Common Sense Media Review
By Regan McMahon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Classic tale gets fun update from a Chinese perspective.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 4+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD AND THE DRAGON begins with a gray wolf addressing the reader and saying the old folk tale about a little girl in a red cape and her grandmother being eaten by a wolf and then saved by a woodsman is not how it went down. He says, "The truth is that the tale took place here in China, there was no woodsman, and I, the gentle wolf, certainly wasn't the one who ate them." He goes on to tell the "real" story, in which the dragon eats the grandma and then disguises himself as her and jumps in her bed to fool the girl and then eat her, too. How will they get out of the dragon's tummy?
Is It Any Good?
This fun, creative retelling of the classic folktale freshens it up with a dragon, Chinese food, musical instruments, silk ribbons, kung foo, and a handy sword, but no woodsman. Author Ying Chang Compestine's action-packed storytelling zips along, aided by Joy Ang's eye-catching, cartoon-like illustrations. Close-ups of the dragon's face and claws provide the appropriate thrills and chills. And cutaways showing Little Red sliding down the dragon's throat and then enlisting grandma's help in dragon-bashing moves to make their escape add plenty of humor and girl power.
In a surprise twist at the end of Little Red Riding Hood and the Dragon, we see that the wolf has been telling the tale to the Three Little Pigs, whose three Chinese houses -- one of straw, one of sticks, one of bricks -- are seen in the distance. The wolf concludes, "I don't know how people ended up with a silly folktale that gave me, the gentle wolf, a bad reputation." It's one final giggle in this charming update.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Little Red Riding Hood and the Dragon changes some aspects of the traditional folktale. What's different in this telling? What elements are the same?
Which picture is your favorite? Which one's the scariest? Which one's the funniest?
Try telling another classic fairy tale by changing one or two things, like making a different person or animal the villain, or coming up with a different way the hero wins the day. Then draw a picture that tells the story.
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Joy Ang
- Genre : Picture Book
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Book Characters
- Character Strengths : Courage , Perseverance , Teamwork
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Abrams Books for Young Readers
- Publication date : November 1, 2022
- Number of pages : 48
- Available on : Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Award : Common Sense Selection
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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