Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

A child’s love soothes even the most savage heart in this revisionist version of the classic fairy tale. On the way to Great-Grandpa’s house, Little Red (short for Redmond Jasper Jones)—attired in red overalls, shoes, and cap—frequently runs into Fred, a large gray wolf who’s positively salivating over the possibility of a juicy meal. Little Red’s delighted to see Fred (the child dubs him the “coolest, biggest, fluffiest…KITTY in the whole wild world”); Fred’s just as happy to see Little Red, but for entirely different reasons. Fred’s constantly setting traps for Little Red, which the unaware child somehow manages to sidestep at the last minute. When temperatures plummet, Fred is injured while attempting to snare Little Red, so the child takes him to Great-Grandpa’s house. There, the youngster learns Fred is not a cat; bespectacled Great-Grandpa points out that Fred is in fact…a dog. Close enough? With plentiful meals and treats and a toasty bed, Fred is unsure whether his benefactor is a friend or food, but he decides to go along with it. Belote’s snappy text mines great humor from the gulf between Little Red’s trusting attitude and Fred’s clearly nefarious intentions; youngsters will derive great satisfaction from seeing what Little Red so obviously misses. The exaggerated art is filled with hijinks; the near misses will remind many adults of the Roadrunner and Coyote cartoons. Little Red is brown-skinned; Great-Grandpa is pale-skinned. A meaty tale of unlikely friendship.(Picture book. 4-7) Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

School Library Journal
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PreS-Gr 1—Young Redmond Jasper Jones, aka Little Red, loves his seasonal visits with Great-Grandpa, but the real excitement of the journey is seeing his friend, Fred. Red insists Fred is the biggest, fluffiest kitty in the whole wide world. From ambushes to sabotage, Fred—more Muppet than menace—pops up each season with a new sinister surprise pulled straight from the Wile E. Coyote playbook. But when Fred bumps his head and Red rushes for help, Great-Grandpa offers a surprising correction: "That's not a kitty—that's a dog!" Belote offers a lighthearted, low-stakes remix of the Red Riding Hood story, centered on a single running gag delivered with sincerity and charm. The first-person narration is playful and direct, with repeated refrains and seasonal shifts adding structure. While the plot is thin and the identity reveal has little impact, the absurdity and visual humor are likely to hit the mark with young listeners. The digital illustrations are bold and friendly, with expressive characters and cozy, colorful settings. Fred's oversized frame and big-eyed reactions provide visual humor, while a final moment of nighttime comfort adds warmth. Little Red is depicted with brown skin; Great-Grandpa has pale skin. VERDICT A sweet and silly twist on a classic tale, with preschool-friendly pacing and a heartwarming bond at its center. A whimsically absurd love letter to childhood imagination and animal companionship.—Rose Garrett

Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

Little Red—the titular boy reminiscent of Little Red Riding Hood—uses the power of love and compassion to make friends with Fred, a big, bad dog. Little Red encounters Fred every day he travels to Great-Grandpa’s house over the seasons. Fred employs clever traps to snare Little Red, but they always fail hilariously. From classic pitfalls to frozen roads, Fred always finds himself tangled in his own traps. On one such occasion, Fred hits his head and Little Red brings him to Great-Grandpa’s house, where he has a change of heart and becomes Little Red’s friend. This retelling of the classic fairy tale explores innocence, compassion, and unconditional love at its core, while its vibrant and animated illustrations reinforce Little Red and Fred’s playful action. Each fun-filled montage of Fred's failed traps generously dole out laughter, heartfelt smiles, and joyous entertainment. Young readers familiar with Little Red Riding Hood, and especially those intrigued by fairy-tale themes, can pick it up and read its lively, cartoonesque pages again and again.