Pretty Salma

Pretty Salma is a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood set in Ghana. The story follows young Salma as she ventures to the market to buy ingredients for her grandmother. On her journey through the streets of her West African town, Salma encounters Mr. Dog, who attempts to deceive her. The vibrant illustrations capture the bustling marketplace, traditional clothing, and daily life in Ghana. This picture book incorporates cultural elements from Ghana while maintaining the cautionary essence of the classic fairy tale. Through its fresh perspective and setting, the story explores universal themes of safety, trust, and the importance of following parental guidance.

Readers appreciate this African retelling of Little Red Riding Hood for its cultural elements and vibrant illustrations. Parents and teachers note the book works well for teaching children about stranger danger while incorporating African clothing, settings, and characters. Many reviews mention the book's effectiveness in classroom comparisons with other versions of Little Red Riding Hood. Teachers report students engage with the different cultural perspective. Some readers found the story too frightening for very young children, particularly the scenes with the antagonist. A few reviews noted the ending felt abrupt. Ratings: Goodreads: 4.0/5 (437 ratings) Amazon: 4.6/5 (31 ratings) Common review quotes: "The illustrations capture the bustling market scenes perfectly" - Goodreads reviewer "My students loved comparing this to traditional Red Riding Hood" - Teacher on Amazon "The African setting adds depth to a familiar tale" - School Library Journal review

Little Red Riding Hood by Jerry Pinkney. A young girl's journey through the woods unfolds with African American characters and cultural elements woven into the classic tale.

Lon Po Po by Ed Young. Three Chinese sisters face a wolf who pretends to be their grandmother in this retelling of Red Riding Hood from Chinese folklore.

The Wolf's Story by Toby Forward. The wolf presents his version of what happened with Little Red Riding Hood, creating a new perspective on the traditional tale.

Red Riding Hood Stories Around the World by Jessica Gunderson. Red Riding Hood tales from Germany, China, Armenia, and Italy showcase how different cultures tell this story.

Pretty Princess Pig by Jane Yolen. A pig prepares for a party while ignoring warnings from her grandmother in this story about choices and consequences.

🌟 The story is a modern African retelling of the classic Little Red Riding Hood tale, set in Ghana 🌍 Author Niki Daly visited Ghana to research and sketch the vibrant market scenes that appear in the book's illustrations 👗 The traditional Ghanaian clothing depicted in the book includes kente cloth patterns, which are sacred to the Akan people and each have specific meanings 🎨 Daly both wrote and illustrated the book, using his signature watercolor style to capture the bustling energy of a West African marketplace 🦁 In this version, the wolf is replaced by a dog named Mr. Dog, reflecting how different cultures adapt fairy tales to include animals familiar to their region