Watch out for that Sneaky Wolf!

Imagine going to your grandma's house and getting stopped by a wolf! He's a tricky and scary animal, who gets you all confused on your path, what would you do? This is the exact dilemma Little Red Riding Hood or Elisabeth had on her trip to grandma's house. This is an old fairy tale that has been told for generations. Traditional literature is the written form of stories that are part of an oral tradition of a culture. Traditional Literature is a form of text that is passed down over generations, sometimes retold in a different context, but still holding the same values and important messages. Traditional literature authors and retelling authors use traditional stories, like Little Red Riding Hood, to covey a story with values and morals that can be passed down and serve various functions. Traditional literature is so extremely important for students to know about and read because the characters, language patterns, and themes are used, talked about, and referred to in everyday life. Trina Schart Hyman retold the story of Little Red Riding Hood, which is originally by Brothers Grimm. Hyman did a great job of sticking to the story line, changing some of the vocabulary to make it easier to read and relate to. The retelling allows the story to be fresh and updated without changing the meaning and feeling of the story itself. Hyman's illustrations add texture and depth to the pages we read throughout the text. Each page is designed with a patchwork outline that fits perfectly with the story line of going to grandmas like Little Red Riding Hood, Elisabeth, is.

In the traditional literature story, Little Red Riding Hood, the story line may be different than what most children have to do to get to grandma's house, but all the same, students can relate to going to grandma's house. Throughout the story, the setting changes. At first, Elisabeth is at home, then she is in the woods headed to grandmas, then she's in the wolfs belly (oh my!), then finally shes at grandmas house. Little Red Riding Hood encounters obstacles throughout her trip through the woods, including a wolf and getting sidetracked by pretty flowers. The wolf is a tricky one by getting her focused on something other than the taste her mother had given her. In this story, the wolf has the stereotype of the "bad guy," which is part of the characterization of the story. Elisabeth had good intentions by picking flowers to take to her grandma, but it gave the wolf just enough time to sneak to grandmas and eat her up! Elisabeth is the "good guy" in this story, which is her characterization. Towards the end of the book, after grandma and Little Red Riding Hood were in the wolf's belly, a hunter comes and saves the day! He sees that things are a little off at grandma's house, so he marches right in and sees the wolf he has been hunting for ages. He cuts the wolf open, saves grandma and Little Red Riding Hood, and takes the wolf's pelt. It is various obvious that this story is based in the older days, but it still proves the point to not listen to tricky people and to always stick to the task at hand and to stay focused.

When reading and using this book in the classroom, it allows the perfect opportunity to compare and contrast the original version of a text and the retold version. In this case, the books are extremely similar and convey the same message. It also allows reference and teaching about fairy tales and various types of traditional literature. Also, it is obvious that this story is based in the older days, but it still proves the point to not listen to tricky people and to always stick to the task at hand and to stay focused. The book allows students to understand the theme, story line, and it is an easy, intriguing read for elementary age students.

This story intrigues me still to this day! Each time I read this folktale, which is also a prose narrative, I get anxious and nervous about what the wolf is going to do to the little girl and grandma. Each time I read it, I want to yell at the little girl just to listen to her mother, stay on the path, do the task at hand, and get to grandma's safely! The illustrations throughout this story fit perfectly with the text and allow a unique visual, which is different than a lot of children's literature. This story encompasses various aspects of traditional literature including entertainment, exploring human consciousness, and teaching values and the foundations of cultural values to young students.