Jerry Pinkney

I chose to read Jerry Pinkney's retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. The watercolor illustrations are easily identifiable as Pinkney's because of the soft detail with which he paints African American girls. I think this is the first time I have ever seen this fairy tale depicted in winter scenes,but I liked the contrast of the red cape and the white snow. It may also be the first time I've seen the dead wolf lying limp in the grandmother's bed at the end, but I do appreciate the shred of realism here. After all, I have read some versions in which the the wolf spits the grandmother out and runs off at the end, which is highly unlikely. On the other hand, it's obviously unlikely that when the wolf is sliced open, the grandmother and Red Riding Hood will come out unscathed, but it is, after all, a fairy tale. Pinkney has done a wonderful job taking a traditional European tale and giving it a new flavor, even though he keeps the plot intact.
I also like Pinkney's illustrations in San Souci's picture book The Talking Eggs, and his pictures for Mildred Taylor's novels. A great place to see the covers of the books Pinkney has illustrated is the Artcyclopedia website, http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/pinkney_jerry.html.