Red and the City

Red sets off to visit Grandma accompanied by her dog Woody and carrying a cake and advice from her mother to follow the path marked by heart flowers. Her path to Grandma’s house takes her through an urban forest with many temptations to diverge from the path until she becomes lost. The faithful Woody awakens her and Red is able to find the right path again. At first glance this picture book may look as though it is for young children due to the way Red is characterised in the illustrations and the brief text. However, closer examination reveals a sophisticated and thoughtful book in which readers need to know the traditional tale and how to read the integral illustrations. In particular, the wolf is a constant presence although not mentioned in the words.