Alphabet book meets fairy tale in this sophisticated twist on the story of Little Red Riding Hood, called Carmine in this incarnation. For each letter of the alphabet, a quirky (and, for many children, probably unfamiliar) word, is highlighted and incorporated within the text of the story. Despite warnings to head straight to Granny’s house, Carmine stops to write a haiku, and encounters a wolf lurking behind a knoll . As well as being a creative writer, Carmine has pluck, and with the help of her dog Rufus, and his surreal ability to understand wolf language, she uncovers the predator’s intentions. When the danger has passed, Carmine resolves to never again dawdle on her way to visit Grandma. Mixed media and collage illustrations add visual humor to a clever retelling of a familiar tale. (Ages 6–9)

Carmine is a painter, always in search of just the right color (especially anything in the red family) to add to her paintings. So when she and her dog Rufus set off on their bike to Granny’s, she is too easily lured by a lovely meadow full of poppies. And, as she begins painting, she is too oblivious to danger lurking along the path.