This was an interesting take on an old classic. This story was told from the "big bad" wolf's perspective.
I liked the slight change of the story to show how vain both Red and Granny are. Also, the illustrations in this book were just lovely to behold!
The fractured fairy tales and stories about wolves would also be good to have displayed at the front to show students or to select for checkout.
I took one star off because I don't love: 1. that the story talks about wolves being omnivores and not just carnivores (did some research and this is TRUE, 20-30% of their diet consists of plants and berries), and 2. it ends the story with the humans being consumed, without any repercussions (not even a stomachache from eating rotten people!).
We could use these two points to talk about the story with the students, relating what we know about this type of story and what we know about animals (and if that "knowing" is right. ( )

the wolf tells the story

So Little Red is a vapid narcicist, and Wolf is a starving vegetarian who couldn't resist the apple looking Red and Grandma. Great "Think About It" section encourages readers to consider this point of view in comparison to other versions of Little Red Riding Hood that they may have read or heard. Also includes references to 3 other Little Red tales, Fact Hound code, and glossary. Illustrations go nicely with the text, contributing to the character traits as described by the Wolf (love Grandma's house, filled with photos of herself!). ( )

If you love apples (Granny Smith, Macintosh, Golden Delicious, etc.) AND you always thought there was something about Little Red's tale that just didn't ring true, then this is the book for you! This was so funny and is easily a great addition to any library collection. If you, like me, enjoy getting a different perspective of any story, then don't neglect Trisha Shaskan's Other Side of the Story series! ( )

I read this book with my 4 year old grandson. First I will give you his thoughts. "I like the pictures a lot, especially the wolf. I love the pictures of the wolf! It was a funny book. The wolf loves apples and knows all the kinds. I think Red Riding Hood should have taken some apples with her to give him. I think when we hike we should take apples. If Red Riding Hood and Granny gave the wolf something to eat instead of thinking of themselves maybe he would not have eaten them."
My grandson is autistic. He knows a lot about being able to name all the types of things that interest him. So that the wolf could name the apples was no surprise. He had no problem relating to that. He reads a lot so he was able to sit through it. I liked the story myself. I thought it was a very cute picture book. The illustrations were awesome. Even though the wolf eats Granny and Red Riding Hood my grandson did not get scared. He was able to understand the wolf only ate them because he had nothing else to eat. We enjoyed reading this together. I loved hearing him laugh out loud at the wolf. There is a teaching element at the back of the book. He was able and interested in answering most of the questions. ( )

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This was a take on the classic Little Red Riding Hood but told from the wolfs point of view. I thought it was pretty funny that he was a vegetarian but that apple season wasn't here yet and he did not have any of his favorite apples. Then he thought Little Red looked like a red delicious apple and granny was in green so she looked like a granny smith. I also think this is a cool book because it has a "think about it" section at the end where it encourages the reader to compare it to the original story and find the similarities and differences. ( )

Now this is a side of Little Red (and her Grandmother) that you've never seen before....though you may have wondered about it at some time. Taking its cue (in my opinion since it reminded me of it so much) from 'The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs!' by Jon Scieszka.....wait wait wait. Hold the phone. You do know about that classic with a twist children's storybook...right? It's the one by the Wolf himself that brings a whole new light to the events we had only previously seen through 3 little piggy sets of eyes...and as we all know, there are two sides to every story and boy oh boy can they differ. Now back to THIS story....

We have another wolf penning his tale in an effort to shed a light of truth on the events Miss Red and gang exposed the first time around. This time, the wolf is painted as the victim of circumstance and the ladies Hood...well, as narcissistic, mono-tone wearing gals who need to SERIOUSLY step AWAY from the mirror. In other words, what happened next was justified and the wolf was merely in the wrong place at the right time.

Hmm, I wonder...but then again if they really were that superficial what with that gorgeous red cape and all, how long would it take one of us to huff and puff and blow some sense into them? Okay, so now I'm mixing fairy tales ala 'Hookwinked' (which by the way was a surprisingly good movie....if you haven't seen it or its sequel, definitely recommend checking them out), but you get my point.

To summarize, a cautionary title of being self-absorbed and traveling alone in the woods with baked goods that's good for the whole family. The humor may hit home with older readers more, but the story itself along with the gorgeous illustrations (really, they're pretty brilliant) will capture the attention of one and all. Take a chance and see the classic story through new eyes....and see just whose side you believe.

( )

Honestly, Red Riding Hood was Rotten! was something I picked due to my affinity for fairy tales. There isn't anything better in the world, in my opinion, than a particularly good retelling of a fairy tale!

My first reaction was completely amusement. The illustrations in this book are absolutely beautiful, and will definitely hold the attention of any young reader! Fast-paced and vivid with color, each page draws your eyes in and holds them there while the story is being told. From the facial expressions of the wolf, to the vain ponderings of Red Riding Hood, this book is laugh out loud adorable!

In this particular retelling, the wolf is a vegetarian. he tries oh so hard not to eat meat. However he is out of food and hungry. What does he see, but a lovely apple! Or is it? Cue Red Riding Hood in one of the most giggle worthy illustrations of her character that I have ever seen. I couldn't honestly blame the wolf for mistaking her for something delicious. I'll let you dive into the story to find out exactly what he was thinking about.

The only reason I didn't fall as in love with this book as I could have, was because my heart belongs to another retelling of Red Riding Hood. I won't share which one, since I don't like to compare books if I can help it, but it is another retelling from the wolf's point of view. I also felt at times that the jokes were a little forced. Again though, we're talking about a children's book here. I know that my first graders would be giggling at every single one, and that makes me happy.

Long story short, this is a lovely retelling of a classic story! If you have a reluctant young reader, this would be a great book to start them out with. I also see if as a great bed time story book. The illustrations alone make it worth sharing with your little ones. Thank you to Trisha Speed Shaskan for such a sweet book! ( )

Told from the wolf's perspective, the story of Little Red Riding Hood is reexamined. Unlike the original version of the fairy tale, the Big Bad Wolf is actually a vegetarian that loves all varieties of apples. After not having ate in the past weeks, the very hungry Wolf meets Red Riding Hood in the forest and she looks as delicious as a ripe red apple. During their conversation about how pretty Little Red Riding Hood is, the wolf discovers that she is a rotten apple. With directions to Granny's house he arrives to find the sweet old woman who reminds him of a Granny Smith apple and swallows her whole. When Little Red appears the Wolf, in bed in Granny's shawl and night cap, salivates as Little Red admires herself in the mirror. The Wolf cannot help himself and he eats her all up. ( )

This is the little red ridinghood story told from the big bad wolfs side. Big Bad Wolf is a vegetarian whose pantry is bare and garden harvested. He wanted loves apples and hasn't eaten for weeks when he spots Little Red who looks like a plump Red Delicious. Of course Little Red is oblivious to the impending danger because she's too busy admiring her beauty. Turns out Granny is just as vain and looks as yummy as a Granny Smith. What was the Wolf supposed to do? ( )

This version of Little Red Riding Hood will have you in stitches from laughter! The comedy of the story is brought by the dialogue of the wolf and he tells how pompous Little Red is. He describes how they met and how she was so rotten, so he just had to eat her. Read the story to find out all the details!

I loved this book! I love where common stories are told from a different perspective and have such a hilarious twist to them! The wolf turns into a likable character, even after he eats Little Red, by just his explanation of how she is so horrible. I would recommend this book to anyone that needs a good laugh.

An activity that I would do with this book is a writing activity where students would take a common fairy tale and add their own twist to it. ( )

Big Bad Wolf is a vegetarian whose pantry is bare and garden harvested. He looooooves apples and hasn't eaten for weeks when he spots Little Red who looks like a plump Red Delicious. Of course Little Red is oblivious to the impending danger because she's too busy admiring her beauty. Turns out Granny is just as vain and looks as yummy as a Granny Smith. What was the Wolf supposed to do?

The last page of the book asks the reader to seek out a classic version of LRRH then compare and contrast the classic with this new version. This would make for a fun intro to POV as well as fairy-tale retellings / fractured fairy tales for young readers.

4 stars ( )

This version give a funny twist on the classic story from the wolf's point of view. Not my favorite, but I enjoyed it!

