There is an interesting place in the sky called Wololand. That’s where the Wolols live: Wola, Caco, Tato, Weva and Cowee. While Wola and Weva are making cupcakes, Coca is dancing to music and Tato is trying to decide what magic he can conjure with the WoBox. He decides to recreate a popular children’s fairy tale, Little Red Riding Hood. One Wolol volunteers to be a pink Riding Hood while another decides to be Grandpa instead of Grandma. There’s also a wolf to make the story complete. The Wolols act out their story and have lots of fun recreating the story and using their own imaginations.

Maria Vergara’s picture book story, Little Pink Riding Hood, is actually partially written by the Wolols themselves. The plot is well developed, using simple language that will help young readers with their reading skills. The story is intended to inspire young people to be imaginative – the magic in the WoBox is really the magic inside each of the youngsters and that magic is imagination and creativity. The Wolols play well together, they’re kind, caring, forgiving and they share their toys and their ideas. At the end of the book, the young reader is encouraged to use their own imagination to create a story-acting fun adventure. There is also a link to the Wolol website where young readers can find more imaginative ideas, including interactive play activities and crafting. This is a great book to inspire young readers to be imaginative and creative, all while having fun.

Little Pink Riding Hood by Maria Vergara is a twist on the classic children’s story. First, the book introduces the characters, who are these adorable egg-shaped people going about their daily activities. We see Wola and Weva baking, Caco dancing, and Tato having an idea. While looking through the “WOBOX,” Tato is inspired to perform a story. The friends gather around and decide to make costumes and reimagine Little Red Riding Hood. They call their robot friend, Cowee, to help them and they get to work. This version of Little Red Riding Hood is unlike any that I have read. There are a unicorn and healthy smoothies along with a handful of cute surprises.

In Little Pink Riding Hood, author Maria Vergara highlights a number of valuable lessons relatable to young children. Learning from one another and working together are repeated throughout the book. I also appreciated that healthy tips were included, like making a smoothie and that too many sweet cupcakes could give you cavities. The story is very simple and light. For parents that aren’t comfortable with the violence in the original version; this is a friendly alternative. I would recommend this book to be read to young preschoolers but it might also be appropriate for young readers. I like the way the book switches from narrative to almost a script as the characters perform their play. My favorite part of the book was when it prompts the reader to close their eyes and imagine the pretend play.