This is a reverse retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, where wolves are afraid of humans. Little wolf’s mommy tells him to not trust humans or stray from his path, but when did kids start listening to their parents? So what happens next? Who will save Little Red Wolf? 

The story is short, compact, and well-presented. It uses the original and gives it a fresh twist. The ending is too good and says all one needs to know without sounding preachy. It does seem abrupt and without a happy conclusion, but anything else would have ruined what the book wanted to say. Of course, kiddos may need some nudging to help them connect the dots. The book sure would make a great choice for discussions. 

The text is easy to read and appears on the illustrations. While pages have only a couple of short lines, some have more content. Either way, the entire book shouldn’t take more than a few minutes to read. I like that the wolf’s diet is not vegetarianized (wolves are carnivores and eat other animals in the forest). 

The book also has a few lessons for kiddos – don’t trust strangers, someone looking nice doesn’t mean they are nice, truth has two sides (yours and theirs), the flaws in human emotions and thought, the inability to see beyond what one knows, etc. As I said, loads to discuss in this one. 

The illustrations are wonderful! I absolutely love them. The color scheme goes from dark to light to dark, depending on the content. The expressions on the little girl’s face contradict her cute looks and hint at what’s to come. I’m not sure if a couple of illustrations might be a bit too scary for kids, but I absolutely love them as an adult. I could read this book multiple times just for the artwork. (Not everyone may like it, though). 

To summarize, The Little Red Wolf is a dark little picture book with a creative retelling. Remember that this is not the Disney version of fairytales and doesn’t intend to be. It might be better if adults read it with their kids.  

Thank you, NetGalley and Oni Press, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. 

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