I loved this book! It was very funny! I liked this book for two reasons. First, the writing was engaging with the use of humor. The Big Bad Wolf used humor to engage the reader into thinking it was ok for him to eat little red riding hood and her grandmother because he was super hungry. He also used humor to try and convince the reader that little red riding was rotten and all about herself. The book opens with, "You may have heard the story of little red riding hood. About a girl and her granny? Seems everyone has. My tail is different. Did I say tail? I meant tale." This great sense of humor grabs the readers attention to how the story will be told. Second, the point of view, being told from the Wolf's point of view gave the reader a completely different perspective of the story than the traditional way. The story being told from the Wolf's point of view allowed one to be understanding of why this big mean Wolf everyone always envisions as so horrible, to why he eats and is so needy of food. I thought it was a creative way to tell the story and gain a different perspective on the situation and the wolfs feelings toward what he did. The moral of the story is that not everything is as it seems, sometimes you have to walk a mile in someone else's shoes to understand how they are feeling. ( )

This is an attempt to tell the tale from the POV of the wolf, much as Jon Scieszka did so successfully in The True Story Of The 3 Little Pigs!
This one is obviously made as a classroom exercise, teaching point of view, and lacks the genius and pizzazz of Scieszka's romp.
Mediocre. ( )

This is a cute take on the story of Little Red Riding Hood as told by the wolf...unfortunately for me, it was a little too reminiscent of The True Story of the Three Little Pigs (told by A. Wolf) and just wasn't *quite* as good as that one. The vegetarian wolf who loves to eat apples (and drat, don't Red and her Granny remind him an awful lot of apples?) is a different idea, and quite amusing, as is Red's--and later Granny's--obession with their own cuteness. I love that Granny's walls are covered with pictures of herself! As the wolf says, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Honestly, if I didn't love Sciezka and Lane's story so much, this one would probably have gotten a four-star review. The best part of this book is the "Think About It" section, which encourages readers to compare this story to the original, asks them questions that make them consider how the setting and point of view of the story affect its outcome, and suggests they rewrite another classic fairytale from another character's point of view. As both a teacher and a parent, I love all four of those ideas--great for informal discussion as well as actually sitting down to accomplish through writing. This book would make a nice addition to any picture book library. ( )

This story gives a different perspective to the story of Little Red Riding Hood...the wolf's perspective! This book is a fun book based on the story of Little Red Riding Hood that let's kids decide which version they believe. This book is great to use in school with the story of Little Red Riding Hood to teach how to compare and contrast.I have this book in my personal library. I recommend this book to all elementary students! ( )

I have always loved fairy tales. Little red Riding Hood is one of my favourites because, at least in its earliest versions (Charles Perrault and before), it seems like an anomaly. It is certainly lacking the happy ending that is usually a prerequisite for these tales. I suppose that is why later storytellers like the Grimms brothers added the wood cutter so that Little Red and her Gran could be saved and they can have their 'happily ever after'.

Thus, when I saw this little children's book, I was intrigued. Little Red Riding Hood as told from the wolf's perspective - great idea! In this version of the tale, Little Red is a narcissistic little brat who who can see no further than her own good looks and gran is no better.

The wolf, on the other hand, if given his druthers, at least according to him, would be a vegan. But nature and hunger being what it is (not to mention his belief that he would be doing the world a favour by ridding it of this pair of egomaniacs - he is an altruist of the best kind), he decides they just might make a tasty snack.

Interestingly, the ending of this version of the tale is much closer to the original albeit from a different perspective and, if the outcome is the same, at least this time it is a happy one - well, at least if you're rooting for the wolf. ( )

I don't normally review young children's books but I read a fair amount. I don't review them because I don't include them in my book count unless they are spectacular in some way. When I joined NetGalley, I agreed to do children's books. I have come across some really cute books and can't wait to share them.

Honestly, Little Red Riding Hood Was Rotten is such a cute book. It's funny, entertaining and gives a different perspective to the Red Riding Hood story. This story is told by the wolf who explains why he ate Red Riding Hood and her grandmother. It's not scary in any way and should not frighten small children. The pictures are vivid and wonderful.
One thing that really sets this book apart from others I have viewed is that at the end it encourages the child to compare the story to the original and asks some questions. It encourages creative thought.
It, also, comes with a couple of websites associated with the publishing company. I explored these sites and just was amazed at the content. It is geared towards younger children (up to 4th grade) but it attempts to offer more advanced sites for those in 5th grade and up. I think they are worth exploring. www.facthound.com and www.capstonekids.com ( )

Now this is a side of Little Red (and her Grandmother) that you've never seen before....though you may have wondered about it at some time. Taking its cue (in my opinion since it reminded me of it so much) from 'The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs!' by Jon Scieszka.....wait wait wait. Hold the phone. You do know about that classic with a twist children's storybook...right? It's the one by the Wolf himself that brings a whole new light to the events we had only previously seen through 3 little piggy sets of eyes...and as we all know, there are two sides to every story and boy oh boy can they differ. Now back to THIS story....

