Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Red Riding Hood

Red Riding Hood
Beatrice Schenk de Regniers ~ Edward Gorey ~ Atheneum, 1972

I love the story of Little Red Riding Hood. I love Gorey and to see de Regniers' name on this book makes it all the more sweet. Evident from the first page when you read the hand-scrawled subtitle "Retold in verse for boys and girls to read themselves". Lovely.

Long ago
There was a girl,
Pretty and good.
Her name was Little
Red Riding Hood.

She wore
A pretty red hood,
A cape the same.
And that's how Red Riding Hood
Got her name.

The forest. The girl. The grandmother. The woodsman. The wolf. Stepping into this world with those two at the helm is total magic, each page not necessarily revealing the whole picture. Gorey was the master of this fabulous sleight of hand. I've spoken before of seeing his work in person for the first time, and literally, I'd sell my soul to the nearest devil to be able to draw like him. There has surely never been anyone like him.

The art was reprinted last year in this collection of three stories for children (which also includes Rumplestiltskin), but with a different author.

Also by:
Rumpelstiltskin
The Dwindling Party
Sam and Emma
Cats Cats Cats Cats Cats
How Joe the Bear and Sam the Mouse Got Together
The Snow Party
The Giant Story

5 comments:

  1. UnknownAugust 2, 2011 at 7:39 AM

    "we" read may i bring a friend? by regniers last night. it was one of the first books that captivated both boys at the same time (albeit on different levels).

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  2. Burgin StreetmanAugust 2, 2011 at 8:02 AM

    you know, we have that book somewhere, but I haven't read it to the boy since he was a baby... i need to figure out where it is!

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  3. Melissa@Julias BookbagAugust 2, 2011 at 9:44 AM

    I love love love Gorey! So what do you think, have you read the new collection with the new author? Or do you feel that this version that you discussed here is the one to track down? :)Melissa

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  4. Burgin StreetmanAugust 2, 2011 at 10:55 AM

    I have not seen it, but they are great stories. It would be hard for anyone to screw them up.

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  5. DonnaAugust 2, 2011 at 7:22 PM

    Yay, I scored this one a few weeks back at a library sale for $.25 and the kids and I love it. As the title states, my beginning reader son can even read it with little assistance. Great find.

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