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Petite Rouge Riding Hood gives a clever Cajun twist to the classic story of Little Red Riding Hood. Have fun digging into the book with this book companion!
In Petite Rouge, the young girl is replaced by a spunky duck and the wolf by a conniving crocodile. When Petite Rouge’s grand-mére gets sick, her mother instructs her to take grand-mére some gumbo. Along the way, as in the traditional story, we meet Claude the alligator. As the story continues on, kids will be laughing aloud as the events unfold.
Petite Rouge Riding Hood Printables
Let me start out by saying that this is a book you’ll need to practice reading aloud. The author, Mike Artell, does a fine job of sticking with a Cajun dialect throughout the story. I was able to read it aloud, but it was slow going the first time I did. The good thing is that the text is rhyming and sing-songy so it goes a bit easier after you get into the right rhythm.
Learn About the Illustrator
Kids might enjoy getting a peek into Jim Harris’ website which describes his process in deciding what kind of animal Petite Rouge would be.
Explore the Story in a Variety of Ways
• Read the story aloud to your students. Afterwards, compare and contrast it with a more traditional version of Little Red Riding Hood. You can find a whole list of Little Red Riding Hood variations here.
• Watch a video retelling of the story. I love hearing someone else read this text.
A Few More Cultural Versions of Little Red Riding Hood
Activities and Projects
• Use the glossary at the beginning of the book to discuss some of the Cajun vocabulary words encountered in this story.
• Discuss stranger danger, wild animals, or how to take care of a sick relative.
• Talk about the Cajun lifestyle – the way they talk, the unique foods they eat, their celebrations (Mardi Gras, etc.)
Grab Your Printables
This set of Petite Rouge Riding Hood printables is the perfect follow up to your story time. In this pack, you’ll find the following activities based on the book, Petite Rouge.
• Venn diagram – Readers will compare and contrast Petite Rouge and Little Red Riding Hood.
• Comparing Story Elements – Readers will compare specific story elements from Little Red Riding Hood and Petite Rouge.
• Vocabulary – In this pack, you’ll find vocabulary cards for 9 French/Cajun words. There is also a matching page where students will match the French word to the English word.
• Drawing Page – Students will think about, and draw, what type of animal they think would make a great Petite Rouge.
• Story Elements – Students will fill out the story elements information.
• Fantasy vs. Reality – What elements from the story are fantasy and reality? Fill in the T-chart.
• Writing Prompt – If I met a gator in a swamp…
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