LITTLE RED AND THE CAT WHO LOVED CAKE

Wolfie is an orange cat who dreams of cake—never mind the chocolate frosting!

Unfortunately the cake in question is destined for Little Red’s grandma, should the book follow the “Little Red Riding Hood” plot (and it does). After Little Red, a White child with short ginger hair who wears a red, hooded jacket, bakes and frosts a cake with the help of Big Red, a bearded adult with matching hair and skin, a game of cat and mouse ensues in comic-book–style spreads and panels. Cautious of being caught in pursuit, Wolfie dodges several looks back from Little Red, hiding alongside various images of cats passed along the way. Without narrative text, the book relies on Mother Goose and Brothers Grimm references to hold the visual interest, as a child being followed by a cat doesn’t really demand the nearly 64 pages it takes up. For those well versed in nursery rhymes, storefronts like Humpty Dumpty Insurance, Gingerbread Gym, and Mary Q. Contrary Florist may earn a chuckle, but the only real fun is in finding all of Bo Peep’s “lost” sheep—often not far from one of her flyers. In a low-stakes climax, Wolfie is outwitted by Grandma and Little Red, who kindly share their cake after a lighthearted prank. Just in case the story—or lack thereof—didn’t drag on long enough, readers can follow the pair all the way home again (jiggety jig) and into bed. A key to fairy tales and rhymes referenced—and the rhymes themselves—appears at the back. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

An indulgence for Mother Goose die-hards.