Ninja Red Riding Hood

Fairy Tale Ninja Trilogy

by Corey Rosen Schwartz, Dan Santat (Illustrator)

Companion to the hit The Three Ninja Pigs, this fractured fairy tale is a sure-fire storytime hit.

Wolf just can’t catch a break! Ever since the three little pigs started teaching everyone Ninja skills, huffing and puffing just hasn’t been enough to scare up a good meal. 

His craving for meat sends Wolf to classes at the dojo, and soon he’s ready to try out his new moves. A little girl and her tiny granny should be easy targets--right?

Not if Little Red has anything to say about it! Kiya!

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fairy Tales, Humor, Fractured Fairy Tales, Fiction, Animals

32 pages, Hardcover

First published July 10, 2014

About the author

Corey is the author of HOP! PLOP! (Walker, 2006), THE THREE NINJA PIGS (Putnam, 2012) GOLDI ROCKS AND THE THREE BEARS (Putnam, forthcoming) and NINJA RED (Putnam, forthcoming). Corey has no formal ninja training, but she sure can kick butt in Scrabble. She lives with three Knuckleheads in Warren, NJ.

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of Little Red Riding Hood set in Japan with martial arts at the heart of the story. It is told in rhyming verse and it’s funny. You know what to expect and Corey gives some good twists along the way. The ninja stuff is cool too.

The Wolf keeps being beaten up by small creatures who know martial arts so he enrolls in martial arts school and learns some moves to get food. He finds Red on a path to her grannies and we know this story. Granny is not at her house, she was at Tai Chi. There is a battle at the end of the story and the ending, we see the wolf enroll in Yoga. It’s a great ending.

I chuckled my way through this. I had a lot of fun with this. I will look to see if there are more of these. The nephew loved it. He thought the karate or Ninja’s were so cool and he giggled through the story too. He didn’t think the wolf was scary at all. He gave this 4 stars.

[Klinta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book for my friend's daughter, but obviously was very eager to read it myself.

The images were very good and the text, although short, was funny, besides it rhymed, which makes me believe that it will do good in learning the language and speaking, while her mum and dad will have a laugh reading this.

I do find that it might be a bit more for older children, who understand the ninja words used, but I hope that with some explanations it will be a good read. Also these ninja series seem like a very nice way of introducing boys to the fairytales that they might feel are too girly or not filled with enough action.

I liked it. And opposed to a lot of reviews didn't feel like the book is pushy about vegetarianism. And I definitely feel like this ending is better than cutting up wolf's stomach and filling it with stones.

[Sylvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

The master of the fractured fairy tale does it again. Corey Rosen Schwartz has written another delightful, witty, and funny story, this time about a big bad wolf who only wants to feed himself but who keeps "getting licked by the dinner he picked."

After mastering some ninja moves and doing the granny-switch trick, the wolf thinks he's ready but, alas for him, his adversary, Ninja Red Riding Hood, turns out to be a martial artist as well.

This story is told in wonderful and lively verse and illustrated in dynamic and appealing style by Dan Santat. A must buy and read for anyone.

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Author Corey Rosen Schwartz and illustrator Dan Santat, whose previous collaborate effort, The Three Ninja Pigs , offered a martial arts rewrite of a classic fairy-tale, here turn their attention to the story of Little Red Riding Hood. Disturbed by his lack of success with the three little pigs, our wolf villain decides to train himself, eventually mastering the art of karate. Little does he realize however, that his new targets - Red and her grandmother - are also masters...

Like its predecessor, Ninja Red Riding Hood offers an entertaining variation on a well-known tale, pairing a rhyming text with colorful artwork. The wolf, who "kept getting licked / by the dinner he picked," makes for an amusing villain, and his second attempt to secure dinner makes for an engaging read-aloud, particularly for little would-be ninjas and fans of fractured fairy-tales. I don't know that I love this book as much as the co-workers who recommended it to me - I tend to prefer the original fairy-tales, in all their unexpurgated glory - but for fans of this sort of thing this will be a welcome addition to their picture-book library.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh...my...goodness...this is fantastic. How lucky am I to have received an F & G? A review will be coming.

Some villains simply can't take a hint. Faced with defeat they retreat only to come back for more. They cave to their cravings; especially if it involves meat. One could say they never really learn; or do they?

Such is the case with the wily wolf that faced the proficient porkers in The Three Ninja Pigs (G. P. Putnam's Sons, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 2012). Giving credit where credit is due, he is crafty enough to realize he needs to sharpen his combative skills along with his teeth. Author Corey Rosen Schwartz and illustrator Dan Santat have returned in a collaboration of fractured fairy tale frenzy titled Ninja Red Riding Hood (G. P. Putnam's Sons, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA)). Hold on to your gi. This Red of the Riding Hood will have you shouting whoopee!

