Little Red Riding Sheep

by Linda Ravin Lodding, Cale Atkinson (Illustrator)

Overview

The beloved classic, Little Red Riding Hood, has never had a cuter, more enthusiastic star than Arnold in this witty picture book that’s perfect for reading aloud.

Arnold is an eager young sheep who is excited to be in his very first book. No problem-o! Except he’s a bit big and fluffy to play Little Red Riding Hood, and he’s a tiny bit scared of the deep dark woods. Oh, and he has a friend who would be just perfect as Granny…perhaps the author wouldn’t mind a few suggestions?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781481457484
Publisher:	Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	08/08/2017
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	425,430
Product dimensions:	8.70(w) x 11.20(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Linda Ravin Lodding, like Arnold, has always loved talking back...and writing her own stories. Now she is the award-winning author of five children’s books. Linda is originally from New York but has spent the past twenty years in Austria, The Netherlands, and now Sweden. Today she lives in Uppsala with her husband and teenage daughter. When Linda is not writing, she works for a children’s rights organization initiated by the Swedish Royal Family. (And, also like Arnold, she is a smidgen afraid of the woods.)

Cale Atkinson may or may not be a sheep. He is also an author, illustrator, and animator from British Columbia, Canada. His work can be found in picture books including To the Sea and Explorers of the Wild, which he wrote and illustrated. See more of his work at Cale.ca.

Editorial Reviews

06/05/2017
Enthusiastic Arnold is tired of sheep—such as himself—being relegated to the background in books, so he inserts himself into the story of Little Red Riding Hood. Arnold assures the unseen author-artist that he won’t be sorry for including him, but he soon starts objecting to the familiar beats of the story: the foreboding woods (“Can I erase a tree or two? Bring in some more light...”), the hungry wolf (“I have this friend, Einer. He’s a muskrat and would be perfect as the wolf”), and the questionable plot points (as the wolf, Einer “doesn’t believe in solving problems by eating them”). As Arnold and his friends work their magic, Lodding (Painting Pepette) transforms this classic tale into a clever story about representation and inclusion; Arnold is an avid reader who never sees characters like him take center stage. Atkinson (Maxwell the Monkey Barber) emphasizes Arnold’s unfailing positivity in cheerfully colored, in-your-face digital illustrations that generate a mood of creative chaos. A strong readaloud and excellent starting point for conversations about representation, character, and story. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Jennifer Unter, Unter Agency. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

Arnold’s insistent requests for edits will evoke lots of participation from young listeners as they recognize allusions to their favorite fairy tale motifs and giggle at Arnold’s proposed innovations; even more giggles will ensue when it’s revealed who the author really is . . . Any kid who’s ever nagged his or her adults into changing their minds will know exactly why Arnold’s is the right ending.

July/August 2017 - BCCB

Atkinson’s brightly colored cartoon-style illustrations depict Arnold as a red-caped, energetic figure—and as a slightly smaller sheep when he has an illustrator make a few cosmetic adjustments to his wool. A fun, meta, fractured fairy tale.

July 1st, 2017 - Booklist

06/01/2017
PreS-Gr 2—In this story within a story, an unnamed narrator attempts to tell the classic tale of "Little Red Riding Hood," only to be repeatedly interrupted by a sheep named Arnold. Frustrated that sheep are often in the background of books and not active participants, Arnold begs to be cast as Little Red Riding Hood. Following his initial success, he makes further suggestions about setting and dialogue and proposes that the other roles be reassigned to his animal friends. In one ponderous section, the plot visits uncharted territory as Arnold is redrawn and made thinner by a guest artist. Throughout, readers meet a muskrat and warthog, who are also looking for gigs as storybook characters, and, at last, a buffalo, who readers learn is the reteller Arnold has been interrupting. Arnold may be adorable, but his pun-heavy demands on the narrator are more annoying than cute, and the narrator's responses come across as tired and disinterested. Though the text falls flat, Atkinson's artwork is charming, and every sketch and brightly painted layered spread featuring allergy-laden Einer the muskrat is particularly delightful. VERDICT This is a fun lesson in storytelling with cheerful illustrations that may amuse kids, but ultimately the leading player's irritating behavior makes him an unsympathetic character. A quirky and over-the-top retelling.—Lauren Younger, New York Public Library

School Library Journal

2017-05-10
Arnold the sheep desperately wants to be part of the story…with a few modifications.The narrator begins with a proper "Once upon a time," but after that, the tale quickly derails. Instead of a little girl in a red hood, a big fluffy sheep suddenly fills the page (as Arnold declares, "A Heidschnucke sheep to be exact"). The narrator is confused. Arnold explains that sheep are always relegated to the backgrounds of stories. (Case in point, "Little Bo Peep"). He wants to be the star this time. "Oh, all right, then," the narrator relents. But Arnold has some other suggestions as well. Could the story's setting not be in a dark wood? It's a little creepy. Plus, Arnold knows some fantastic friends to fill a few of the roles. Einer the muskrat would make a great wolf. And Frankie the warthog would be the perfect granny. Overzealous Arnold takes the story into his own cloven hooves, providing a wacky interpretation of the classic tale. Atkinson's interrupting speech bubbles, stately frames, faux corner page turns, and large pencil with erasure marks pack in every trope. Like so many of its ilk, the story takes a back seat to concept, resulting in what feels like 40 pages of setup. Both chortle-inducing and whiny at turns, this proves there's nothing new under the metafictive sun. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews