These posts are also where those of us who have read the book can hold a discussion about any events in the book. These discussions will contain spoilers.
The following post is a summary of the book. If you have not read the book, then go to my Cloaked In Red review instead.
This post does contain spoilers, so if you haven't read the book, then don't read the rest of this post!
This post does contain spoilers, so if you haven't read the book, then don't read the rest of this post!
Cloaked in Red, b Vivian Vande Velde
Release Date: October 2010
Publisher: Marshall Cavendish Children's Books
Pages: 128
My Review
Author's Page
Amazon Page
Goodreads Page
Release Date: October 2010
Publisher: Marshall Cavendish Children's Books
Pages: 128
My Review
Author's Page
Amazon Page
Goodreads Page
So you want to find out what happens in Cloaked in Red? Click here if you want to read my spoiler free review, or click the following link for the full summary:
Click me to read spoilers
Author’s Note: Explains the LRRH story, including multiple versions with various endings. Points out the absurdities of the story (how stupid Little Red was for not being able to tell the difference between her own grandmother and a wolf, naming a child after an article of clothing, etc).
The Red Cloak: Follows a girl named Meg who is shy and does not want to wear the bright red cloak her mother dyed for her. Her mother sends Meg to visit her grandmother and bring back a bowl used for stew. To avoid being seen in the cloak, Meg cuts through the woods. There, she encounters a wood cutter who decides to hold her hostage in order to get a ransom from her parents. He likely intends to kill her. Meg attracts a wolf and then tosses the stew bowl at the wood cutter. Attracted by the scent of the stew, the wolf goes after the wood cutter and traps him in a tree. Meg escapes. She is then noticed by a group of attractive boys who seem to admire her cloak. She decides having a “look-at-me-red” cloak might not be such a bad thing after all.
The Red Riding Hood Doll: Georgette is a dressmaker and a spinster who longs for a child. A disgruntled customer refuses a cloak Georgette made, and so Georgette decides to reuse the fabric. She sews into the night and creates a beautiful and very life-like doll with a long red cloak. Her mother wants to use the doll as a sample, but Georgette insists the doll is more like a child to her. Customers admire the doll and want to buy it, but Georgette refuses. Saddened, she wanders into the woods one night with her doll and falls asleep. When she wakes, she discovers the doll has been turned into a real girl, but she is not the child Georgette hoped for. A group of boys approach and begin flirting in a very unseemly manner. Georgette’s doll responds positively and runs off with the boys. Georgette decides children might be too much trouble after all and considers getting a cat instead.
Little Red Riding Hood’s Family: Roselle’s mother sprains her ankle while joking around with her family one day, so Roselle offers to go and visit her grandmother in her mother’s stead. Roselle puts on her cloak and walks through the woods to her grandmother’s house. When she arrives, she hears thuds coming from the bedroom. She goes to investigate and find her grandmother—in her wolf form—sorting through her closet looking for her shoes. Grandmother is happy to see Roselle and the reader learns that Grandmother is a werewolf, and very kind. The reader also learns that Roselle is a witch. A vampire comes into the cottage, but Roselle takes care of him with her magic by turning him into a frog before he can do anyone harm. Roselle and Grandmother then eat together.
Granny and the Wolf: Nelda is a wealthy elderly woman being courted by a wood cutter named Gladwyn. She is not at all interested in him, accurately feeling Gladwyn is only after her money. While on her way to sell tarts in the village, Nelda happens upon a female wolf caught in one of Gladwyn’s animal traps. She rescues the wolf and gives her some treats. The wolf follows Nelda back to her home and Nelda bandages her up and feeds her more treats. The two become fast friends. Nelda’s granddaughter Scarlet then comes over, but Nelda decides she must hide the wolf. Scarlet’s father is very worrisome and would not like it if Nelda had a pet wolf. She hides the wolf in her bedroom and lets Scarlet in. Scarlet wants to try on a dress Nelda is sewing for her, but the dress is in her bedroom. Nelda hides the wolf in her wardrobe and then helps Scarlet into her dress. Gladwyn then comes over and Nelda needs to hide Scarlet so Gladwyn doesn’t make comments about Nelda spending so much money on her granddaughter. She hides Scarlet under the table. The wolf begins whining and Gladwyn wonders what is going on. Nelda claims it is her grandchild ill and in bed. Gladwyn insists he see her. Nelda takes the wolf out of the wardrobe, puts her in the bed and puts a hat on her. Gladwyn is fooled, but remarks on how hairy she is. Nelda claims it is a family trait, hoping to also dissuade Gladwyn’s feelings for her in the process. Scarlet’s father then arrives, and Nelda tells Gladwyn that he must leave for her son is very protective of her and will hurt Gladwyn if he sees him. Gladwyn flees. Scarlet’s father enters and asks to borrow an ax. He then leaves. Scarlet comes out and questions Nelda on her “other grandchild.” Nelda comes clean and Scarlet, Nelda, and the wolf happily eat dinner together.
