The Cat, the Dog, Little Red, the Exploding Eggs, the Wolf, and Grandma by Diane and Christyan Fox

Cat is sitting and reading Little Red Riding Hood when Dog walks up.  Cat starts to explain the story of a little girl who wears a red cape, and then Dog interjects that he loves books about superheroes and asks about what powers Little Red has!  Cat tries to explain that it’s not that kind of book, but Dog continues to find new ways to tie in superpowers:  maybe a kindness ray, or a flying basket, or exploding eggs!  Then Dog tries to find ways to make the Wolf into a super villain.  Why doesn’t the Wolf just eat Little Red in the forest?  Why doesn’t he do more bad things and be a real super villain?  But as the dramatic ending of the real story arrives, it is Dog who thinks that the story might have gone a bit too far.

Perfect to read aloud, this picture book is written entirely as a dialogue between Cat and Dog with the occasional page from the Little Red Riding Hood story added in.  The debates between the two characters about the book are hilariously written.  Though very funny, Dog makes some valid points about the story line of the traditional tale and his superhero version would be great reading too.  The authors make the two voices of the characters clearly distinct from one another, something that takes skill when writing dialogue alone.

Done in black and white line drawings on white backgrounds, the loose feel of the illustrations suit the silly story perfectly.  Occasional bursts of color draw readers into the story being told and the cover of the Little Red Riding Hood book pops with red on the page. 

Funny and clever, children who know the original story will be delighted with this new twist on the tale.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from library copy.