Story and pictures by Roberto Innocenti
(Creative Editions, 2012)
After my first read, I knew I would not feature this book as
a recommendation. I did not like the
ending. Indeed, it was not
appropriate. Too dark.
But then I went for coffee and recalled earlier versions of
“Little Red Riding Hood”, the story upon which the book is based. In some tellings, the grandmother got locked
in a closet, but in others, the wolf ate her.
Red Riding Hood often suffered the same demise. Then, the woodsman cut open the wolf, rescued
the remarkably unchewed characters and stuffed the villain with rocks, leaving
him to die. Happy endings? No nightmares? Maybe this is why night lights were invented.
Here I go. I’ll
feature the book and you can decide if it suits you. The story begins with a strange grandmotherly
doll plopped in the middle of a table as children gather round to hear a story
on a rainy day. The narrator (the doll) tells
us:
Our story takes place
in a forest.
This forest has few
trunks and leaves—it is composed of concrete and bricks instead.
Yes, we’re in a city in modern times. Sophia is “a quiet girl” who lives in a
rundown tenement with her mother and younger sister. Since Sophia’s grandmother is unwell and
wants company, Sophia sets off for the “other side of the forest,” first
putting on a red hoodie as there is a possibility of rain.
Sophia’s mother cautions her to stick to the “main trail”
the entire way. Indeed, it’s a grim
route, littered with trash, graffiti and a chalk-drawn body behind police
tape. A mall proves a distraction and
then Sophia does what we’ve all done: she
exits through the wrong doors. This
leaves her disoriented and vulnerable in an even seedier area.
Taunted by some no-goods, she is “rescued” by a motorcyclist
with big teeth. Ultimately, he ditches
the girl and gets to nana’s house in advance.
An unhappy ending results.
This is a reminder of
stranger danger, a tale to warn kiddies to never let down their guard. Still, common sense should have
prevailed. It appears to be a long, long
journey through the worst parts of the city.
I cannot imagine a parent allowing a young child to make the trek
alone.
The illustrations portray dark scenes with bursts of
color. Roberto Innocenti’s illustrations
are the true highlight of the book.
Author Aaron Frisch offers an alternate happy ending after
we see the story audience weeping around the doll. After all, we are told, “Stories are magic.” I doubt the book would have been published
without this add-on which leads me to wonder if the grimmer work of the
Brothers Grimm would reach the marketplace in today’s Disney-fied world. If nothing else, this is a book to begin a
discussion on whether grit and darker aspects of reality have a place in
children’s picture books. I have
featured some darker books (Way Home;
Riding the Tiger; Bird) and enthusiastically recommended them. But is scaring children about strangers the
way to ensure they are safe? My
uneasiness remains, but I welcome your comments.
