Little Red Ruthie: A Hanukkah Tale

K-Gr 2—An amusing twist on "Little Red Riding Hood" with a bit of "The Chanukah Guest" thrown in. Little Red Ruthie is off to her grandmother's house to make latkes when she runs into a hungry wolf. Clever Ruthie convinces him not to eat her because she'll be much more filling after Hanukkah. "When the holiday is over, I am sure to be as round as a pancake myself…why not eat me then?" The wolf is momentarily deterred, but not for long. He winds up at Bubbe (grandmother) Basha's house where Ruthie prepares him plate after plate of latkes while relating the Hanukkah tale. Finally, the wolf is "full up to his eyeballs and very groggy, " and as he heads for the door, Bubbe Basha hands him a jelly donut, the final blow to his sore tummy. Humorous illustrations invigorate the predictable plot, as does the lively language.