My full review: http://bit.ly/1hxow7H

[Mundie Moms & Mundie Kids · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must have fractured fairy tale. This book is fantastic and has it all! Plenty of laughs, action and is a great story kids of all ages will enjoy.

Who knew the Little Red, her Grandmother and the Wolf were ninjas? In this laugh out loud version they are. Unlike the original Little Red Riding, this Red evenly matches the Wolf. That is until her Gran arrives, and the two of them out match the Wolf. Don't worry, this Wolf learns a lesson and gets his own happy ending.

We loved this book! Ninja Red Riding Hood has found it's place on our shelf of favorite children's books. This is an entertaining read. With rhyming text, laugh out loud moments, and great illustrations this easy to read book will keep it's readers engaged the entire time.

This is a book I'd highly recommend picking up. I am looking forward to reading more fractured fairytales from Corey and Dan.

[Maggie Mattmiller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I may not like this quite as much as the Ninja Pigs, but I still LOVED it! My students will get a kick out of this twist on the classic fairy tale! The rhymes are great, illustrations great, and the storyline as well- great great great! I really enjoyed it!

[Michele Knott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think the Ninja series gets better as they go! Laugh out loud and love how each character one ups the other. My favorite line "His belly was aching' for bacon."

[Nadia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I acquired an unbound copy via my school.... This was such a good book especially if your child loves Karate/Ju Jitsu. it rhymes too!

[Mallory Hoffman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zoey is mesmerized by this fractured fairy tale. I love the rhyming story as much as she does and the awesome way that Gran and Red defeat the wolf. An excellent read-aloud.

[Sherry · Rating 1 out of 5]

I usually gravitate towards what looks like a 'fun' read; this title did not pass the 'pushing an agenda' sniff test. Although Red seems to have come into her own with empowerment, to push and hold another down until they agree to your specified belief, appears very negative to this reader. Although this opinion may seem a little persnickety, I've come across too many titles as of late that instead of opening up the world of diversity, culture and imagination, in actuality shows and encourages a view of a narrowing and confining perspective.
This title will not be on my story telling list.

[Arminzerella · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Once upon a ninja-filled time…” there was a wolf who was taking a beating every time he tried to get a meal. He decides his skills are not up to snuff and enrolls in a martial arts class. Upon graduation, he encounters Riding Hood in the woods and tries to trick her into believing he is her grandmother. She’s too smart, and, as it turns out, a better fighter than he. Upon his defeat, Red makes him promise to give up red meat, which the wolf is happy to do. He leaves to find something less stressful and discovers YOGA. A funny retelling of red riding hood with ninjas EVERYWHERE. Readers/listeners will love the silly verse and the sneaky wolf’s attempts to better himself.

[Paige Spicer · Rating 1 out of 5]

The pictures were brilliant but the last two pages were extremely disappointing. I felt like they really ruined the story.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fractured fairy tale with art that keeps up with the fun of the rhyming story.

[Moonkiszt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Featured in a grandma reads session.

Very enjoyed!

[Alexa Marshall]

1) How many of you have read the fairy tale, "Little Red Riding Hood"? I hope all of you have your hands raised because we read it yesterday! Today, we are going to read a different version of "Little Red Riding Hood" called "Ninja Red Riding Hood". Let's look at the illustrations on the front cover. Does Red Riding Hood or the Wolf look any different than in the versions you have read before? What seems different just in the illustration on the cover? While we're reading, I want you to try to remember what things seem similar and different between the "Little Red Riding Hood" book that we read yesterday compared to "Ninja Red Riding Hood". Let's begin!

2) -Remind students of genre or book comparisons
-Draw Attention to the illustrator's craft

3) -I chose to remind the students of genre or book comparisons because there are many versions of fairy tale books and each one is a little different than the other. I think it would be fun for the students to compare the vegetarian, yoga-doing, ninja master Wolf compared to the wolf in the original "Little Red Riding Hood".
-I chose to draw attention to the illustrator's craft because right away, even on the front cover, you can tell that this version of the book is different than the original because Red Riding Hood looks fierce and is in a ninja pose. The Wolf on the front cover is also holding a folding fan, which is nothing like in the original fairy tale. I also really loved the illustrations and felt like I would be doing the illustrator an injustice if i didn't acknowledge his awesome work.

[Julian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ninja Red Riding Hood, a spin-off of the original fairy tale little red hiding hood, takes a new action packed turn for the best. The big bad wolf who is always hungry, hones his skills by attending a ninja school to hunt his prey. With his new found mastery in fighting he goes to a house to find no one there, but shortly is caught by the red riding hood. This red riding hood is also trained as a ninja, so they fight!

