Traditional Literature

Little Red Riding Hood is on her way to visit her grandmother who isn't "feeling up to snuff." Her mother tells her not to tarry or talk to strangers on the way. However, she meets the charming big bad wolf who tricks her in to leading him to grandmother's house. He tells her to pick some beautiful flowers in order for him to sneak into grandmother's house where he eats her. When Red Riding Hood comes by, she notices the difference but is still eaten up in the end. Luckily, a hunter hears the commotion and cuts the wolf up to save Red Riding Hood and her grandmother. 

James Marshall retells the classic tale of Red Riding Hood with his own twist. The characters each have their own personalities. Red Riding Hood is happy and carefree. The wolf is very charming, while the grandmother seems feisty. She doesn't care for the wolf, because he interrupted her reading time. I like how Marshall, who also illustrated the novel, pays attention to little details in his illustrations. There are little things in each picture that may be missed if the reader doesn't look closely. At the same time, his illustrations are simple and cartoon-like. However, the colors are bright and appealing, and Marshall uses the whole page for a picture and a separate page for text. 

Title: Red Riding Hood 

Author: James Marshall 

Publisher: Penguin Group 

Publication Date: 1987 

ISBN: 9780140546934 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars 

The hare constantly makes fun of the tortoise for being so slow. When the hare challenges the tortoise to a race, he is reluctant to accept but only agrees because he doesn't want to upset his friends. With the help of friends, the tortoise begins to prepare for the race weeks before. When the race comes, the hare immediately runs ahead, leaving the tortoise who was barely over the starting line. The hare believes that he is so far ahead that he decides to make multiple stops on the way. In the end, he decides to take a nap, only to be woken up by cheering when tortoise comes close to the finish line. The hare charges forward, but it is too late as the tortoise already crossed the finish line. 

The Tortoise and the Hare is a well-known Aesop fable. It not only teaches an important lesson on hard work and perseverance but also not to be too arrogant. The hare was so overconfident that it cost him the race. I think Stevens retold this fable in a way that is enjoyable for children. The illustrations are appealing with many different colors. However, instead of the usual bold colors seen in children's books, the colors look very soft and muted. This lets the green in the tortoise really stand out from the others. There is also a lot of detail on all the animals. There is a lot of texture seen in the fur of the animals, and I like the different outfits that each animal wears.  

Title: The Tortoise and the Hare 

Author: Janet Stevens 

Publisher: Holiday House 

Publication Date: 1984 

ISBN: 9780823405107 

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars 

Once upon a time, there lived three bears in the woods. There was a great, huge bear, a middle-sized, bear, and a small, wee bear. Each had their own porridge bowl, chair, and bed that was just the right size for them. The porridge was too hot to eat, so they decided to go for a walk. While on their walk, Goldilocks came by and saw no one home. She tried their porridge, bed, and chair. The huge one and the middle one were not right for her, but the small, little one was just right. When the bears came back, they saw that someone went through their stuff. When Goldilocks woke up to their voices, she was so scared and ran far away. 

Jan Brett's version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears is what most people know today. I feel that her version isn't anything special or different, unlike the other two I read. However, I mainly wanted to focus on her illustrations. I think her illustrations are beautiful and luminescent. The colors are bold and bright while the background is kept white, so it looks like the illustrations pop out of the pages. All of the pages also have beautiful borders. Each one different from the last. There is so much to look at and the eye doesn’t know where to look. This may be a downfall, because there are just so many things on the pages. However, it will keep your attention. 

Title: Goldilocks and the Three Bears 

Author: Jan Brett 

Publisher: Dover Publications, Inc. 

Publication Date: 1987 

ISBN: 9781442067479 

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars