Red Riding Hood Retold by Beatrix Potter

I've been researching Beatrix Potter titles for a craft project and that documentation has primarily gone on my craft blog. However, in my search for Beatrix Potter titles I came across Red Riding Hood retold by Beatrix Potter and illustrated by Helen Oxenbury.

I'm always interested in different versions of fairy tales and Oxenbury's introduction explains why she wanted to illustrate Potter's darker version of the tale. I grew up on the darker fairy tales and I was quite surprised to go to school and realize most children grew up with the more cleaned up versions of the classic fairy tales. I'd seen the Disney Cinderella but I'd also read the darker version with the sister's removing parts of their feet to fit in the shoes. What I didn't realize is most kids had never heard the darker versions. Even some of my teachers hadn't read the original darker tales and thought I'd made them up. I later found a copy of the book I'd grown up with and felt almost vindicated that I hadn't been crazy remembering the much darker versions.

For those looking for a happily ever after tale where Red Riding Hood learns her lesson about wandering off and not following directions from her mother, this is not the tale for you. This tale is about the true nature of a wolf. He is a predator and in this version a trickster and this does not bode well for Red Riding Hood. Oxenbury tries to indicate there will be justice at the end with her illustrations, but Potter let the wolf go with Riding Hood punished for not heeding the directions of her mother.

Many years ago I used to teach a traditional tales unit to fourth graders and I could see using this book as part of that unit. It shakes up the tale kids think they know and gets them to think about the story they think they know in a new way. However, for parents who see Beatrix Potter and think they'd like this for their nursery I'd get a copy from the library and look at it first. There are more younger child versions that would appeal to little ones.

The Orphan A Cinderella Story from Greece

The Orphan: A Cinderella Story from Greeceis based on the traditional Greek Cinderella tale of the Orphan. In the authors' notes, they state their orphan is a little less traditional and opts not to wait at home for the prince to come to her.

One interesting point to note, the orphan title does not imply this Cinderella has lost her father, only her mother, which is something unique to this version. While some versions have Cinderella's father die, most do not see her as an orphan as long as her father remains living.

In this version, the Cinderella character is given no other name than the orphan. When life becomes unbearable, she flees to her Mother's grave, where she is given advice from her Mother and special gifts from Mother Nature and her children that she will need if she is to capture her Prince.

As is common in Cinderella stories, the orphan is left behind when the family departs. In this case, she is not allowed to go with the family to attend Church to meet the Prince. The orphan arrives using her magical gifts and with her Mother's warning in mind escapes before the end of the service. The Prince of course is frustrated and decides to find a way to capture the elusive girl. He orders the floor covered with honey and wax across the threshold of the Church. This of course provides the Prince with the missing shoe that so many Cinderella stories require. As expected, the orphan and the Prince are reunited when the shoe fits.

This is another Cinderella tale with no balls or fancy outings. The Prince in this tale appears at Church.

The Persian Cinderella

Sherry Climo has published several multicultural versions of the Cinderella tale. In The Persian Cinderella, she takes on the challenge of a tale from the Arabian nights located in Ancient Persia, today's Iran.

The Persian Cinderella has some unique features that those only familiar with the Grimm's tale may not recognize. In keeping with the cultural traditions, there is no ball and the prince does not go looking for his princess, his mother seeks out the girl who lost, not a shoe, but a diamond anklet.

This version does have some of the classic Cinderella elements. Settareh, the Persian Cinderella, does have a mean stepmother and cruel stepsisters who treat her badly. This version differs in that the father provides all the daughters with the money to attend the No Ruz, or New Year's festival. Settareh finds herself drawn into helping others and one rather odd purchase that seem to provide little opportunity to advance her chances of getting away from her family. The old woman she helps promises her that good will come from her generosity. One of her purchases ends up having a fairy in it that grants her wishes first for basic needs and then of course for a chance to attend the festival.

In keeping with the cultural traditions, this Cinderella never dances with the Prince, but she does commit a social mistake when she catches the eye of a man on the way into the festival. Of course, the reader knows that must be the Prince.

In this version, there is no shoe to fit the escaping Cinderella, but the clever mother of the groom does find Settareh and the future bride is able to provide the matching anklet. Unlike many Cinderella stories, the sisters are not thwarted at the shoe/anklet matching. These sisters are more devious and continue to pursue a means of catching the prince for their own marital prize. They steal her magic jar and ask for a means of getting rid of her forever. They are provided with a set of hairpins. As they prepare their sister's hair for her wedding, they stick the pins in her head. As the last pin is in place, their sister disappears and a dove sits in her place. I have not encountered a Cinderella tale with this twist before.

Much to the sisters’ disgust, the Prince does not turn to them for comfort, but in his distress over his lost bride, he comforts himself by taming the dove. When the bird eventually allows him to touch its head, he discovers pins stuck in its head. When he removes the last one, his bride appears. At that point, the reader is given the expected happy wedding ceremony. The jealous sisters explode and are no longer a problem for the couple.

Multicultural and Alternate Fairy Tales and Nursery Rhymes

As I was working on my list of Cinderella books which can be found here, I started to find other books, which didn't fit the list, but I wanted to be able to locate so I could share with others later. Since I thought parents and teachers might also have an interest, I thought I would start the list on my blog and keep adding to it as I found more titles that fit. I am finding this is one of the easiest ways to share information as I can always send a link without wondering where I saved the list on my computer.
Updated May 2018

Multicultural:

Beauty and the Beast:

China:
The Dragon Prince: A Chinese Beauty & the Beast TaleReview here

Russia:
The Scarlet Flower. A fairy tale for children: in EnglishReview here

Jack and the Beanstalk:

Armenia:

Hagop and The Hairy Giant: The Armenian Version of Jack and the Beanstalk

Little Red Riding Hood:

Cajun:

Petite Rouge (Picture Puffins)Review here


China:

Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story from ChinaReview here

Ghana:

Pretty Salma: A Little Red Riding Hood Story from AfricaReview here

Three Little Pigs:

Cajun:
Three Little Cajun PigsReview here


Alternate Versions:

The Elves and the Shoemaker:
The Elves Help Puss In Boots (Fairy Tale Mix-ups) 

Frog Prince:

Frankly, I Never Wanted to Kiss Anybody!: The Story of the Frog Prince as Told by the Frog (The Other Side of the Story)Review here

The Frog Prince, Continued (Picture Puffin)Review here

The Frog Prince Saves Sleeping Beauty (Fairy Tale Mix-ups) Review here


Goldilocks:

Goldie Socks and the Three LibeariansReview here

Goldilocks ReturnsReview here

Believe Me, Goldilocks Rocks!: The Story of the Three Bears as Told by Baby Bear (The Other Side of the Story)Review here

Henny Penny:

Brainy Bird Saves the Day!: Henny Penny Retold (Another Point of View)Review here

The House That Jack Built:

The Book that Jack Wrote Review here

Humpty Dumpty:

Humpty Dumpty Climbs AgainReview here

The Case of the Fiendish Flapjack Flop (Humpty Dumpty Jr., Hard Boiled Detective)Review here

The Crown Affair (Nursery-Rhyme Mysteries) sequel to What Really Happened to Humpty Dumpty Review here

After the Fall (How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again)Review here

The Mystery of Merlin and the Gruesome Ghost (Humpty Dumpty, Jr., Hardboiled Detective)Review here

What Really Happened to Humpty? (Nursery-Rhyme Mysteries)Review here

Who Pushed Humpty Dumpty?: And Other Notorious Nursery Tale Mysteries Review here

Jack and the Beanstalk:

Giants Have Feelings, Too: Jack and the Beanstalk Retold (Another Point of View)Review here

It's Not Jack and the Beanstalk Review here

Trust Me, Jack's Beanstalk Stinks!: The Story of Jack and the Beanstalk as Told by the Giant (The Other Side of the Story)Review here

Jack: The True Story of Jack and the Beanstalk  Chapter Book Review here

Little Boy Blue:

Detective Blue Review here

Little Red Hen:
The Little Red Hen/Help Yourself, Little Red Hen (Another Point of View)Review here

Little Red Riding Hood:

Honestly, Red Riding Hood Was Rotten!: The Story of Little Red Riding Hood as Told by the Wolf (The Other Side of the Story)Review here

Red Riding Hood Meets the Three Bears (Fairy Tale Mix-ups) Review here

Red: The True Story of Red Riding Hood Review here
Red Riding Hood Retold by Beatrix Potter not as much alternate but the original darker version of the tale
Little Red Riding Hood: An Interactive Fairy Tale Adventure (You Choose: Fractured Fairy Tales) Review here

Rapunzel:

Rapunzel's Revenge

Rumpelstiltskin:

Rump The True Story of Rumplestiltskin Chapter Book Review here

Snow White:

Seriously, Snow White Was SO Forgetful!: The Story of Snow White as Told by the Dwarves (The Other Side of the Story) Review here


Three Billy Goats Gruff:

Listen, My Bridge Is SO Cool!: The Story of the Three Billy Goats Gruff as Told by the Troll (The Other Side of the Story)

The Three Billy Goats Gruff/Just a Friendly Old Troll (Another Point of View)Review here

Three Little Pigs:
Tell the Truth, B.B. WolfReview here

Multiple Stories:

There's a Wolf at the DoorReview here

Lon Po Po A Red Riding Hood Story From China

As I was exploring multicultural Cinderella stories, I started to encounter multicultural versions of other traditional tales familiar to most American students. I decided along with reviewing them, I would make a separate list, for parents and educators who might be interested in exploring them with their children. I will post the list soon.

Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story from Chinatells a slightly different version of the tale.

In this version the mother does not send a child to visit the grandmother, but leaves three girls at home while she sets off for a visit with their grandmother, or as they call her Po Po. A wolf hearing that the children are unattended sets out to trick the children into letting him in the house so he can eat them. The wolf dons a disguise, pretends there has been a mix up, and convinces the children he is their Po Po. He tells them their mother must have taken a different route. The youngest children anxious to see their grandmother hurriedly open the door and the wolf slides by them blowing out the candle that might give away his disguise.

Even in the dark, the children realize that Po Po has some very strange characteristics and the eldest comes to realize they have a wolf on their hands. She devises a plan to rid her family of the wolf, using his own greed against him.

This is a clever version of the tale and it would be interesting to have children compare and contrast how the Chinese children and the traditional Grimm's Red Riding Hood handled the challenges presented by the wolf.

The Irish Cinderlad

The Irish Cinderlad (Trophy Picture Books (Paperback))is Shirley Climo's contribution to the multicultural tradition of Cinder lad stories.

In this story, Becan the Cinderella male character has a cruel stepmother and stepsisters who seek to remove him from his home. His father is a peddler and after his mother's death returns from one of his trips with a stepmother and three grown stepsisters who turn him out of the house and make him into a cow herder.

The locals have come to fear a speckled bull that is rumored to harm those who cross its path. In true fairy tale fashion, Becan's kind nature is rewarded. Instead of being harmed by the bull, he makes friends with it and discovers that through magic it is able to feed him daily. When his evil sisters discover his good fortune, they decide to kill his friend. The bull and Becan escape, but the bull warns Becan that his escape is only temporary. At the end of the journey, he is destined to die and his tail will provide Becan with further protections.

This is the first Cinderella tale I have encountered with a Bull as fairy godmother, but it does make for an interesting twist. The tail provides Becan with tools to increase his power and eventually save a princess. Following the traditional tale, Becan loses a boot and that is how his princess locates him to marry him.