Little Roja Riding Hood by Susan Middleton Elya

Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. This spirited interpretation of a classic fairy tale successfully mixes magic and reality, as well as Spanish and English words.Ī home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature. This results in a story that avoids becoming repetitive for bilingual readers and that readers who do not speak Spanish will also easily understand. Context and an opening glossary provide the definitions rather than simultaneous translation. As Red travels through the forest, the birds call out warnings to her in Spanish-“ ¡Cuidado!” Throughout the text, the Spanish words appear in bold and italicized print. In the kitchen, where Mamá watches telenovelas while chopping peppers and garlic, three blind mice scamper about, a pair of mischievous goblins lurk outside the window, and symbols reminiscent of milagros, or prayer charms, rise up in the steam from the clay pot of bean soup. The playful illustrations elevate the book, blending a whimsical fairy-tale land with contemporary Latino-American life. Roja must act quickly to rescue Grandma, and then the two devise a technologically enhanced plan to prevent visits from unwelcome predators in the future. Along the way, she is tricked by a sly wolf.

Red travels through the woods to take hot soup to her sick abuela. She lives with her husband and two dogs in Portland, Maine.Elya presents a modern twist on a familiar fairy tale in her signature style using rhyming, predominantly English text that skillfully incorporates Spanish words and phrases. In addition to working on books, Melissa is studying to become a Maine Naturalist. Her most recent book is How To Write A Poem by Kwame Alexander and Deanna Nikaido. She is the author and illustrator of Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy’s Parade which garnered the Cook Prize for STEM picture books, as well as Some Writer! The Story of E. Melissa Sweet has illustrated many award–winning picture books, including two Caldecott honors for A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams and The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus, both by Jen Bryant.

She lives in Northern California with her daughter, three dogs, and a bunch of books. Susan Middleton Elya is the author of 29 picture books, including the award-winning titles of Home at Last, Little Roja Riding Hood, La Princesa and the Pea, and La Madre Goose. She also wrote the Say Hola to Spanish series and the Eight Animals series, plus many more.

Little Roja Riding Hood by Susan Middleton Elya