Little Red: A Fizzingly Good Yarn

by Lynn Roberts-Maloney, David Roberts

In the spirit of Cinderella: An Art Deco Love Story, Lynn and David Roberts give the classic tale of Little Red Riding Hood a new, fun historical twist.

Little Red is happily taking a basket of ginger ale to his grandmother when he stops to gather apples in the woods. Who should grab his red cape, but none other than the wily wolf, who runs immediately to the grandmother's house to devour her and wait for Little Red to be next! With a new, happily-ever-after spin on the story, the boy tricks the wolf into gulping down the entire ginger ale at once, which triggers the wolf to hiccup his grandmother out of his belly. Little Red gallantly overcomes the wolf and is the hero of the day!

A charming variation of the classic fairytale, Little Red Riding Hood, Little Red is set in Colonial America and is filled with imaginative illustrations and historical references.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fairy Tales, Humor, Storytime, Fractured Fairy Tales, Fiction

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Tatiana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little Red: A Fizzingly Good Yarn is a post-Revolutionary War variation of the classic Little Red Riding Hood fairy tale. Little Red, a boy, strays from the path while on his way to visit his nearsighted Grandma, who was eaten and impersonated by the devious wolf. Little Red avoids being eaten, too, and saves his Grandma by feeding the wolf ginger ale. In the end, Little Red strikes a deal with the wolf: in exchange for never again eating a person, Little Red provides the wolf with a keg of ale every week.

While still set in the past, this version of Little Red Riding Hood presents modern twists to the classic proceedings by changing the gender of the main character, adding humor, and resolving the conflict with pacifist tactics. Elements of a fairy tale still abound: an animal that talks, fantasy, a moral, and a hero. However, in the good vs. evil element, the wolf proves to be more of a hedonist than pure evil.

I connected with this variation more than the other versions of the fairy tale on account of the alterations to the resolution and the addition of humor. I liked that Little Red was clever enough to placate the wolf without resorting to violence. The tongue-and-cheek nods to Revolutionary War-era history in the illustrations added to the whimsical nature of the story.

[Cookie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a keeper for the illustrations alone. How exciting can a re-telling really be? Well, not very. But, this has a wonderful cadence and...pictures!

[Abigail Mason · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading a different version of little red riding hood. I liked how they’ve used a male character instead of a female character.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun take on Little Red Riding Hood with a boy as Little Red and other fun features. I love this illustrator and this is my little guys new favorite read right now.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this story. Both the illustrations and textual story were great fun. At first, I was a little taken aback by the fact that in this retelling, Lynn Roberts and David Roberts wrote/drew a male Little Red. But I very quickly adapted to this quirk in a familiar tale and I found that having Little Red be a boy didn't negatively impact the story one little bit. :)

I also really enjoyed the method of saving Grandma from being digested. Rather than having a wood cutter arrive to save them, Little Red enticed the wolf into drinking the ginger ale he had brought for his grandmother. The wolf guzzled the whole jug and, when he belched, Grandma popped out! This was a fun and completely non-violent resolution. It turned an otherwise scary situation (Grandma was eaten by a wolf!) into a rather comic one. I approve. :)

My only complaint, and the reason I didn't give this book a 4.5 star (great!) rating, was due to something I read in the illustrator's note at the end of the book. He said that if we looked very closely, we would find a couple of links to Cinderella. After searching in vain, I figured that he meant links to the retelling of Cinderella done by his wife and him a few years ago. As I haven't read that book, any links in this story were impossible to find by me. :(

Overall, though, this is a great story with excellent illustrations. I'll reread it once I've read Cinderella: An Art Deco Love Story to see if I can then find the mentioned links. But I think I'll add this book to my to-gift shelf for my nieces even without having read the other book. Despite my disappointment at not being able to find the links to Cinderella, I still feel that this is a great story. :)

[Todd Strader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recently I read 20 picture book depictions of Little Red Riding Hood in preparing to write my own version. Of the twenty, several stood out to me as outstanding for one reason or another. This was one of those.

What caught my attention about LITTLE RED: A FIZZINGLY GOOD YARD by Lynn Roberts (Illustrated by David Roberts) was, first of all, the juxtaposition of the traditional little girl for a little boy. The story is told in a light hearted vein with a jug of ginger ale replacing the more traditional wine being taken to grandma. It is Little Red's clever use of said jug that leads first to a rescue of grandmother, effected via a belch, and secondly to an equally clever negotiation where in boy and wolf reach a win-win agreement. However, the book struck a dissonant chord with me. Another juxtaposition of sorts was the peaceful resolution of the story (the wolf was bonked on the head rather than shot or sliced open in so many versions I read) with one particular illustration. In the picture Little Red preparing for his journey enters a store room at his parents inn. This is where he retrieves the jug of ginger ale. This illustration shows a macabre assortment of slaughtered animals, geese and pheasant hung from the ceiling, severed pig heads and feet and, most disturbing of all dead rabbits, strung up with full color bullet holes.  Um... no. So this one is a stand out as being distinctive not not delightful.

[Sherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Roberts' sharp, colorful, and striking illustations are what makes this version of Little Red Riding Hood such a standout. They carry this tale, told well by author Lynn Roberts, back to the post-American Revolution era, complete with portraits of George and Martha Washington and a very good imitation of a well-known Sir Thomas Gainsborough oil portrait of an aristocratic boy. The forest is eerie in a colorful, yet sinister Neil Gaiman type of way. Protgaonist Thomas, aka Little Red, may be the stand-in for the independent American spirit, as he has a bold, take-charge attitude as the fresh, new generation. Delicate grandmother does get swallowed whole, however, she is belched out intact, looking doll-like and dazed, after Little Red bargains with the wolf not to eat him, but instead to drink a tastier treat: Grandma's favorite fizzy ginger ale. Little Red vows to supply the wolf with the beverage ever after, thus taming a little piece of the dangerous American wilderness. Wonder if he would have kept his bargain in the long run - we Americans had a history of making promises we did not intend to keep! :)

[CH13_Kieran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Little Red: A Fizzingly Good Yarn is a wonderful picture book by Lynn and David Roberts. It is a funny little twist on the traditional story of Little Red Riding Hood. In this case Red is a young boy who has a family that makes very tasty ginger ale.

This story could be used as an example of what can happen if young children do not listen to their parents, teachers, etc. Little Red is tempted and doesn’t listen to the rules his parents provided. It results in a tumultuous and dangerous goings on. The illustrations in this particular book are approachable and comfortable, yet evoke a sense of danger and downright spookiness. This tale would be well suited for kindergartners and first graders who don’t mind a little excitement (all of them).

I generally like this new take on a classic story. The gender role change was intriguing and done very artistically in a way that makes it feel like it was always supposed to be this way. As it turns out, boys can be foolish too!

[Bethany Vines · Rating 2 out of 5]

Little Red: A Fizzingly Good Yarn is a book that is a take on the well-known tale "Little Red Riding Hood". This book tells of a boy that is going to see grandma, but stops on the way to get red apples. When he does this, he loses his red cape and the wolf steals it so that he can pretend to be the young boy to eat the grandma. Another twist on the story is that the boy carries a keg of ginger ale to give to grandma. In the end, the ginger ale ends up saving the boy and his grandma. I thought that this book was decent, but it wasn't my favorite. There were parts that I think would be scary and too violent for some young readers. I personally would not suggest this book to a young reader, but it is not a bad read.

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Roberts did her homework to show colonial American, working in the foods of the time as a part of the plot, and the illustrations will send shivers down your back as the stretched out perspectives and creepy backgrounds make you wonder if Little Red will survive...

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting spin on the classic a little Red story. I enjoyed the historical time period featured in the illustrations. The story did not hold my first graders attention however, though she did find the twist at the end quite funny.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic. I would read anything by this sister/brother duo. Kids will appreciate this new version of Red Riding Hood told complete with David Roberts irresistable (sp?) illustrations!

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the historic setting and illustration. Putting the authors' other fairy tales on hold.

[Deja Bertucci]

Great illustrations! They added a lot of burping to the tale, which I wasn't so keen on.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg the art! The art!

To quote the 6yo
“This is the best book ever!”

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great twist on the Red Riding Hood story with a male lead. The best part was going through a second time and really paying attention what is happening in the background illustrations.

[Sadiyah]

This book features a young boy as 'Little Red', Lynn retells the story of Little Red Riding Hood in a new approach. By featuring a boy as 'Little Red', it allows children to point out the differences which may seem obvious to many children. It may change the perspective of some children that Little Red is and should not be limited to be represented by a girl. As this version of Little Red Riding Hood was set in the past it will be interesting to encourage the children to point out the differences of the past and now (having ginger beer).

Also, the illustrations in this book are enjoyable to look at and talk about.

[João Teixeira · Rating 3 out of 5]

As ilustrações são boas. Pelo vestuário das personagens, percebemos que a inspiração estética foi o século XVIII, o que é interessante, visto ter sido nesse século que se fixou a versãomais famosa desta história, pelas mãosde Perrault.
No entanto, não achei esta versão especialmente original, ainda que acrescente algo novo e que poderia ser inovador (o facto de a personagem principal passar a ser do sexo masculino).

[Mr Bramley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A hilarious re-imagined version of Little Red Riding Hood, featuring a little boy and a lot of Ginger Beer!

A great way to get kids laughing and changes up the kind of children who might enjoy the story.

I might consider using this with older children who already know the story, as a creative writing take to reimagine well known tales in a funny way.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Author's note about the authenticity of the illustrations. One would think the book is meant to be Art. But it's not; it's just an ordinarily clever fractured fairy tale. And imo the art is ugly and I did not want to spend as much time looking at it for subtext as I did.

[Fiona Hill · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood set in post-revolutionary America. Children can point out the differences between this book and the original story. Children can explore the differences in fashion, shops, house decor etc.

[Jocelyn Hee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this fairy tale twist on Little Red Riding Hood. The art is gorgeous and the illustrator's note explaining how it was inspired by 18th Century style, drawing the characters with big wigs and hoop ball gown dresses. Such a fun and lovely picture book!

[Gabby · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love hearing all the different versions of “Little Red” and how comparing all the endings. I loved the idea of the ginger beer saving the day and how the wolf fell in love with it. Such a lovely traditional tale and a must read for all children.

[Ollie · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was good, funny book. Red riding hood was a boy, who knew. A good easy red, with some hard words.
Ollie 8 yrs

[Wilde Sky · Rating 3 out of 5]

A variant of a well known fable.

I found this book quite clever / amusing.

Reading time around twenty minutes.

[Ariadne Acosta · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like this version of Little Red Riding Hood but Little Red is a boy in this tale.

[skcocnaH · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ll never unsee that grandma’s cleavage.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really fun spin-off the the original story.

[Sue Read · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a twist on a fairy tale and this one is imaginative and funny.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who doesn't love a story about a burping wolf? Little Red is a boy in this story, and he tricks the wolf into burping out his grandmother by feeding him ginger ale. 😂