This modern take on Little Red Riding Hood has artistic Mahogany sewing her own red patchwork cape to wear across the woods to G-Ma's house with a plate of honey cornbread hot from the oven. Of course, she meets a wolf on the way who gobbles down the cornbread and steals her cape, then tries to fool G-Ma. Mahogany, and her G-Ma are not fooled by wolves, however, and creatively solve the wolf problem.

This was an interesting retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, but instead she's carrying cornbread, and is known for her sewing skills. Mahogany is a fun and daring little kid, and she managed to outsmart the wily wolf in a new and interesting way.

Thank you Netgalley and the Publisher for an eARC version of this novel! Opinions are my own.

Mahogany is a wonderful retelling of little red riding hood, which every young girl should read. JaNay Brown-Wood shows that even classic characters need not be victim, and can instead use their wit, cleverness, and skills. This fun story is accompanied by wonderful illustrations by John Joven.

Such a great twist on a classic fairytale! Loved the non-traditional ending and was very engaging. Illustrations are beautifully illustrated.

A strong picture book for pushing kids towards longer readers and chapter books, with more complex sentences and descriptions. For example, "the woods were quiet, except for the soft song of the wind blowing through the trees". A part of me wishes that the illustrations were paired directly with the words on the page (such as putting the sign that Mahogany makes on the page that mentions she made a sign) but that's a very small thing. Follows the traditional rhythm of a red riding hood tale with an admirable young character.

I am ALL about this take of Little Red Riding Hood featuring a brown character! YASSS! Couldn’t figure out how all of a sudden the girl’s music stopped in the woods but no biggie.

My 3 year old and I absolutely loved this story! The pictures were cute and the diversity shown in this book is beautiful. We loved it so much!

A retelling of little red riding hood. It was a cute tale. I loved that art and the story. My five year especially enjoyed it and I had to read and reread it.

Mahogany: A Little Red Riding Hood Tale
by JaNay Brown-Wood

A multi cultural retelling of little red riding hood. Little red is capable, intelligent, kind and very practical. But using her interests and skills not only did she make her own cloak, but a fashion staple for her g-ma.
Her practical skills allow her to show ingenuity and brilliance.
She also rocks out to music. Notices nature, and is her own hero. Its an culturally affirming story allowing children to see themselves in their stories

I received an electronic ARC from Charlesbridge through NetGalley.
Mahogany is an artist with fabric and creates her own red cape. Her mom wants her to get outside and enjoy the day so has her take fresh cornbread to her grandmother. Readers will recognize the basics of Little Red Riding Hood as she leaves home and takes her basket through the woods to see her grandma. We even see the wolf attempt to trick her. I appreciate the ways Brown-Wood changes the plot to empower Mahogany and make her grandmother bold too. A modernized version that encourages girls to think and problem solve.

My littles and I love finding new twists on classic stories. With this fun adventure we did just that. This was an adorable and fun twist on Little Red Riding Hood. In this story our girl is Mahogany who is full of life, not shy, loves music and loves to sew. While on her way to Grandma’s with cornbread she encounters the hungry wolf. Mahogany is clever and hides using her black curly hair to blend with branches and her ebony skin to blend with the shadows. Her uniqueness and her own set of skills help to save her. What a great new look at this classic story. She isn’t afraid to stand up for herself and uses her mind and cleverness to save herself. We loved this story. I can’t wait for my little girl, who is 1, grow up and see how amazing this story is. The playful and fun illustrations by John Joven are so creative in adding to the fun of this story. The ending is our favorite, but we don’t wanna spoil the adventure for you. Enjoy the adventure with your family. It is also perfect for early learning classrooms to share.

This Red Riding Hood knows what's up! It was so nice to read a retelling that didn't leave me annoyed with the main characters' poor decision-making. Mahogany is clever and uses her wits to outsmart the wolf before he can cause too much trouble.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Mohogany is a vibrant and fun alternative to the Red Riding Hood I grew up with. I love that young Black and Brown people can see themselves in this “classic” story. Mohogany is a creative and brave child, and the story is easy to follow with beautiful and colorful illustrations. In this modern retelling, where anything is possible, I only wish the story went beyond good and bad binaries. I try to teach my daughter that there aren’t good and bad people, only good and bad decisions. That as Bryan Stevenson says, we are more than the worst thing we have ever done.

Mahogany is a wonderful contemporary retelling of Little Red Riding Hood perfect for the children of today. The gorgeous illustrations and the focus on Mahogany's strengths make this the perfect picture book to teach young people about stranger danger and the importance of not second guessing yourself.

Very fun retelling of Red Riding Hood. This was changed just enough to be a slightly different story, but held firm in it's route.
Great illustrations and story.

A clever retelling of Little Red Riding Hood with a Black family. My daughters liked that the girl was smart enough to not trust the wolf and was clever in out-smarting him. We also loved the way Mohogany’s hair is drawn. It’s a relatively simple zigzag but makes for a beautiful effect. My daughters did not like that the mom sends her daughter into the woods,.. ARC from NetGalley

This is a new take on an old classic introducing us to Mahogany, the music loving, sewing, weaving little girl who is tasked with delivering cornbread to her grandmother. The story sticks closely to the original, but has just enough twist to be included with other reimagined classics that celebrate diversity.

⭐️⭐️

Mahogany attempts to offer a contemporary twist on the classic Little Red Riding Hood, incorporating elements of Black culture into the narrative. While the intention to celebrate diversity is evident, the execution falls prey to clichés and predictable stereotypes.

The character of Mahogany, though described as spunky, seems to be defined more by cultural attributes than individual personality traits. The reliance on her "ebony skin" merging with shadows and the lavender scent of her skin as a camouflage feels more like a superficial attempt to romanticize cultural features than a genuine exploration of the character's depth.

The plot, while claiming to be innovative, follows a well-worn path with little deviation from the original Little Red Riding Hood story. The elements of Mahogany's "Blackness" and sewing skills saving her feel forced and formulaic, reducing the potential for a truly fresh and inventive retelling.

The writing, though descriptive, sometimes veers into heavy-handedness, emphasizing cultural markers at the expense of a nuanced narrative. The celebration of Black culture becomes more of a checklist than an authentic exploration, missing an opportunity to delve into the complexities and richness of the character's identity.

In the end, Mahogany falls short of delivering on its promise of a clever and refreshing retelling. The reliance on stereotypes and a plot that sticks too closely to the original story limit its potential for truly innovative storytelling. While the intention to celebrate diversity is commendable, a more nuanced and thoughtful approach is needed to create a truly impactful and authentic narrative.

This is a reimagining of 'Little Red Riding Hood'. Usually, I allow my niece to read the story before bedtime and we discuss it while winding down. However, since this a rough, advance copy, I read the book to my niece.

Mahogany is tasked with taking some food to her grandmother's house for dinner. However, along the way she encounters a wolf. She has to use quick thinking and her surroundings to escape. She uses those same skills to help her grandmother overcome the wolf's manipulative behavior.

The story reinforces the ideas that kids need to be aware of there surroundings, follow directions, and be weary of strangers.

My niece said she enjoyed the story.

FYI: ARC

Now that’s what I call a good retelling! It will give confidence on how little girls learn to escape predators and learn some basic life saving skills early on.

I find the story so good and fun to read. The artwork works perfectly!

Thank you, Charlesbridge, for the advance reading copy.