REDLOCKS AND THE THREE BEARS

Three bears host an unexpected visitor with surprising results.

“Mama was serving porridge,” recounts the youngest of the three bears about the arrival of a stranger at the door. The small but stout figure, covered head to knees in a bright red hoodie, is “Little Red from the book next door.” Little Red explains that there’s a wolf, “and he wants to eat me.” Though Papa and Mama are dubious about letting her stay (“Not sure that’s how the story goes,” they muse), Little Red consumes a bowl of porridge, recounts her tale, and spends the night. But when the wolf shows up, all four flee to a different neighboring book, where three pigs look alarmed. Poor Wolf. It’s not a choice role, being the Big Bad Wolf, and tears ensue. The empathetic narrator produces a few bowls of just-right porridge (recipe included) to soothe Wolf’s feelings. Rueda’s bears are large, light-brown furred, and rounded with bemused expressions. Little Red has white skin, and the wolf has light-brown fur and a friendly, canine look. Rueda’s punchy, economical narrative and the clear typeface put this within reach of new readers. The gentle twist and metafictive conceit will serve as a conversation starter and may inspire other sendups and blendings of nursery plotlines and characters. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

An amusing and lighthearted introduction to metafiction.