Traditional Literature: Little Red Riding Hood

Title: Little Red Riding Hood 

Author: Candice Ransom
Illustrator:  Tammie Lyon

Genre: Traditional Literature (Fairy Tale)

Major Awards: N/A  

Age Group: 3-6 years old

Little Red Riding Hood by Candice Ransom is the story of a little girl, her grandmother, a wolf,  and the dangers of straying off the path. 

The sweet little girl of the story wore the red hood that her grandmother made her day and night, so much so that everyone called her Little Red Riding Hood. One day Little Red Riding Hood's mom told her that her grandmother wasn't feeling well and Little Red Riding Hood had the idea to bring her a picnic, with her mom's one rule being to stay on the path to her grandmother's house. Along the way to her grandmothers house, Little Red Riding Hood met a wolf . Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf began talking and Little Red Riding Hood told the wolf she was going to visit her grandmother. The wolf believed if he got there first he could gobble up Little Red Riding Hood, her grandmother, and the picnic she had made. Therefore, the wolf distracted Little Red Riding Hood by telling her she should pick flowers for her grandmother so he could get to the grandmother's house first. Against her mothers wishes, Little Red Riding Hood strayed off the path to pick her grandmother some flowers. Meanwhile, the wolf had gone to the grandmothers house. When Little Red Riding Hood got home and saw her grandmother, she was surprised by what big ears, eyes, and hands she had, it was almost as if it wasn't her grandmother at all. In the end Little Red Riding Hood learned the most important lesson of all, never stray off the path. 

Little Red Riding Hood is a wonderful addition to any PreK- 1st grade class library. This rendition, specifically by Candice Ransom is a bilingual book with both the English and Spanish translation of Little Red Riding Hood that would be perfect for any bilingual classroom. The story of Little Red Riding Hood would be excellent to include in a readers theater or dramatic play center in the classroom. Rather than just reading the story to the students, after the first read from the teacher the students can use props to act out and retell the story. Acting out the story is a fun activity for students, because they get the opportunity to bring the words from the page to life. While certain students are dramatizing the story in the readers theater (the students can be chosen at random from choice sticks to give every student an equal opportunity to participate), the students that aren't acting it out can learn/practice proper theater etiquette highlighting the ideas of being respectful, not talking, not playing, and actively listening. After the readers theater is performed, the props used can be transferred to the dramatic play center for students who want to dramatize the story to do so during center time.