Pretty Salma: A Little Red Riding Hood Story from Africa: A Lively Tale About Granny and Tricks for Kids

by Niki Daly

When Granny asks Pretty Salma to go to the market one day, she warns her not to talk to strangers. But cunning Mr. Dog tricks Salma, and before she knows it, he’s wearing her stripy ntama, her pretty white beads, and her yellow sandals. And he’s on his way to Granny’s house! African culture and flavor infuse this inventive retelling of a favorite fairy tale, and the vibrant lively illustrations bring it to life. The result is a story that combines new and old and spans cultures as successfully as it has spanned the centuries.

Genres: Picture Books, Fairy Tales, Africa, Cultural, Childrens, Folklore, Fiction

32 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2006

About the author

Nicholas "Niki" Daly, South African illustrator and children's book author.

http://www.childlit.org.za/ndaly.html

Reviews

[Alexis Imler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daly, N. (2007). Pretty salma: A little red riding hood story from africa (1st American ed.). New York: Clarion Books.

Recommended grade level: K-3
Format: Traditional Literature (European)
Themes: Picture Books; Family--Grandparents; Folklore; Ghana
Major Awards: nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Award

Summary:
In the book titled, Pretty Salma, Pretty Salma puts on her blue scarf, white beads, and yellow sandals and puts Granny’s shopping list away while she goes off to town. Pretty Salma takes a shortcut home through the wild side of town and meets Mr. Dog who is very sneaky and tricky. He causes a lot of trouble, but Salma is not stopped by his witty ways. The author’s style forms a nice mix of reality and fairy tale to relay the message of bravery.

Personal Response:
I thought the story was a very interesting turn on the Little Red Riding Hood story. The author uses humor and repetition throughout the book to capture the reader’s attention. I think that the book could use a spot including definitions because some of the words are a little complicated. I really liked the bright and colorful illustrations. He does an excellent job of connecting the words to the illustrations.

Illustrations:
The author and illustrator are the same person in this book and Niki Daly is a South African author-illustrator that shows the powers of children and their magnificent everyday lives. In this book, the illustrator uses bright and beautiful colors to portray the meaning of the story. This book primarily uses watercolor to create the illustrations. The watercolor and computer-generated illustrations make the funny details in the story pop out to the readers and audience.

Reader Response/Classroom Connections
The overarching message of Pretty Salma is pretty simple: Do not talk to strangers.
Art: The students could bring in various pieces of clothes that they wear to celebrate the time of year. This way the students could learn about one another culture.
Language Arts: How is this story like little red riding hood? What are some similarities? What are some differences?
History: The students could research how dress has changed over the course of time and how different cultures dress differently.
Science: Students could look at the weather patterns in West Africa.

[Aspen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This fable clearly points to the lesson of "do not talk to strangers." We can see this book in the traditional literature genre because of its basic characters, simple plot, and a concept of justice. The characters are not well developed. We do not know the past of Salma. Why does she live with her granny and grandfather? Where are her parents? How old is she? Mr. Dog is also a character that we know little about. We know he is from the wild side of town and not much else. He also turns the book in a trickster tale. He tricks Salma to take all of her things and go to her granny's house. The plot is simple in that there's a slow easy progression to follow. Mr. Dog starts to take everything that Salma originally put on and took with her in the beginning of the book. When he arrives at granny's house he tricks granny to let him inside and eventually gets the granny into a pot to be cooked! At the very end of the book we see the concept of justice. Justice was served when Mr. Dog was frightened by Ka Ka Motobi the Bogeyman and his gang, just like he had frightened granny. He ran away scared back into the wild side of town.

I personally loved this book because it is a unique spin off of "Little Red Riding Hood." It has a mix of talking animals and people whereas other traditional literature can be all animals or all people. Something that baffled me when reading was how the granny gave Mr. Dog a bath and still did not notice that it was not her Salma. It was only when Mr. Dog could not sing did she realize it was not her Salma. Salma and Mr. Dog are two opposing characters in the book, both seen by granny. But yet granny couldn't tell the difference between the two physically.

In my future classroom, I would love to use this book to teach the students a little about African culture. It would be a great comparing exercise to see the difference between the African culture and the well-known story of the "Little Red Riding Hood." What are the similarities between Mr. Dog and the wolf? What items correlate between the attire of Salma and Little Red Riding Hood? Classrooms are more diverse now. So, teaching about the different cultures is important.