We have another wolf penning his tale in an effort to shed a light of truth on the events Miss Red and gang exposed the first time around. This time, the wolf is painted as the victim of circumstance and the ladies Hood...well, as narcissistic, mono-tone wearing gals who need to SERIOUSLY step AWAY from the mirror. In other words, what happened next was justified and the wolf was merely in the wrong place at the right time.

Hmm, I wonder...but then again if they really were that superficial what with that gorgeous red cape and all, how long would it take one of us to huff and puff and blow some sense into them? Okay, so now I'm mixing fairy tales ala 'Hookwinked' (which by the way was a surprisingly good movie....if you haven't seen it or its sequel, definitely recommend checking them out), but you get my point.

To summarize, a cautionary title of being self-absorbed and traveling alone in the woods with baked goods that's good for the whole family. The humor may hit home with older readers more, but the story itself along with the gorgeous illustrations (really, they're pretty brilliant) will capture the attention of one and all. Take a chance and see the classic story through new eyes....and see just whose side you believe. ( )

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When we first see the wolf he's finishing up a very healthy salad for lunch. That's right, this wolf is a vegetarian (at least he tries not to eat meat). He acknowledges that everybody thinks he's big and bad because he ate Little Red Riding Hood and her Grandmother, but nobody has ever heard what actually happened. He normally lives off of fruits and vegetables (especially apples, he LOVES apples). But he had run out of food. Instead of hunting poor squirrels and rabbits like other wolves would have done, he tried to scrounge for food. It wasn't working and weeks passed without a meal. One day he smells something wonderful - cake and butter! He follows the scent until he comes upon Little Red Riding Hood admiring herself in a puddle. The poor Wolf is so hungry and Little Red looks a lot like a red delicious apple in her cape and full dress.

And there she was:Little Red Riding Hood. She
looked as plump and icy as a big, sweet APPLE.
Little Red waved her cape. "Isn't it pretty?" she said.
"Yeah," I said
"Aren't I pretty?" she said.
Was she admiring herself in that puddle?
"With this cape," she said, "I'm even prettier than usual."
Boy someone sure was full of herself.
My stomach growled.

The more Little Red talks about how beautiful and wonderful she is the more she starts to look like a big, yummy apple to the wolf. When the Wolf finds out that she's going to Granny's house he realizes he could have to meals plus desert if he beats her to the house. He suggests a race and Little Red quickly agrees because she's the prettiest and the fastest.
Of course the Wolf takes a shortcut and gets to Granny's house first. When he's invited in he sees Granny admiring herself in a mirror and the walls are covered with pictures of her.

You must've heard the saying "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree"? Well, it's true

A cute book but a better buy for a library than your personal collection. While it's not written at a first grade reading level, I think this is one that 6-7 year-olds would enjoy and be able to participate in the discussion questions at the end.

Read full review HERE ( )

This is a very cute story of Red Riding Hood as told by the Wolf.

We’ve always heard Red Riding Hood’s story told to us from Red’s point of view. But the Wolf has a story too, right? After all, he was there just like Red and Granny. This inventive narrative gives the reader the Wolf’s side of the story and we discover that everyone has a different perspective.

The Wolf isn’t a horrifying human-eating monster. He’s really just a really hungry vegetarian who is practically starving after all the apples are gone and harvest time is not happening anytime soon. And Red, well, she’s kind of annoying.

I thought this story was well-written and original. The illustrations were also well done, with beautiful colors and clever drawings. I especially liked the “Think About It” portion of the book at the end. The glossary of various literature terms is a great way to introduce children to the different elements of storytelling. ( )

Fractured fairy tales tend to pop up in third or fourth grade curricula, and one strategy for students is to retell a classic story from the point of view of another character, particularly the villain. This title, part of a new Capstone series, provides a new, funny mentor text on the Red Riding Hood story. In this version, RRH is a roly-poly ball of self-centeredness, giving an additional twist. Add this to Scieszka's classic fractured fairy tale titles as mentor texts for that project. Lush, saturated caricatures make this a good read-aloud, although text size is less than generous. Highly recommended. (98) ( )

Independent Reading Level: 2-4
Awards: N/A