Little Red Hot

 

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Kimmel, Eric A. 2013. Little Red Hot.  Ill. by Laura Huliska-Beith. Las Vegas, NV: Amazon Publishing. ISBN  9781477816387

 

2. PLOT SUMMARY

In this fractured fairytale, a spice loving Little Red Hot finds out that her grandmother is sick. She decides to make her a hot pepper pie to “knock those cold germs right out of her”. Little Red Hot mixes some of the hottest peppers she can find (jalapenos, tabasco, habaneros, and, Naga Jolokias) with Louisiana Hot Sauce and makes her way out to grandmas. She is warned about Senor Lobo on the way to grandmas, but she still reveals her final destination to him when they meet on the road. Senor Lobo beats her to grandma’s house, and Little Red Hot astutely feeds him her hot pepper pie before he has a chance to hurt her. This shoots him right out the house right before grandma gets back and they enjoy the hot pepper pie together.

 

3.      CRITICAL ANALYSIS

 Little Red Hot is fractured fairytale set in Texas. The characters are very similar to the story it was derived from. Little Red Hot and her family clearly represent good and Senor Lobo represents evil. Little Red Hot meets with Senor Lobo just like in the original, but instead of being eaten by him (and in some versions saved by a woodsman), observant Little Red Hot, feeds Senor Lobo her hot pepper pie and saves the day. The moral is still a warning to children about talking to strangers. It also emphasizes the classic theme of good triumphing over evil. Its setting is relevant to the “fractured” part of the fairytale and the way Kimmel applies it to the characters dialogue. They say classic lines, but with a Texas twang. “Howdy Grandma; Grandma, what big eyes you got!”

The illustrations are rich with color and represent the stereotypical parts of Texas well. The different patterns applied to different parts of the story add an interesting element. The characters are portrayed humorously and the illustrations are very engaging.

 

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Reviewed in Booklist: “Veteran folklorist Kimmel makes this story his own—the cadence and the imagery would be just right for storytelling even without the pictures. But the illustrations—gouache, acrylic, and colored pencil paintings combined and collaged digitally—are full of action and add to the high-octane fun.”

Reviewed in Horn Book Magazine: “Warm-hued mixed-media illustrations add dashes of humor to this slapstick retelling with a distinct Southwestern flair.”

Reviewed in Library Media Connection

Reviewed in School Library Journal: “A fun fractured fairy tale.”

 

5. CONNECTIONS

*This story could lead to discussions about the dangers of speaking to strangers and the triumph of good over evil.

*The story has an easy-to-remember sequence. Students can retell the parts of this story using a felt character board or doing a reader’s theatre.

*Other Little Red Riding Hood stories:

Forward, Toby. The wolf's story: What really happened to little red riding hood. ISBN

9780763627850

Ernst, Lisa Campbell. Little red riding hood: A newfangled prairie tale. ISBN 9780689821912

Pinkney, Jerry. Little red riding hood. ISBN 9780316013550

Hyman, Trina Schart. Little Red Riding Hood. ISBN 9780823404704

Daly, Niki. Pretty Salma: A little red riding hood story from Africa. ISBN 9780618723454