[Micheline · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title of this book really drew my attention.
What a happy surprise. With a few twists from the traditional story, but with the same essence, this is for sure a must-read. It takes place in Africa, and it is the story of a little girl, her granny, and a bad dog. The theme is still the same, follow directions, but also more specifically don't talk to strangers. The illustration is so great and beautifully presents us with a piece of African Culture in its rich colors. Even though it is traditionally a younger kids story, this book can be used with older grades, maybe up to 5th or 6th for a more in-depth comparison with other versions of this story.
I found this story in Goodreads.
This book was puslished in 2007, received the Parent's Choice Gold Award in 2007 and many great reviews in:
Booklist, 02/01/07
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, 07/01/07
Horn Book Magazine, 10/01/07
Kirkus Reviews, 04/01/07
Library Media Connection, 08/01/07
Publishers Weekly, 04/16/07
School Library Journal, 04/01/07
Wilson's Children, 10/01/10

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty Salma is a version of the traditional Red Riding Hood tale, but set in a town in West Africa. The text does not specify what West African country the book is set, however, the beginning of the book gives the definitions for two “Ghanaian words” so it is likely set in Ghana. In this version of the classic tale, a little girl named Salma leaves her grandma and the “quiet side of town” to go to the market. On the way home from the market Salma decides to take a shortcut through the “wild side of town” where she meets Mr. Dog. Mr. Dog pretends to help Salma by wearing her sandals, ntama, scarf, and beads for her. Salma wants her things back, but gets scared of Mr. Dog and runs away to her grandfather to help. Meanwhile, Mr. Dog heads to Grandmother’s house.

Pretty Salma was published in 2006 and written and illustrated by South African author Niki Daly. In addition to writing and illustrating books, Niki Daly is an artist and a teacher. He used a combination of digital media and watercolors to illustrate this tale. African culture is represented in the colorful and engaging illustrations. It is also represented by the definition and use of two Ghanaian words as well as the appearance of the West African folktale, Anansi the spider.

This book would interest students in K-3 grade. Pretty Salma would be appropriate to read during a unit on fairy tales. It would allow students to compare and contrast the events in the different versions of the Little Red Riding Hood tale. This book would allow students to learn about West African culture.

[Salima Kanji · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty Salma is the story of A Little Red Riding Hood from Africa. This story was published in 2006. Salma, the main character, dresses up in her African attire and heads to the market per her granny’s request. She decides to take a shortcut on the way home and runs into Mr. Dog. Mr. Dog tricks Salma into getting her clothes and scares Salma away. Then off he goes to Granny’s house. The author, Daly, does a fantastic job incorporating African language and culture into the tail. The colorful and detailed illustrations also allow the reader to get a glimpse of the various cultural masks and costumes. I would recommend this book to elementary students to compare and contrast tales from different cultures. I think my students would love listening to this book and learning new words in African language used throughout the book.

[Kwtay Calvin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty Salma, A Little Red Riding Hood Story from Africa is a tale of a little girl named Salma. Salma lives on the quiet side of town with her granny and grandfather. Her granny sends her to the market and tells her not to talk to any strangers. Pretty Salma does not follow her granny’s instructions. On her way back from the market, she takes a shortcut through the wild side of town. After singing her favorite song she meets Mr. Dog. Mr. Dog tricks Salma into giving him her basket with her things from the market, her sandals, her ntama, her scarf and pretty beads. When she asks for her things back, Mr. Dog tells her he would give her things back when he learns to sing her favorite song, which he can’t because he’s a dog. Pretty Salma begs Mr. Dog but he tells her he will bite her in two. Salma runs until she finds her grandfather, meanwhile Mr. Dog heads back to granny’s house. This African tale puts a twist on the traditional tale of Little Red Riding Hood. The story includes elements of the African culture, such as the ntama Pretty Salma wore, which is a wrap-around skirt. Her grandfather tells Anansi stories, which are stories that originated in Ghana about the spider god. I don't think the illustrations really depict the African culture. There are different educational uses for this story. It can be used to expose students to another culture, but I don't think this is the best story to share the African culture that is meant to be represented in the tale. It can be used to teach lessons, such as don't talk to strangers. It can be used to compare/contrast with the other Little Red Riding Hood stories.

