The Red Hen

The father and daughter Emberley duo bring the well-loved story of the Little Red Hen to life once again. Such an eye-popping rendition of this familiar baking tale needs an accompanying ear-popping audio. Walter Mayes is just the narrator for the job. He enthusiastically slides up and down his register, giving voice to a hopeful and boisterous Little Red Hen and a deep-ribbeting Frog. He s-l-o-w-s as the cat and rat drag out their Ònot I'sÓ and speeds as the Little Red Hen proclaims, ÒDo it myself!Ó Jaunty music and a recipe for Òsimply splendid cakeÓ complete the recording. Young listeners will return again and again to this satisfying listening package. A.R. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

October 4, 2010
As they did in Chicken Little (2009), the Emberleys present a stylish take on a well-known fable. Shapes and colors collide playfully in hyperbolic collages—the animals' crazed, mismatched eyes alone should elicit giggles. Finding a recipe for "simply splendid cake," the hen thinks, "This would be a treat for all of us." The story unravels simply and traditionally, with the baker seeking help from the lazy lookers-on—a cat, rat, and frog. Still, the Emberleys inject humor of their own into the retelling: while the cat and rat answer with the expected "Not I," the spotted amphibian offers a "Bribbit" each time. The visual pièce de résistance is the finished confection, festively decorated (by guess who) with flowers, stars, and garlands of frosting. Along the way, the Emberleys hint at the hen's growing irritation ("She pretty much knew what was coming..."), which culminates in her eating the cake with help from her perky black chicks. A cake recipe caps off this capricious rendition—wise readers will remember the story well if mom and dad ask for help baking. Ages 3–7.