Happy New Year! I am excited to participate in Bit About Books 2021 Winter Reading Challenge. Special thanks to Kathie MacIsaac for creating the challenge and hosting with Laurie Hnatiuk on their Bit About Books blog. The prompts have given me the opportunity to prioritize reading middle grade books that have been on my TBR list as well as upcoming 2021 releases. Thanks to the generosity of authors, publishers, and publicists, I am very fortunate to have the opportunity to read and review some novels before they are published. If you would like to learn more about the Bit About Books reading challenge which runs from January 1st-March 31st, click here.
The Prompts:
My Choices:
- Read any book of your choice (5 points): We Dream of Space by Erin Entrada Kelly (May 2020)
- Read a book with 100-200 pages (10 points): Some Place More Than Others by Renée Watson (September 2019)
- Read a book with one word in the title (10 points): Allergic by Meghan Wagner Lloyd Illustrated by Michelle Mee Nutter (March 2021)
- Read an author’s debut book (10 points): The Gilded Girl by Alyssa Colman (April 2021)
- Read a book with an animal main character (15 points): The Hedgehog of Oz by Cory Leonardo (February 2021)
- Read a book that has a direction in the title (15 points): Almost There and Almost Not by Linda Urban (April 2021)
- Read a book published in 2021 (15 points): The Magical Imperfect by Chris Baron (June 2021)
- Read a book set in a country that is not where you currently live (20 points): A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus (February 2021)
- Read a book that’s won an award (20 points): Other Words From Home by Jasmine Wargas (May 2019)
- Read a book with a person’s first or last name in the title (20 points): Lily’s Promise by Kathryn Erskine (May 2021)
- Read two books by the same author (30 points): I Can Make a Promise (October 2019) & Sea in Winter (January 2021) by Christine Day
Bella and I look forward to sharing our progress and reviews!
Like Jack, Gretel, and Hansel (#girlpower Gretel), Red does questions some of the narrator’s directions remarking “You’re sending a child carrying a giant basket, into the woods, ALL ALONE? After the narrator answers with a simple yes, Red agrees stating “You’re in charge!” But I wonder for how long?
Well, not long because on the very next page spread, Red is now wearing her little sister’s blue cape to Grandma’s. And on her way to Grandma’s, she meets up with the Big Bad Wolf…wait…I mean..Captain Hook. It turns out the the wolf is sick which does not make the narrator happy.
Still trusting, Red continues following the narrator’s directions as she journeys to Grandma’s but Captain Hook is not feeling it. “I did not agree to people–eatin,” he says. Pirates are all about stealing loot which is why he continually conflicts with the narrator. When Red finally gets to Grandma’s, you can imagine the antics that ensue especially when Pinocchio fills in for the woodsman to rescue her from the Big Bad Wolf…oops..Captain Hook. And it’s NOT a Funk & Taylor fairy tale unless a character opens a restaurant serving fairy tale creatures.
I am always smiling and laughing after reading Funk and Taylor’s hilarious parody of a classic fairy tale. One of the highlights was the lively exchanges between Red and the narrator because he always told the truth and while she questioned his directions, she was still willing to follow them. What I also loved about It’s Not Little Red Riding Hood is the decision to have other fairy tale characters stand in the original characters. Captain Hook acted like himself, not the Wolf which made the story more humorous and a more fun read aloud.
Last November, the second grade class I read to for #classroombookaday, had the immense pleasure of hosting Josh Funk for an author visit where we not only got a sneak peek at It’s Not Little Red Riding Hood, but also Josh, the classroom teacher, and me engaged in a reader’s theater of taking on the voices of the narrator, Red, and Captain Hook which was such fun. I mean, come on…who doesn’t want to talk like a pirate?
I am in awe of Funk’s witty and playful writing and Taylor’s bold and engaging illustrations literally leap off the page. And kids love searching for cameos of other fairy tale characters throughout the book. Kids always ask which fairy tale will be next in the series as do I. My fingers (and Bella’s paws) are crossed that there are more It’s Not a Fairytale adventures to come!
About the Author:
Like the characters in his books, Josh Funk doesn’t like being told how stories should go—so he writes his own. He is the author of many popular picture books, including the popular Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast series, illustrated by Brendan Kearney, and the It’s Not a Fairytale books, illustrated by Edwardian Taylor. He lives in New England with his family. Learn more about him at 
It’s Not a Fairytale Series Giveaway!
Two Lions is offering all three books in the It’s Not a Fairytale series–It’s Not Jack and the Beanstalk, It’s Not Hansel and Gretel, and It’s Not Little Red Riding Hood to one lucky winner (U.S. addresses). Giveaway begins Friday, October 23, 2020 and ends at 10 p.m. Friday, October 30, 2020. You can enter below or retweet my Twitter post.
Beagles & Books 