This story depicts main characters from the story we all know but twists them into fighting ninjas! I was surprised that this book was so entertaining from start to finish given my thoughts by just looking at the cover and title. This story is part of a series of ninja books that are based off of popular fairy tales. Given that this was my first encounter with a ninja series book I now am interested in reading others.

[Carmen]

1."Im going to read you a page from this book called "Ninja Red Riding Hood" and after I am done reading well talk about how it relates to little red riding hood. "Soon after, he heard someone knocking. He called out, "My dear, come on in. Oh dont you look good, in your lovely red hood, but a shame that youve gotten so thin." "So what does this page remind you of? Does it remind you of a book you read before?" [children respond] "Yes it is like the story little red riding hood! Lets see what differences there are and what similarities there are in this book."

2. Providing important background information and relating it back to future readings.

3. These alert the readers to compare other stories to the present stories, and will give the students background knowledge on what to expect from the story.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know those reviews that say "If you love X, then you will love this book"?
Well, I have a lot of X's to put in there about Ninja Red, by Corey Rosen Schwartz

If you love The Three Ninja Pigs, then you will love Ninja Red.
If you love strong female characters, then you will love Ninja Red.
If you love stories that depict loving intergenerational relationships, then you will love Ninja Red.
If you are a vegetarian or love someone who is, then you will love Ninja Red.
If you love yoga, then you will love Ninja Red.
If you love wonderfully written rhyme, then you will love Ninja Red.
If you love children's literature with a fresh outlook, then you will love Ninja Red.

Get this book.
If you love, then you will love Ninja Red.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this take on the Red Riding Hood story. One almost feels compassion for the wolf, which is definitely a funny twist. If you have read The Three Ninja Pigs then you know going in that the wolf is bound to be in over his head despite his efforts to develop his skills. Seeing the wolf in a blond wig and glasses in order to sneak into the ninja classes is worth the price of the book alone. But when he has to face off with Red it appears they are evenly matched leaving the reader wondering how this conflict will be solved. The ending is quite appropriate and entertaining while being a bit surprising. All in all a gorgeously illustrated ode to the power of self-defense.

[RLL220_Amanda Alvarado · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ninja Red Riding Hood was amazing! The book shows children that no matter what gender you are you anyone can learn how to do karate. This book will welcome boys into liking fairy tales as well. Teachers can read this book to 1st graders and show them how important it is that even bad guys could change if they tried. Teachers could make this into a activity and have students read different fairy tales. The students could see if they could change the villains into good guys. The illustrations in to book were colorful and eye popping. The Illustrations will be able to tell the story if the books was wordless.

[Set · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought the story was cute but it defeats the purpose of the lesson with the archetypes in the original story. I think the moral of the story is to learn to defend yourself but reality is that it doesn't matter how much martial arts you learn, a "wolf" can get you if it wants. Little girls and boys shouldn't speak to strangers or stray for the path with distractions, they should run to strong male protectors for help because granny couldn't even help herself in the original. Where I work, children show me their Karate moves all the time but they are small and defenseless to the attacks of an adult.

[Julee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ninja Red Riding Hood is the companion book to the fabulous The Three Ninja Pigs. In this rhyming, fractured fairytale the wolf has taken to training up his ninja skills and prepares to take Red by surprise but he encounters real girl power in the form of Red and her granny. Once again the wolf's desire for a taste of pork is thwarted and he must become a vegetarian, yoga taking wolf.

I received an F&G from the author and some links to very useful teacher guides and activities.
http://coreyrosenschwartz.com/Home.html

[Josie B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

“G” is for Grandma and gi in this martial arts inspired, fractured fairy tale. I shared it in my 3-5 year old storytime this week, and the children were fascinated. One boy crept up during a pivotal scene to say in a stage whisper “Miss Josie, I am taking karate!” I paired this with Petr Horáček’s “Look out, Suzy Goose”, but it could also be paired with Jane Cabrara’s “There Was an Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe” for a resilient Grandma themed storytime.

[Ms. B · Rating 3 out of 5]

What if the wolf, Little Red Riding Hood and her grandmother were ninjas? Who would come out on top? Find out in this picture book illustrated by the 2015 Caldecott Award winner, Dan Sanat.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super duper cute!

[Mary Briggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brill version of this traditional tale.

[Chrisanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun!

[Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the one about the three ninja pigs better, but this one is pretty good too. I like Dan Santat's illustrations.

[Jessica Calaway · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 - 7 years