#365PictureBooks 65. Little Red Riding Hood, illustrated by Alison Jay, rewritten by Katie Cotton

Jay, A. (2013). Little Red Riding Hood. Mascot, Australia: Koala Books.

ISBN: 97871742760711
Pages: 32
Age Level: Middle Childhood 7-12
Genre: Picture Storybook / Alternative FairyTale / Non-Fiction
Rating: 5 stars

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Welcome to Fairytale Village, where stories happen every day.
Today we're reading Little Red Riding Hood's adventure, but if you look closely you might spot some other stories happening in the background. 

Katie Cotton has rewritten the traditional tale of Little Red Riding Hood, modernising it slightly.  Some of the language used is quite sophisticated, making me feel that it is more appropriate for primary school children.  The text is in double-spacing making it easy to read, and some of the font has been presented in larger 'brush stroke' style representing scared / scary words ... dun dun dun!!!

Jay's illustrations are absolutely amazing.  It's quite hard to see it in this picture, but each image gives the impression of a very very very old painting that is all cracked and dry.  Or maybe like a porcelain platter that is showing it's antique qualities.

Each illustration is in keeping with the original Red Riding Hood tale, so children can relate this modernised alternative version with the classic.  Hidden in each illustration are many other characters from within other well-known fairytales and fables, like Hansel & Gretel, The Three Billy Goats Gruff, Puss in Boots .....  I think it is just a delight to read, or should I say absorb :-)

What a beautiful addition to your collection.  I love having alternative fairytales in our library.  They make for a great exemplar to use when discussing creative writing and how small changes can make a story interesting / exciting / modern / or boring!

I got my copy of Little Red Riding Hood from the Taradale Primary School library where I work. 

You can find a copy at Napier Libraries.

#365PictureBooks 33. The Birthday Cake Mystery by The Tjong-Khing

Tjong-Khing, T. (2012). The Birthday Cake Mystery [Text free]. Wellington, New Zealand: Gecko Press.

ISBN: 9781877579103
Pages: 32
Age Level: Early Childhood 0-6 / Middle Childhood 7-12
Genre: Picture Book / Text Free
Rating: 4 stars

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Whose birthday is it?

Who steals the necklace?

What mischief are the mice up to?

Will poor dog ever finish making the cake?

The Birthday Cake Mystery is a text free detective story.  Told entirely in pictures, there are so many things to spot and a lot of red herrings to lead you astray!  Can you figure out the mystery before the end of the book?  

Created by The Tjong-Khing, it was originally published in 2010 with the title of Verjaardag met taart.  Tjong-Khing is an award winning children's book illustrator based in the Netherlands. 


Tjong-Khing's illustrations remind me a lot of the Berenstain Bears and Richard Scarry books.  They are so well done and they have a very 'old fashioned' feel to them.  

The first image sets the scene (actually if you want a clue, be sure to 'read' the title page!), and each consecutive page adds more detail to the mystery.

This is not a storybook that you can read from start to end.  You will find yourself flipping backwards and forwards between the pages as you try and decipher the mystery/mysteries.

This is such a great addition to your collection, be it at home or at school.  There are so many different stories to follow.  It is great for building children's imagination, and would work really well for story starter activities in literacy sessions.  It makes a great search-and-find activity, and young & old kids (and adults) can spend hours pouring over it and finding something different every time they read it.

This quote from The Children's Bookshop sums it up nicely:

This is a puzzle book that encourages lateral thinking, imagination and optical awareness, without losing its sense of fun or child appeal ...  you find fresh dramas with each reading.

The Children's Bookshop Newsletter, May 2012

I got my copy of The Birthday Cake Mystery from the Taradale Primary School library where I work. 

You can find a copy at Napier Libraries.

#365PictureBooks 32. Use your imagination (But be careful WHAT you WISH for!) by Nicola O'Byrne

O'Byrne, N. (2014). Use your imagination (But be careful WHAT you WISH for). London, UK: Nosy Crow.

ISBN: 9780857633354
Pages: 32
Age Level: Middle Childhood 7-12
Genre: Picture Storybook
Rating: 5 stars

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Rabbit is bored, bored, bored!  One day he is laying around wishing something would happen when Wolf has the perfect idea...

"Why don't we write a story?"

"I am a librarian, you know,

and librarians know a lot

about stories."

After a bit of a nervous start Rabbit decides that this is a fantastic idea, and Wolf teaches Rabbit how to use his imagination to write a story.  But is Wolf really as helpful as he appears, or does he have some other sneaky plot up his sleeve?  And is Rabbit really as unaware as he makes out?  

You'll just have to read it for yourself to find out!  And I really do suggest you read it.  It's fantastic!!!

