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A review by jecoats
Ninja Red Riding Hood by Corey Rosen Schwartz
3.0
I found this book while browsing the Chicago Public Library website. As far as I can find, this picturebook has won no awards. I checked out a digital copy to read.
First, I want to mention that this picturebook is silly. And not in the charming way that Frizzy (a graphic novel I reviewed for diverse perspective literature) or other stories can be silly. This is as cartoonish (if not more so) than a Looney Tunes cartoon or an episode of Tom and Jerry. Similar to those types of cartoons, this picture is on the violent side. There are nearly 7 pages that depict Little Red beating up the Wolf. Now, I'm not opposed to the depiction of violence, and I actually appreciate the depiction of Little Red Riding Hood as a strong female that can hold her own against a threat. But, I found that I kept asking myself "who is this book for?" It's too silly to be for adults, and I don't think young children would appreciate the subversion of expectations when Little Red leaps into action (although that could be bias speaking - maybe I'm not giving young readers enough credit). I think young girls might get a lot out of seeing a young girl become the action hero in a story. But overall, I'm unsure who the target audience is for this picturebook.
I do take some issue with what seems to be cultural appropriation of ninjitsu and tai chi. The writer, Corey Rosen Schwartz, is not of any Asian or Pacific Islander descent from what I could find. However, artist Dan Santat is the son of Thai immigrants. This at least gives the picturebook some authenticity, but only a tiny bit. The illustrations are free from stereotyped or racist exaggerations and are overall quite lovely. Santat makes great use of dark and light tones throughout, and the cartoonish nature of his illustrations fits the tone of the text story quite well. That said, I'm torn over how to feel about the picturebook. Is it cultural appropriation when the author seems to have no ties to the Asian/Pacific Islander community? Or does having a Thai artist mitigate the harm that such a book could potentially do to its audience?
First, I want to mention that this picturebook is silly. And not in the charming way that Frizzy (a graphic novel I reviewed for diverse perspective literature) or other stories can be silly. This is as cartoonish (if not more so) than a Looney Tunes cartoon or an episode of Tom and Jerry. Similar to those types of cartoons, this picture is on the violent side. There are nearly 7 pages that depict Little Red beating up the Wolf. Now, I'm not opposed to the depiction of violence, and I actually appreciate the depiction of Little Red Riding Hood as a strong female that can hold her own against a threat. But, I found that I kept asking myself "who is this book for?" It's too silly to be for adults, and I don't think young children would appreciate the subversion of expectations when Little Red leaps into action (although that could be bias speaking - maybe I'm not giving young readers enough credit). I think young girls might get a lot out of seeing a young girl become the action hero in a story. But overall, I'm unsure who the target audience is for this picturebook.
I do take some issue with what seems to be cultural appropriation of ninjitsu and tai chi. The writer, Corey Rosen Schwartz, is not of any Asian or Pacific Islander descent from what I could find. However, artist Dan Santat is the son of Thai immigrants. This at least gives the picturebook some authenticity, but only a tiny bit. The illustrations are free from stereotyped or racist exaggerations and are overall quite lovely. Santat makes great use of dark and light tones throughout, and the cartoonish nature of his illustrations fits the tone of the text story quite well. That said, I'm torn over how to feel about the picturebook. Is it cultural appropriation when the author seems to have no ties to the Asian/Pacific Islander community? Or does having a Thai artist mitigate the harm that such a book could potentially do to its audience?