- Picture Books
- Ages 4–7
- Fairy Tales
Little Red
Book 1 of 4 in Rebel FairytalesView the full series
Bethan Woollvin's Little Red is not like other Little Red Riding Hoods. She isn't scared of the wolf. She isn't even particularly bothered. A sharply funny, boldly illustrated feminist retelling that subverts the classic with wit, darkness, and a deeply satisfying twist.
- Best for4–7
- FormatPicture
- Length40 pp
- Read aloud~8 min
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Conversational
- Comedic
- Literary
Tone
- Funny
- Dark
- Silly
- Irreverent
- Thought provoking
- Absurdist
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
In Woollvin's telling, the wolf has the usual plan, but Little Red is not the usual girl. Rendered in a striking limited palette of red, black, and cream, with bold graphic lines and expressions that communicate volumes, Little Red doesn't run, doesn't scream, and doesn't wait to be rescued. The book works on multiple levels: it's funny in a way children feel immediately, it's visually distinctive in a way that rewards close looking, and it carries a genuine subversive charge that adults enjoy as much as children. Woollvin's art style is immediately recognisable, flat, graphic, slightly menacing, with a deadpan humour built into every pose and expression. The twist is earned, telegraphed just enough that sharp readers see it coming, and delightful either way. A landmark of the feminist fairytale picture book genre, and the book that launched one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary picture books.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
- 1
- 3
- 5
- 7
- 9
- 11
- 13
- Best fit · 4–7
- Read aloud · 4–8
- Independent · 6–8
Prose load
Light
Visual support
Very high
Reluctant-reader friendly
Workable
Read-aloud quality
Excellent
Works well for
- Reading aloud
- Reading together
- Gift-buying
Preview before sharing if a child is sensitive to: scary imagery, violence.
Bedtime suitability
2 / 5 · Better outside bedtime
Sensitive-child
2 / 5 · Use judgement
Graphic intensity
3 / 5 · Some
Best for
- Stunning illustrations
- Feminist retelling
- Discussion starter
- Gift book
- Award winner
Avoid if
No common reasons to avoid this one — a rare clean sweep on the sensitivity flags.
Particularly good for children who are…
- Low self esteem
- Interested in art and creativity
- Anxiety and worry
In the classroom
How it works in school.
Bold, witty fairy-tale retellings with fearless heroines — great read-alouds for talking about fairness and stereotypes, and a fresh angle on traditional tales.
A book children love that happens to support school — never a stand-in for the texts a class is taught with. Reviewed for the classroom · June 2026.
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
The specific delight is Little Red being unbothered — the wolf with the usual plan, the girl with no fear at all, the bold red-and-black palette making the menace funnier. The picture book that lets a four-year-old root for the girl handling herself.
- Trickery and cleverness
- Being special or chosen
- Revenge on adults
- Adventure and freedom
Why parents love it
The Bethan Woollvin debut and a landmark of the feminist-fairytale picture book — Little Red unimpressed, the wolf outmatched, the twist earned. Striking limited palette. The book that launched one of the most distinctive picture-book voices working today.
- Shared humour
- Beautiful illustrations
- Conversation starter
- Great writing
In the series
Rebel Fairytales.
4 books · open the series →
About the author & illustrator
Bethan Woollvin.
If you liked this
Three ways out of this book.
If you liked this, try…
Lateral matches. Same shelf, different texture.
Come into this from…
Easier or preparing reads — perfect lead-ins.
Where to go next…
Escalation reads — a step up in scale, silliness, or stakes.
More like this…
Books that share themes and topics with this one.
Buy or borrow
Pick up a copy.
- Bookshop.org ↗
- Waterstones ↗
- Amazon UK ↗
- Hive ↗
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