Gina Kaminski Saves the Wolf
by Craig Barr-Green, illustrated by Francis Martin
Interest age: 4 to 5
Reading age: 6+
Published by Little Tiger, 2023
About this book
When Gina Kaminski reads Little Red Riding Hood she’s appalled at what happens in the story, such a horrible ending that could have been avoided had Little Red and the Wolf not made THREE big mistakes. Gina decides to go back into the story and help them out. It’s hard work, as the mum gives so many orders all at once, no wonder Little Red makes those mistakes! So Gina eats the cake herself, doesn’t take the short cut through the woods and throws the wolf a stick to get it off track so she can get to Granny first and save the wolf. She fixes all the mistakes.
This is a wonderful book to share with children and would be particularly good to read out to a reception class. It’s not specifically stated in the text, but the main character Gina is neurodivergent and we see her using pictorial emoji language (emoticons) with her teacher to communicate how she feels, whether it's her feelings about the hot, smelly classroom or the problematic fairy tale plot. She is a confident autistic child, determined to challenge problems and identify solutions and coping strategies. This is an ideal book to empower all children to be the hero of their own story.
A stylish, humorous and thought-provoking picture book that can help spark interesting conversations and awareness.
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