tashrow's review
This is the classic story of Little Red Riding Hood, complete with them filling the wolf’s belly with stones at the end and killing him. The text here has an easy flow for reading aloud, never becoming too verbose. The moments with the wolf are studies in darkness and danger, with the tension palpable on the page. The star in this book are the illustrations which are rich and radiant. The entire book is an homage to the Grimm brothers, their story, and yet has paid attention to the needs of modern children as well.
In his illustrations, Bing works with light and darkness. On the path, the wolf is bathed in sunlight, almost haloed with it. But when he has eaten the grandmother and is in disguise, he is in shadows, and it is Little Red Riding Hood that the rays of light reach for. When the stones are being fetched to kill the wolf, the play of light and shadow on each person’s face is beautiful with the dancing dust motes from the first scenes returning again.
Bing has also framed his illustrations with pressed flowers and leaves, as if you have found an old book that someone has used and loved. He has also built a frame for the book itself, which shows the dogeared pages of a much larger book, giving it a sense of age and depth. My favorite use of the pressed flowers comes on the page where the wolf attacks Little Red Riding Hood and objects are tossed around and towards the reader. The pressed flowers become part of that, whirling on the page along with the objects in the picture. Brilliant.
A virtuoso rendition of the classic tale, this version belongs in every library thanks to its ease of reading aloud and the exceptional illustrations. Appropriate for ages 4-7.
In his illustrations, Bing works with light and darkness. On the path, the wolf is bathed in sunlight, almost haloed with it. But when he has eaten the grandmother and is in disguise, he is in shadows, and it is Little Red Riding Hood that the rays of light reach for. When the stones are being fetched to kill the wolf, the play of light and shadow on each person’s face is beautiful with the dancing dust motes from the first scenes returning again.
Bing has also framed his illustrations with pressed flowers and leaves, as if you have found an old book that someone has used and loved. He has also built a frame for the book itself, which shows the dogeared pages of a much larger book, giving it a sense of age and depth. My favorite use of the pressed flowers comes on the page where the wolf attacks Little Red Riding Hood and objects are tossed around and towards the reader. The pressed flowers become part of that, whirling on the page along with the objects in the picture. Brilliant.
A virtuoso rendition of the classic tale, this version belongs in every library thanks to its ease of reading aloud and the exceptional illustrations. Appropriate for ages 4-7.
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