Deems the Wood Gatherer: Deems is a kind hearted but very poor-sighted wood gatherer. The story follows him as he gathers wood one day. He comes across the wolf and the three little pigs, but due to his poor eyesight he mistakes the wolf for a man. He helps the wolf break into the little pigs’ house, assuming he is helping a father get back into his home of which his children have locked him out. He then accidentally steps on the gingerbread man. He then comes across Hansel and Gretel walking through the woods with their parents. Appalled at seeing children waste food (dropping bread crumbs) he picks them up. He then brings the wood he gathered to his “kind” neighbor with a house made of candy. He remarks that she will be very happy with all of the wood he’s bringing her because she had said she is having a lot of children for dinner.
Why Willy and His Brother Won’t Ever Amount to Anything: Isolda is a young girl who happens upon a baby fox, but the fox is frightened away by her neighbor Willy who believes he is saving her from a wolf. Isolda remarks that neither Willy nor his brother will ever amount to anything because they are dreamers. Willy and his brother Jakob later “save” Isolda and her grandmother from a stuffed animal wolf. Grandmother says that those Grimm brothers will never amount to anything. The narrator states that she was right, because all they ever became were writers.
The Little Red Headache: A wolf is sleeping until a little girl in a red cloak steps on his tail. He wakes and she begins screaming, giving him a splitting headache. She runs away and leaves her basket of food behind. The wolf, trying to be nice, picks up the basket and follows her in an attempt to return her basket. She runs away screaming again. The wolf decides to go to the cottage in the woods, thinking she is probably heading there. A grandmother opens the door and screams, thinking the wolf is there to eat her. She hides in the wardrobe. Hearing the girl approaching, the wolf tries to hide in the bed. She sees him and begins screaming. Granny begins screaming again. The wolf, with a gigantic headache at this point, jumps out of bed, out the door, and leaves. He runs into a woodcutter who screams, but the wolf just keeps running.
Little Red Riding Hood’s Little Red Riding Hood: An old fairy godmother is asked to grant a gift to her goddaughter Ruby. Donning a red cloak, she goes to see the little girl, but misspeaks when granting the gift. She accidentally grants the cloak intelligence, but because she is old she is only able to do one bit of magic per day. She decides to give the cloak to the baby. The intelligent cloak mends itself, alters its colors to what Ruby is wearing, etc. Ruby, unfortunately, is pretty dumb, and so she often finds herself in trouble. Ruby encounters a wolf in the woods who wishes to eat her. The cloak attempts to help her by snagging itself on doorways to hold her back and covering her mouth to keep her from admitting she is alone, but Ruby thwarts the “stupid” cloak. The wolf masquerades as Ruby’s grandmother. The cloak throws itself on the wolf and Ruby starts screaming because the wolf “grandmother” had promised Ruby a gift. A woodcutter hears her screams and comes to help. The wolf, with the cloak still on its face, jumps out the window realizing that this is more trouble than it is worth. The cloak agrees, and slinks away out the window where it is picked up by another person. The cloak is passed down through the years until it comes to be owned by Superman.
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The Red Cloak: Follows a girl named Meg who is shy and does not want to wear the bright red cloak her mother dyed for her. Her mother sends Meg to visit her grandmother and bring back a bowl used for stew. To avoid being seen in the cloak, Meg cuts through the woods. There, she encounters a wood cutter who decides to hold her hostage in order to get a ransom from her parents. He likely intends to kill her. Meg attracts a wolf and then tosses the stew bowl at the wood cutter. Attracted by the scent of the stew, the wolf goes after the wood cutter and traps him in a tree. Meg escapes. She is then noticed by a group of attractive boys who seem to admire her cloak. She decides having a “look-at-me-red” cloak might not be such a bad thing after all.
The Red Riding Hood Doll: Georgette is a dressmaker and a spinster who longs for a child. A disgruntled customer refuses a cloak Georgette made, and so Georgette decides to reuse the fabric. She sews into the night and creates a beautiful and very life-like doll with a long red cloak. Her mother wants to use the doll as a sample, but Georgette insists the doll is more like a child to her. Customers admire the doll and want to buy it, but Georgette refuses. Saddened, she wanders into the woods one night with her doll and falls asleep. When she wakes, she discovers the doll has been turned into a real girl, but she is not the child Georgette hoped for. A group of boys approach and begin flirting in a very unseemly manner. Georgette’s doll responds positively and runs off with the boys. Georgette decides children might be too much trouble after all and considers getting a cat instead.
Little Red Riding Hood’s Family: Roselle’s mother sprains her ankle while joking around with her family one day, so Roselle offers to go and visit her grandmother in her mother’s stead. Roselle puts on her cloak and walks through the woods to her grandmother’s house. When she arrives, she hears thuds coming from the bedroom. She goes to investigate and find her grandmother—in her wolf form—sorting through her closet looking for her shoes. Grandmother is happy to see Roselle and the reader learns that Grandmother is a werewolf, and very kind. The reader also learns that Roselle is a witch. A vampire comes into the cottage, but Roselle takes care of him with her magic by turning him into a frog before he can do anyone harm. Roselle and Grandmother then eat together.
