Also by Joan Holub: Little Red Writing   Also illustrated and/or written by Melissa Sweet: A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin Hanukkah Lights Carmine: A Little More Red Christmas Tree The Sleepy Little Alphabet: A Bedtime Story from Alphabet Town Won't You Be My Kissaroo? Won't You Be My Hugaroo? Charlotte in Paris Little Red Writing by Joan Holub, illustrated by Melissa Sweet Ages 4-8 36 pages Chronicle September 2013 Hardcover     Author Joan Holub (Knuckleheads) adds pencils and wordplay to the “Little Red Riding Hood” story. Ms. 2’s assignment for her class is to write a story. Little Red’s basket of words (scissors, stop, dynamite) helps her write a story about bravery. In it, she defeats the “grumpiest, growliest, grindingest pencil sharpener ever made” and rescues Principal Granny. Clever wordplay appears throughout the pencil and ink illustrations. Students celebrate Pencil Pollock outside Mr. Doodles’ room, and “Peter Pencil” is being presented in the theater. “Wright Brothers” become “Write Brothers,” and dinosaurs become “dinothepencilus.” Illustrator Melissa Sweet (A River of Words) adds several pencil accessories to the page as well. The erasers on the characters’ heads match their names: Birthday pencil has a party eraser on his head, and another pencil wears a rubber grip around his waist. I wouldn’t read this book aloud to a group of students because of its layout, but this entertaining (and informative) fractured fairy tale will surely have English and language arts teachers talking.     web reviews   Tanya Boudreau/2013 for curled up with a good kid's book   For grown-up fiction, nonfiction and speculative fiction book reviews, visit our sister site Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)