LITTLE RED AND THE BIG BAD EDITOR

Each time Mr. Wolf seems about to devour Little Red on her way to Granny’s house, he is thwarted both by Red’s cleverness and by the poorly written letter she is bringing to thank her grandmother for her new cape.

In this funny riff on a much-parodied folktale, beginning writers and the read-aloud crowd are exposed to new words and lots of similes as they simultaneously learn the rudiments of proper letter writing. Whenever hungry Mr. Wolf surprises Red on her journey—which takes her through both the woods and the city—he’s distracted by the letter and leans over to further improve it; after he’s done editing, she cleverly shoves into his mouth a delectable baked good from her food bucket, then races away. The cartoonish but aesthetically appealing art and the layout perfectly complement—and add to—the text’s humor; at one juncture, Red escapes the wolf by stealing his skateboard. By the time Granny is reached, the lessons have moved from finger-spacing to headings. Usually, the wolf explains each change, which then shows up in the art; oddly, periods at the ends of sentences appear without comment. Red has tan, freckled skin and orange hair; Granny’s skin is several shades darker. Mr. Wolf has the proverbial big, pointy teeth, softened by his skinny body and the pencil behind his ear. All will enjoy the wickedly funny denouement: Mr. Wolf’s thank-you letter. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Deliciously satisfying.