[Sisi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty Salma is a version of the Red Riding Hood story from Africa. I enjoyed reading this book because of the references it made to West African culture through the words and illustrations. The book contains some Ghanaian words throughout to maintain its authenticity but the words are translated for the readers in the beginning of the book so they’re aware. The illustrations are vibrant and the West African culture is displayed in the clothes the characters wear and the settings they’re in. The main character, Salma, lived with her grandma and grandpa. One day, grandma asked Salma to go to the market buy a few items for her. She warned Salma not to talk to any strangers. When Salma got to the market, she met Mr. Dog, who tried to trick Salma into letting him have her basket, sandals, and ntama, which is a wraparound skirt. Before Salma knew it, Dr. Dog looked just like her. When Salma asked for her things back, Mr. Dog threatened to bite her in two if she didn't run away. So, Salma ran as far as she could and Mr. Dog went back home to trick the grandma. While grandma felt suspicious, she still let Mr. Dog in. When grandma realized it wasn’t Salma, it was too late since she was being cooked in a pot. Meanwhile, Salma bumped into her grandpa while she was running away and came up with a great plan to help save grandma. When Salma and her grandpa arrived home, they scared Mr. Dog away with loud sounds and saved grandma from the pot.

This story will be great to use when comparing and contrasting. Students have so much to talk about such as how the characters are different (Mr. Dog instead of wolf), how their clothes are different and how the setting is different. I like this story because Mr. Dog runs away at the end instead of getting killed. Also, there’s a message behind the story, which is to not talk to strangers.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty Salma: A Little Red Riding Hood Story from Africa by Niki Daly is a Red Riding Hood variant set in Ghana.

Granny asks Pretty Salma to go the the market for her, where Salma buys a giant watermelon, a speckled rooster, an ice-cold pink drink and candy-striped straws. Cutting throught the wild side of town, she meets cunning Mr. Dog, who tricks her into giving him all her purchases and most of her clothes. Mr Dog tricks Granny into geting into her house and right into her own cooking pot, after Granny has realized that this "Salma" has a tail and can only sing "Woof, woof, woof! Petty Salma, in a Bogeyman Mask, her grandfather in Anansi costume, and Little Abubaker with clapping sticks scare Mr. Dog right back to the wild side of town. The rescuers and Granny celebrate with a cool drink and watermelon.

Daly's text is clever with humor and repetition. It includes some details of West African dress, language, and culture.

Daly's colorful, humorous illustrations in watercolor and digital media stand out and defintely complement the story. The very expressive faces are a plus. Since some words are not defined, the pictures and context help make them clear to listeners and readers.

One quibble is that I would have preferred some definitions of words used. I also would have liked more pages with just one or two illustrations per page, but that is probably a bit nitpicky.

This tale would be fun to compare to more traditional versions of Little Red Riding Hood.

For ages 4 to 8, folktales, multicultural, strangers, listening, Red Riding Hood variant, music, and fans of Niki Daly.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hm. A very fractured, and very amusing, retelling. Pictures perfect for the story & style. A West African setting, by a (male) South African author. No author's note, and only two vocabulary words (on the copyright page). 3.5 stars rounded up because we in the US do need more tales from Africa; I'd round down if this actually had competition worth mentioning.

I will look for more by the author.

[Brittany Koontz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author and Illustrator: Niki Daly

Genre: Fairy Tales and Folk Tales

Year Published: 2007

Reading Level: Ages 4-8; Fluent

Topic and Theme: Fairy Tales-Twisted, The Little Red Riding Hood

Curricular Use: Read Aloud, Shared Reading

Social: Don't speak to strangers, scared, listen

Literary Elements: Personification

Text and Pictures: Very detailed and precise pictures that fit well with the story

