Little Red Ruthie

September 4, 2017
She may be Jewish and her hood may be a puffy red coat, but Ruthie has the same problem as the original Little Red Riding Hood—a hungry wolf—which means she needs to be as “brave as the Maccabees.” Koster and Eastland’s spoof takes several twists and turns, including the revelation that the Wolf doesn’t mind dressing up as Bubbe (Eastland shows him spritzing himself with perfume and admiring himself in the mirror). Ruthie, meanwhile, finds a powerful weapon in latkes. She feeds the wolf so many of them (after explaining their significance, of course), that he begs to escape into the fresh air. (Bubbe Basha, being a bubbe, sends him on his way with a jelly donut.) Eastland’s digital drawings, breezy and punctuated with lots of red, are a stylish counterpoint to the poker-faced text. Ages 4–8. Illustrator’s agency: Advocate Art.

October 1, 2017

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. VERDICT A welcome holiday offering for most collections.-Teri Markson, Los Angeles Public Library

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2017
A Hanukkah culinary delight saves Little Red Riding Hood's literary, Jewish cousin. Winter chills cannot keep Ruthie from her Hanukkah visit to Bubbe Basha's house to cook latkes. She dons her red-hooded puff jacket, fills her basket with the perfect culinary accompaniments--sour cream and applesauce--and sets out through the forest for her grandmother's house. To no one's surprise, except hers, she walks straight into a wolf who is hungry for Ruthie. Determined to be as brave as the Maccabees, Ruthie proceeds to talk her way out of the wolf's mouth. If he gives her just eight days, (as long as Hanukkah lasts), her skinny white self will fill out. The wolf cannot wait and sets out for Bubbe's house. She is not home, but the wolf entertains himself by dressing up in her fancy clothing. When Ruthie arrives, she is able to read the note on the door (which the wolf could not), saying that Bubbe will return soon. Alone with the wolf, Ruthie combines frying the latkes with telling the impatient predator the story of the holiday. Eating so many fried potatoes, even if delicious, deters the wolf from his original scheme. Digital art, with red predominating, is an entertaining accompaniment. A Jewish holiday mixes it up with a favorite fairy tale. (recipe) (Picture book. 3-6)

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January 1, 2018
Ruthie sets off through the woods to her grandmother's house. She encounters a hungry wolf who makes his way to Bubbe's first. Bubbe is running errands, and to kill time the wolf tries on her clothes--not that this fools clever Ruthie, whose quick thinking and latke-making skills solve her problem. Cartoony illustrations and lighthearted text incorporate Hanukkah details and motifs. Latke recipe appended.

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

November 1, 2017
Ruthie dons her red cape and sets off through the woods to her grandmother's house. Along the way she encounters a hungry wolf: Little girlI am going toeat you up! Ruthie fools the creature and escapes, but the wolf makes his way to Bubbe Basha's house and lies in wait. Bubbe's running errands, and to kill time the wolf tries on her clothes--not that this fools clever Ruthie, whose quick thinking and latke-making skills solve her wolf problem. The cartoony illustrations and lighthearted text incorporate Hanukkah details and motifs; e.g., twice Ruthie is described as brave as the Maccabees, and Bubbe hands the overstuffed villain a jelly donut for the road. A latke recipe is appended. elissa gershowitz

(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)