Little Roja Riding Hood

Saludos, everyone! Our theme for this month will be “New Tellings/Versions of Familiar Stories,” focusing on children’s books that offer new perspectives on familiar tales. I am very excited to kick-start my blogging with such a cool theme. We have a lot of great books lined up!

Our book for this week is a modern, bilingual rendition of the classic, Little Red Riding Hood. In this retelling, the story is titled Little Roja Riding Hood. Written by Susan Middleton Elya and illustrated by Susan Guevara, the book adopts the plot of the original while incorporating elements of Hispanic language and culture. The authors also provide modern-day safety tips that are bound to make readers smile, such as always carrying your cell phone when you go out alone, and equipping the house with a high-tech security system. The occasional use of Spanish vocabulary allows non-fluent educators and readers to understand their meaning based on context clues, and the playful rhyming makes it perfect for reading out loud. The first page of the book provides a glossary of Spanish vocabulary words found throughout the text, an educational bonus for non-bilingual readers, while the illustrations are teeming with allusions to Hispanic culture and mythology. Best suited for readers ages 3-7, this book would be a wonderful resource for bilingual households and classrooms. Continue reading →