Summary: In the story, Salma lives with her grandparents on a quiet side of town. Granny needs her to go to the market with a basket, and has told her not to talk to strangers. On the way back, Salma was singing and decided to take a short route home. On this route, she gets greeted by Mr. Dog. Mr. Dog follows Salma and first carries her basket, then puts on her flip flops, and then takes her scarf and beads. He tells her that she doesn't get anything back until she teaches him the song, and if she doesn't he will bite her in two. Salma runs and finds her grandfather. They hurry together to find granny, because Mr. Dog is attacking her. Granny jumped into her cooking pot, when suddenly Salma and grandfather came home and scared Mr. Dog away. Salma will never talk to strangers again.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Niki Daly takes the classic tae of Little Ted Riding Hood and adapts it for a little girl living in Africa. Africa is a pretty big continent, still Daly never narrows down where the main character is actually from. All we know is that one day Salma is asked to go to the store to buy some things for her grandmother. She respectfully obliges and gets ready. While at the market she encounters Mr. Dog. He offers her his assistance once she has acquired all of her things and in doing so has convinced Salma to let him wear her clothing. Salma get's nervous about Mr. Dog's intentions and runs to tell her grandfather about what happened and they come up with a plan to scare the evil-doer. Meanwhile, Mr. Dog is on his way to Salma's grandmother's house for an afternoon snack. Salma and her Grandfather make it back in time to scare Mr. Dog and save her grandmother and they end up have a nice day as a family.

There are a lot of local cultural references in this tale that would be interesting for children to learn about. The cartoon art in this book is well drawn and great for children in the elementary age range (K-4). I would use this story to compare with the original tale so the children can look at the cultures side by side.

[Caroline Pilman-DeKruif · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this picture book, Niki Daly uses water color and digital media to create vivid illustrations against pages of white to tell readers a story of Little Red Riding Hood in a Western African setting. Young Salma, who lives with her grandparents, is sent by her grandmother to the market to purchase some items for her. Despite her grandmother’s warning to not talk to strangers, Salma is caught up with cunning Mr. Dog while taking a shortcut home. With the help of her grandfather, they save Granny and sent the dog back to the “wild side of town.”

Daly uses two Ghanaian words throughout the story, and provides a key in the beginning of the book for readers who would otherwise not know the meanings. There is a reference to the tale of “Anansi” in the book, which could be used as a meaningful connection between texts for readers who are familiar with the story. Readers would benefit with knowledge of “Anansi,” but would not lose the overall meaning of the story without it. This book could be used in a unit where folktales or traditional stories of different versions or from different cultures are read, compared, and contrasted. This book would be most suitable for students ages 4-7.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty Salma is a story from Africa about a girl going on a quest for goods from the market instead of going to visit a sick grandmother. The grandmother is actually the person sending Pretty Salma. The only advice she is given is not to talk to strangers, which Salma heeds until she encounters Mr. Dog who is more than happy to talk to Salma and coerce her into many activities until Mr. Dog is dressed in Salma's clothes. Is grandmother safe? You must read to find out!

Niki Daly is both the author and illustrator of this text. Daly's illustrations are very colorful and celebrate the West African culture. The pictures were done in watercolor and I find it impressive that the colors are so vibrant. I usually think of dull colors when something is painted with watercolors.

In a classroom, teachers from kindergarten to middle school could use this book. Younger students would definitely learn a lesson about listening to the adults in their lives and not talking to strangers; while older students would be able to use this version along with others to compare/contrast the stories.

[L11-Mary Utterback · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is an African re-telling of Little Red Riding Hood. The story is filled with African culture and uses the language to tell the story. The illustrations are bright and inviting and help to create the setting. I felt the story was a bit strange even though the original is far fetched as well. I would use this story in a K-2 classroom as a unit on fairy tales and shoe the cultural perspectives. Salma is a girl who is sent into a not so nice part of town to fetch some things for her Granny. On her way home she is approached by a dog that wants to help her carry her things. While he is helping her he convinces her to give him the things she is wearing. When she asks for them back the dog tells her she will never get them back until she teaches him to sing. The dog however can do nothing but bark. Frightened she goes to her Grandfather for help. While she is putting on the mask of Ka ka Motobi the African Boogeyman, the dog goes to trick her grandmother. There is an happy ending but I felt the author could have included a dictionary of the African terms for a pre-reading activity.

[Ch_jank-caporale · Rating 1 out of 5]

"Pretty Salma: A Little Red Riding Hood Tale from Africa" was written and illustrated by a white South-African, named Niki Daly. In this version, little Salma is tricked out of her clothes by Mr. Dog who then impersonates her in order to get into granny's house. Granny jumps into a cooking pot to hide;meanwhile, the suddenly clever Salma enlists the help of her grandfather and a friend to frighten Mr. Dog by impersonating the bogeyman.
While the illustrations in the book are amusing and there are some authentic African words and artifacts used in the telling, it doesn't read as very "authentic" to me. In fact, it seems intended for a white audience and may even be offensive to a native African. The illustrations also read a little more Latin (to me anyway) with pastel houses, tiled rofftops, and palm trees. In any case, the book falls low on my recommended list. Unless I hear it praised by an authentic African audience, I won't use it in my classroom.

[Shelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this funny and charming retelling of the classic fairytale, readers can feel the vibe and flavor of the culture of Ghana thanks to the brilliant artistry of author and illustrator, Niki Daly. He uses bold colors and punchy writing to tell the tale of Little Red Riding Hood with an African twist. Readers follow Selma on a trip to the marketplace. Because she ignores her grandmother’s advice to not to talk to strangers, Selma finds herself hoodwinked by Mr. Dog—who is from the "wild side" of town. He tricks her out of her wrap skirt, beaded necklace, sandals, and basket of goods. Dressed up like Selma, the conniving dog then pays Selma’s unsuspecting grandmother a visit—to make granny soup. Selma smartly runs to find her grandfather, who is in traditional dress, telling stories. The two come up with a plan to use the traditional costumes and music to scare the big bad dog away and save granny.

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very interesting and different because it's was retold from another country. It talks about a little girl who lives with her grandparents in a village in Africa. Her grandmother tells her not to talk to strangers. But she runs into one character M.Dog who decided to disguise himself in Little Red Riding Hood clothes. But once pretty Salma realized what he was up too she asked for her clothes back. Pretty Salma then ran to find her grandfather to tell him where the wolf was going. They both rushed home and saved the grandmother.
I enjoyed reading this Western African classic story from another country. Their is also an audio book to the story.
The illustrator really brought this book to life with the colorful pictures he put into the story of Pretty Salma. I would recommend this book for maybe a little older children about third grade.

[RLL22016_Sandra Trujillo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book very interesting that the roles were changed from the original version of Little Red Ridinghood. In this African version the little girl named Salma was asked to go to the market but to not talk to strangers, Salma come across Mr. Dog who tricks her into talking to him and eventually has all her clothes on. He then goes to the house of grandma and try's tricking the grandma that he is Salma. I love the illustration full of the African cultural. Definitly will read this book to my students.

[(NS)Jordyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book started out well. It has interesting cultural elements and, upon reading about the author, it turns out she is from South Africa. The story drops off in the middle somewhere and I actually thought I had missed a page in reading. It is okay, but doesn't have the deepest story line and seems to be lacking. Best for younger children K-2.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely spin on the classic Little Red Riding Hood story. I liked that there was a good amount of plot variation from the original story. And my students and I loved the singing dog. Woof woof woooof!

[Breyon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Pretty Salma: A Little Red Riding Hood Story from Africa written by Nikki Daly for my graduate school book club. The focus of the week was Traditional Literature. This book has received positive reviews from Bulletin of the Center for Children’s books, Publishers Weekly, Booklist ad Kirkus. They all praise this book's ability to make a traditional and dated tale more contemporary and how the book's illustrations represent West African culture.

This story is a take on the Little Red Riding Hood fairytale. In this version, a young girl named Salma lives with her grandparents and is asked to go to the market to do some shopping for her granny. Much like the traditional tale, Salma is warned about not talking to strangers and going directly to where she was supposed to go. Salma deviated from the route and ended up going through the rough side of town where she meets a dog who eventually steals all of her things and goes back to her grandma in place of her. With the help of her grandfather she is able to scare the dog away from her granny. While the basic story stays the same, the details are what brings this story to life and sparks new interests. It was great to see the main character be a black character taking place in a black country. I do wish the story was more explicit about being set in Ghana because I find that American students, especially young ones, struggle to understand geography and countries vs continents. I went to school with a health population of international students from African countries and a large majority of them have expressed frustration with the lack of understanding of Africa and African countries in terms of separate cultures and life experiences. Throughout this book they include many authentically Ghanaian words such as mtama which is the name for a wrap skirt atumpan which is a music instrument. This is one area where the distinction about the country matters because these worlds are specific to Ghanaian language and not representative of the continent as a whole. Through the illustrations it was great to see the different things Salma got from the market. In the classroom this could be a great discussion to compare and contrast the things that Salma shops for vs what is available at a market in the students community. Another thing that stood out to me in this book is the mention of Anansi. This make me so happy because I am very familiar with the Anansi folk tales from my childhood and it is nice to see it be incorporated in newer literature. This can lead to students being able to research these tales to learn more about traditional folk tales. It could also be an opportunity for students to compare traditional tales and modern tales.

