicious that is rotten to the core. The wolf was on a good track being a vegetarian until she showed up looking like a puffed out balloon apple. And granny smith is just as vain, the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree. This is the wolf's defense and his side of the story of that fateful day.
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So supposedly the wolf is trying to convince the reader he is a vegetarian, who only ate little red riding hood and her grandma because they looked like apples. But in the first page he's eating a drumstick. I found this to have a few moments of humor, but not enough to redeem this pale replica.
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Not impressed. Very much of the current societal trend of “its not my fault.” I get that it’s supposed to be funny but it’s sending the wrong message on several levels. I won’t be reading it to my kids.
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Great read
My 2 year old daughter loved this book. She laughed as I read it to her. She loved the pictures as well.
