Dads Read Too

  JER: My favorite children’s books I read in 2020: 1. “ Leave Me Alone ” (3/28/2020) 2. “ Very Little Red Riding Hood ” (2/29/20) 3. “ Triangle ” (8/15/20) 4. “ You Will Be My Friend ” (8/22/20) 5. “ Here We Are ” (2/1/20) Honorable mentions: “ Horrible Bear ” (3/21/20), “ Me . . . Jane ” (6/24/20), & “ We Don’t Eat Our Classmates ” (1/25/20) #bestoflist

JER: “ Very Little Red Riding Hood ” by Teresa Heapy and Sue Heap transforms the scared, helpless, and victimized “Little Red Riding Hood” into a smaller, more empowered “Very Little Red Riding Hood” who is entirely capable of making her own way to “see Gramma with cakes”. She doesn’t get very far before she meets a Wolf she calls “Foxie”, who she gives a big hug, and convinces to chase her.  All of the original scary scenes of Little Red Riding Hood as the victim are recast as activities she consents to and enjoys.  It is a refreshing look at an old, problematic story.  The authors also, clearly have children of their own, as they smartly weave in common toddler outbursts like: “I NOT scared”, “Go ‘WAY”, and “LELLO (for yellow)”.