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

South African children's author and illustrator Niki Daly transplants the classic European fairy-tale of Little Red Riding Hood to Ghana and gives it a West African flavor in this picture book retelling. Dispatched by her granny to the market, Petty Salma sets out, singing her trademark song. But when she takes a shortcut through the wild side of town on her way home, she encounters Mr. Dog, who manages to finagle her yellow sandals, white beads and stripy ntama (wrap-around skirt) out of her. One thing he can't take or reproduce however, is her song, something that gives him away, when he heads to Salma's house, pretending to be her. As granny is forced into the cooking pot, can Salma and her grandfather arrive in time to save her...?

Although long aware of Niki Daly's work, Pretty Salma: A Little Red Riding Hood Story from Africa is the first of his books that I have read. I found it an engaging and amusing fractured fairy-tale, and as someone who loves stories about West Africa's trickster hero, Anansi, I was charmed to see that Salma's grandfather was a storyteller dressed in an Anansi costume. The accompanying artwork, done in watercolor and digital media, was expressive and appealing, capturing the humor of the story quite well. I confess to being slightly disappointed that this wasn't an actual West African variant of the Little Red Riding Hood story as I originally thought—I love seeing the same story type retold from the traditions of diverse cultures—but rather a transplanted tale, but in the end I think Daly did a good job with his relocation. Recommended to fairy and folktale lovers, and to those seeking picture books with a West African culture setting. For my part, although this isn't destined to become a personal favorite, it has certainly convinced me that I need to seek out more of Niki Daly's work.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this West African retelling of the traditional Little Red Riding Hood story, Salma lives with her Granny and Grandfather. Salma is sent to the market to pick up a few things for her Granny. She is told to go straight to the market and come straight home, and to not talk to strangers along the way. While heading home, she meets the wolf- like Mr. Dog, who starts to walk along with her. Along the way as he pretends to be helping Salma, he slowly takes away her purchases and her things (her blue scarf, pretty white beads, yellow sandals and ntama) until he appears to be Salma. Salma and her grandmother have a special song they sing, and Mr. Dog attempts unsuccessfully to learn the song to be able to convince Granny he is Salma. Salma cleverly catches on to his plan and runs to find her grandfather. With the help of her grandfather, traditional African characters and drums, Granny is rescued from Mr. Dog, who rushes back to the "wild side" of town where he remains. Salma is able to successfully navigate her way to the market again without any further incidents. The bright, colorful illustrations help tell the story as the reader watches Salma travel from her home to the bustling village and back again. An excellent example of a Little Red Riding Hood story perfect for 4-8 year olds.

[Sarah Hepner · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Pretty Selma heads off to the market one day for her Granny she meets Mr. Dog who tricks her into giving him all of her belongings. Mr. Dog uses his disguise as Pretty Selma to trick Granny, but Mr. Dog is in for a trick as well! This version of Little Red Riding Hood is set in a West African town. The author, Nick Daly, includes Ghanaian words that are translated for English readers to understand. The colorful illustrations depict a vibrant and diverse African community. Daly references African folklore when Anansi and Ka Ka Motobi show up to save Granny from the pot that Mr. Dog put her in. While I enjoyed this alternative tale, I was left wondering what Daly meant by the “quiet side of town” where Granny and Selma lived and “the wild side of town” where Mr. Dog lived. Was this a stereotypical “bad character” from the wrong side of town and the “good character” was from the right side of town?
The book Pretty Selma could be used in many different ways in the classroom. First, students could compare and contrast this version of Little Red Riding Hood to another. Next, older students could create a Story Map/Plot Diagram. Lastly, this story could be used as a springboard to research African folktales such as Anansi and Ka Ka Motobi.

[Kaitlin Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Granny asks Salma to go to the market and come right back without talking to strangers. But, Mr. Dog tricks Salma when he offers to help her carry her heavy basket on the hot day and one by one steals all of her things. With Mr. Dog off to Granny's, it is up to Salma to find a way to save her.
The illustrations in this book are colorful and lively. There are some authentic African words and the style of dress, setting, and characters reflect western African culture.
This book could have a variety of uses, including comparing this version of Little Red Riding Hood to others, discussion the personification of Mr. Dog, teaching children to not talk to strangers, showing that there are many types of families as Salma lives with her grandparents, and learning about other cultures. I would make sure that if I were using this book as a part of a cultural lesson that it was one of many books, not only because there is a lot of diversity within cultures and one book cannot cover it all, but also because this book does not seem to be the most authentic representation of western African culture to me.