Granny and the Wolf: Nelda is a wealthy elderly woman being courted by a wood cutter named Gladwyn. She is not at all interested in him, accurately feeling Gladwyn is only after her money. While on her way to sell tarts in the village, Nelda happens upon a female wolf caught in one of Gladwyn’s animal traps. She rescues the wolf and gives her some treats. The wolf follows Nelda back to her home and Nelda bandages her up and feeds her more treats. The two become fast friends. Nelda’s granddaughter Scarlet then comes over, but Nelda decides she must hide the wolf. Scarlet’s father is very worrisome and would not like it if Nelda had a pet wolf. She hides the wolf in her bedroom and lets Scarlet in. Scarlet wants to try on a dress Nelda is sewing for her, but the dress is in her bedroom. Nelda hides the wolf in her wardrobe and then helps Scarlet into her dress. Gladwyn then comes over and Nelda needs to hide Scarlet so Gladwyn doesn’t make comments about Nelda spending so much money on her granddaughter. She hides Scarlet under the table. The wolf begins whining and Gladwyn wonders what is going on. Nelda claims it is her grandchild ill and in bed. Gladwyn insists he see her. Nelda takes the wolf out of the wardrobe, puts her in the bed and puts a hat on her. Gladwyn is fooled, but remarks on how hairy she is. Nelda claims it is a family trait, hoping to also dissuade Gladwyn’s feelings for her in the process. Scarlet’s father then arrives, and Nelda tells Gladwyn that he must leave for her son is very protective of her and will hurt Gladwyn if he sees him. Gladwyn flees. Scarlet’s father enters and asks to borrow an ax. He then leaves. Scarlet comes out and questions Nelda on her “other grandchild.” Nelda comes clean and Scarlet, Nelda, and the wolf happily eat dinner together.
Deems the Wood Gatherer: Deems is a kind hearted but very poor-sighted wood gatherer. The story follows him as he gathers wood one day. He comes across the wolf and the three little pigs, but due to his poor eyesight he mistakes the wolf for a man. He helps the wolf break into the little pigs’ house, assuming he is helping a father get back into his home of which his children have locked him out. He then accidentally steps on the gingerbread man. He then comes across Hansel and Gretel walking through the woods with their parents. Appalled at seeing children waste food (dropping bread crumbs) he picks them up. He then brings the wood he gathered to his “kind” neighbor with a house made of candy. He remarks that she will be very happy with all of the wood he’s bringing her because she had said she is having a lot of children for dinner.
Why Willy and His Brother Won’t Ever Amount to Anything: Isolda is a young girl who happens upon a baby fox, but the fox is frightened away by her neighbor Willy who believes he is saving her from a wolf. Isolda remarks that neither Willy nor his brother will ever amount to anything because they are dreamers. Willy and his brother Jakob later “save” Isolda and her grandmother from a stuffed animal wolf. Grandmother says that those Grimm brothers will never amount to anything. The narrator states that she was right, because all they ever became were writers.
The Little Red Headache: A wolf is sleeping until a little girl in a red cloak steps on his tail. He wakes and she begins screaming, giving him a splitting headache. She runs away and leaves her basket of food behind. The wolf, trying to be nice, picks up the basket and follows her in an attempt to return her basket. She runs away screaming again. The wolf decides to go to the cottage in the woods, thinking she is probably heading there. A grandmother opens the door and screams, thinking the wolf is there to eat her. She hides in the wardrobe. Hearing the girl approaching, the wolf tries to hide in the bed. She sees him and begins screaming. Granny begins screaming again. The wolf, with a gigantic headache at this point, jumps out of bed, out the door, and leaves. He runs into a woodcutter who screams, but the wolf just keeps running.
Little Red Riding Hood’s Little Red Riding Hood: An old fairy godmother is asked to grant a gift to her goddaughter Ruby. Donning a red cloak, she goes to see the little girl, but misspeaks when granting the gift. She accidentally grants the cloak intelligence, but because she is old she is only able to do one bit of magic per day. She decides to give the cloak to the baby. The intelligent cloak mends itself, alters its colors to what Ruby is wearing, etc. Ruby, unfortunately, is pretty dumb, and so she often finds herself in trouble. Ruby encounters a wolf in the woods who wishes to eat her. The cloak attempts to help her by snagging itself on doorways to hold her back and covering her mouth to keep her from admitting she is alone, but Ruby thwarts the “stupid” cloak. The wolf masquerades as Ruby’s grandmother. The cloak throws itself on the wolf and Ruby starts screaming because the wolf “grandmother” had promised Ruby a gift. A woodcutter hears her screams and comes to help. The wolf, with the cloak still on its face, jumps out the window realizing that this is more trouble than it is worth. The cloak agrees, and slinks away out the window where it is picked up by another person. The cloak is passed down through the years until it comes to be owned by Superman.
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