Little Red Riding Hood (Classic Collectible Pop-Up)by Marjorie Priceman (Illustrator)
Reading level: Ages 4-8

Little Red Riding Hood. Ever heard of it? Retelling old stories is always a little risky--you've either got to bring some worthwhile new twist to the tale, or you've got to do such a great job telling it that we're all willing to forget for a minute just how everything's going to turn out.

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Fortunately for the celebrated Ms. Hood, Marjorie Priceman (winner of a Caldecott Honor for the buoyant Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin) proves herself by doing both--this pop-up edition of an old favorite is energetic and original.

Priceman's dignified but still playful style suits these old clothes well, with a very traditional Red peeking out from under her huge flowing hood and a wolf that's all lithe and toothy. Each page achieves added oomph from the book's clever format: a primary pop-up spread sets the stage, then an inset on the right for text opens up to reveal the next event. Red looks lovely and lively throughout, but the wolf--of course--steals all the best scenes ("The better to EAT you with," etc.). Priceman shows similar storytelling skill in How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World. You'll find that same offhand humor here, from the very dismayed crew of gingerbread people in the oven to the copies of the Herald Tribune strategically strewn about ("Peep's Sheep Found," "3 Pigs: 'We Will Rebuild'").