What a brilliant twist on the traditional tale of Little Red Riding Hood.  Children that know the original tale will be able to compare the two, and try and predict what is going to happen.  And of course intermingled within the story is some really worthwhile information on how to write a story.



O'Byrne's illustrations are presented with the books sepia paper as the background.  The only spots of bright colour are the props that Rabbit imagines for his story, with help from Wolfs suggestions.  The expressions on the characters faces are so well done, especially poor elephant's shock at being in the story.



A great teaching tool for use with story writing, use of speech marks, prediction, and using your imagination.  It's also a brilliant read aloud book.

I love the ending when Wolf gets his comeuppance!  (Oops! Sorry! Spoiler alert!!).

My favourite line from Rabbit ... 

"Isn't Imagination a wonderful thing?"

I got my copy of Use your imagination from the Taradale Primary School library where I work. 

You can find a copy at Napier Libraries.

#365PictureBooks 30. Tortoise and the Hair by P. Crumble, illustrated by Louis Shea

Crumble, P. (2014). Tortoise and the Hair. Gosford, Australia: Scholastic.

ISBN: 9781743625286
Pages: 24
Age Level: Early Childhood 0-6
Genre: Picture Storybook
Rating: 4 stars

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Tortoise's big day has arrived.  He's going to be a singing superstar,up on stage with his guitar.  But oh oh!  Tortoise has lost his favourite wig!  Can Hare help him get his hair back in time for the big gig?  

Crumble has given new life to the classic Tortoise and the Hare tale in this rocking and rhyming story with an Elvis twist.  The tale is told in an easy to follow hilarious rhyme.

Tortoises' self-doubt is clearly evident with the constant refrain "I'll never win now, it's just not fair!", while he hunts for his missing hair piece and slowly gives up hope of ever finding it.

Then we follow his wig's escapades as it travels from animal to animal after Bear's foot is tickled by something on the floor of the bus and is eventually found by Hare. 

Shea's bright and bold illustrations are fantastic.  They add beautifully to Crumbles' rhyme, while giving more depth to the story.  You can see Tortoises' absolute sense of impending doom as he slowly makes his way to the concert.  There are all sorts of awesome things in the images to spot, and the looks on the animals faces are gorgeous.  I quite like the business mouse talking on his bug phone, and Miss Hippo strutting her stuff in a lime green dress, shoes & painted toenails ... with Tortoises' wig!

This is a fantastic book to add to your collection.  Great for pre-school and early primary children.

I got my copy of Tortoise and the Hair from the Taradale Primary School library where I work. 

You can find a copy at Napier Libraries.

#365PictureBooks 14. Very Little Red Riding Hood by Heapy & Heap

Heapy, T., & Heap, S. (2013). Very Little Red Riding Hood: A very BIG adventure for a Very little Girl. Oxford, UK: David Flicking Books.

ISBN: 9781849921459
Pages: 32
Age Level: Early Childhood 0-6
Genre: Picture Storybook / Alternative Fairy Tale 
Rating: 3 stars

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Very Little Red Riding Hood is brave, bold and BOSSY!  She is off to visit her Grandma for a sleepover, and she's not going to let anyone or anything stop her.  Not even a wolf! 

Heapy has done well in her cute retelling of the classic Little Red Riding Hood, which is lots of fun and has none of the gory bits from the classic.  It is very easy to relate it to the original, with the the twist being that Very Little Red Riding Hood invites the wolf to Grandma's for a 'cuppatea' and a play.  By the end of it I felt really sorry for the poor wolf.  Mind you when I become a Grandma I certainly want my own wolf to help babysit the grandies ... especially if they are as active as Very Little Red Riding Hood!

This is a very child-like retelling, and the language used is definitely aimed at pre-school children.  Heapy uses language in a way that many young children use, for example ..."I come see you, Gramma", and "Not lello flowers. Red!".  She uses a lot of short sentences, and there is one page that reminds me of our younger students story writing ... every sentence starts with 'Then'!  There is quite a lot of play on the original tale and I like how Heaphy has twisted scenarios around to tie in nicely with this modernised retelling. 

Heap's illustrations are very simple and in keeping with the story.  They look like they are done in pencil and watercolour, and some of them have a very unfinished look to them.  They are bright and colourful.  Very Little Red's jacket has ears on it which is very cute, and the wolf, aka 'Foxie', has a big hairy coat and stands out from the other characters in the way he is illustrated. 

With the inclusion of the fold-out map at the beginning I can see quite a few more books from Heapy & Heap with all the Very Little fairytale characters. 

A gorgeous story to be read at bedtime or as a read-aloud.  It will delight children and adults alike in the way Very Little Red Riding Hood bosses 'Foxie' and her poor Grandma around. 

I got my copy of Very Little Red Riding Hood from the Taradale Primary School library where I work. 

You can find a copy at Napier Libraries.