FICTION

Tango Red Riding Hood

by Rachel S. Hobbs (text) & illus. by Carolina Vázquez
Gnome Road. Sept. 2023. 32p. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9781957655147.
COPY ISBN
Gr 1-4–A Latinx retelling of Red Riding Hood with a dancing Red and a wolf eager to learn English. Moni is on her way to visit her abuela and is distracted by a music-playing lobo. Some “lost in translation” moments result in Moni running away from the wolf. The bolded sound effects in the tale perfectly evoke the rhythm of dance and underscore Moni’s love for it. Vibrant colors in the illustrations support the upbeat tone that hints at the different direction this retelling will take. The depiction of people learning a new language including the hiccups along the way is recreated with warmth and humor, reminiscent of Angela Dominguez’s Maria Had a Little LLama/María tenía una llamita. A glossary of Spanish words is included in the back.
VERDICT A bright retelling with a real beat, this not only shares the experience of learning a language, but will be a story hour hit.
Reviewed by Ruth Guerrier-Pierre , Jul 01, 2023

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