Review of Little Red Riding Hood and the Dragon by Ying Chang Compestine

Authors

Rachel Crane, Cedarville UniversityFollow

Publisher

Abrams Books for Young Readers

City

New York, New York, United States of American

Date of Publication

2022

ISBN

9781491737282

Date of Review

2023

Disciplines

Library and Information Science | Modern Literature

Keywords

Children's literature, reviews, fairy tales, Chinese mythology

Review

The wolf, traditionally the villain in Little Red Riding Hood’s story, narrates an alternate version. Set in China, this version places Little Red Riding Hood in a village near the Great Wall. Her grandmother, Nainai, sews a red silk hood for her. When Nainai gets sick, Little Red’s mother sends her to Nainai’s house with soup and a rice cake. Her mother warns her to stay on the path and avoid strangers, and Little Red replies that she is a kung fu fighter and can protect herself. On the way, Little Red encounters a dragon, who tells her about a nearby ginseng root. Little Red strays off the path, and the dragon rushes to Nainai’s house. He gobbles her up and takes her place in the bed. When Little Red arrives, the dragon swallows her as well. Using a yo-yo, ribbon, suona, and kung fu moves, Little Red frees herself and her grandmother from the dragon’s belly. The dragon runs away, and distances himself from girls in red capes. The wolf, who appears as a witness to the story, closes by wondering how he became the villain. Compestine writes a creative twist on a familiar story and explains the symbolism in her author note. The illustrations are colorful and expressive. Librarians may find this book appropriate for an age 5-9 audience.

Highly Recommended Rachel Crane, Centennial Library Intern, Cedarville University

Recommended Citation

Crane, Rachel, "Review of Little Red Riding Hood and the Dragon by Ying Chang Compestine" (2023). Library Intern Book Reviews. 359.
https://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/intern_book_reviews/359

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