Red Riding Hood

""Granny isn't feeling up to snuff today,'' so Red Riding Hood is on her way to the other side of the woods. The well-mannered wolf has a charming straw hat; he takes the trusting little girl by the hand. ``Surprise!'' he cries upon entering granny's chambers. And with the gusto of an uninvited guest, he gobbles her up, with dreams of the ``dessert'' ahead. After-dinner mints and a siesta follow, but the brave hunter arrives at an inconvenient moment and spoils the wolf's fun. This is a fresh retelling that invigorates the spirit of the classic tale without wreaking havoc with its fundamental structure. Marshall's Red Riding Hood is irresistibly vulnerable. An utterly funny version in which the lesson obviously has been learned: a final shot shows Red declining the kind offer of another friendly carnivore. Ages 4-8. (September)