[Olivia Rullman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty Salma by Niki Daly is a creative "cultural interpretation" of the classic fairytale Red Riding Hood. It offers wonderful and lively illustrations as it tells the story of Salma and her encounters as she goes to market for her Granny. Forgetting Granny's advise to not to talk to strangers, she is approached by sneaky Mr. Dog, who subtlely gains her trust and eventually all of Salmas belongings. Thankfully, all ends well when Salma and Granny see through Mr. Dog and reunite with the young girl having learned an important safety lesson along the way. There are reoccurring themes of family, belonging, courage, and cultural awareness in this book, making it appropriate for reading to children PreK-3rd grade. I particularly enjoyed the use of African vocabulary by the author, as well as the illustrations that bring the culture to life for the reader. I would recommend this book to children who have a familiarity with the original fairytale. It makes it that much more entertaining and enjoyable!

[Edyta Medina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is a much lighter version of A Little Red Riding Hood. It takes place in West Africa and the dynamic illustrations depict the African life. I love how the cunning character in the story is a dog, not a traditional wolf, or African lion or a hyena. I love that nobody died in the story and that little Salma learned her lesson and “she never talked to strangers again”. Finally, I enjoyed reading a story from Africa which shows a city life instead of a life in a poor village in a jungle, desert or savannah.
Very different and refreshing.
There is only one thing I do not like about this story. It is the illustration of the poor dog with the noticeable rib cage and bloated belly. I was honestly hoping for an uplifting ending. I was hoping that Granny would feed the poor dog and keep him for little Salma!

I listen to and watched Pretty Salma on You Tube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwtLL...

This story will be great for pre-school, primary and intermediate grades.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A retelling of Little Red Riding Hood from Africa, in this story Pretty Salma is sent to the store by her grandmother and told not to speak to strangers. Pretty Salma doesn't remember her grandmother's warning and so she ends up talking to Mr. Dog who managed bit by bit to get the grocery basket, Salma's sandals, necklace, head scarf, and ntama. Salma is left in the city without any of her possessions while Mr. Dog runs home to grandmother dressed as Salma. Grandmother believes Dog is Salma at first but eventually she discovers that it is a dog and hides in the cooking pot, which Dog lights a fire under. Salma and her grandfather arrive home just in time dressed as Ka Ka Motobi the Bogeyman and scare the dog away and save grandmother.

This is another good book for a unit on fairytales and their retelling.

This is a good book for stranger danger unit.

It is also a good book for introduction of other cultures' story telling.

[Savannah Webster · Rating 4 out of 5]

An African take on the classic Little Red Riding Hood story. We read the more widely known version and then read this one and compared similarities and differences. The children discussed the wardrobe difference - Salma does not wear a red riding hood but instead a scarf, ntama, beads, and sandals. This led to wondering about where these stories take place; the weather, plants, and animals that would be in this environment. Salma heads off with a basket on her head, some money, and a shopping list to go to market vs. Little red who has a basket filled with items from Grandma. Instead of a wolf, Salma encounters a mangy looking dog who tricks her out of her clothing and heads off to grandma's. Instead of a random woodcutter coming to the rescue, Salma comes up with an idea and saves the day herself (you go girl!) My kids loved that Anansi the spider came into play! If you are a fan of the classic tale, this is a nice twist that presents great talking points!

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty Salma, by Niki Daly, was a fresh twist on a classic fairy tale. Pretty Salma is a Little Red Riding Hood story from Africa. Salma is a young girl that lives with her grandparents, who one day is sent to the market to get supplies. Her grandmother warns her not to talk to stranger while she is out, but Salma soon forgets that advice and makes friends with Mr. Dog. Mr. Dog tricks Salma into giving him all her supplies, head scarf, sandals, and ntama (wrap skirt). Unlike the traditional story where the wolf dresses up like the grandmother to trick Red, Mr. Dog instead dresses up like Salma to trick the grandmother. It's a very unique look at a very traditional tale. Daly uses a lot of bright, bold colors that follow traditional African illustrations. I would recommend Pretty Salma to those 4 years and up. A quick and delightful read.