ALA Booklist (Sat Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2015)

Kikko is crushed when she accidentally ruins the pie she's taking to her grandmother's house, but she keeps following the man she thinks is her father through the snowy woods. Only she doesn't recognize the house once they arrive, and the man she's been following isn't her father at all but a bear in a suit! Luckily, the strange building is home to a party attended by all kinds of friendly woodland creatures in their finest attire. They warmly welcome her in, replace her ruined pie with wedges from their own baked goods, and escort her to her grandmother's house in a merry parade. Miyakoshi's meticulous, realistic charcoal illustrations show the starkness of the winter woods in crisp white and shadowy blacks and grays, with the exception of a few patches of red and yellow, which grow more frequent along with the increasingly warm, festive atmosphere. Though the animals initially appear slightly menacing, Miyakoshi's fairy-tale-like language, fanciful scenes, and cheery ending make this offbeat take on Little Red Riding Hood perfect for sharing.

Horn Book (Fri Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2016)

On her way to Grandma's house, Kikko gets lost and ends up at an animals' tea party. When the guests see that the pie intended for her grandmother has been ruined, they generously donate slices from their own pies and accompany Kikko to her destination. Evocatively smudgy charcoal illustrations with touches of color ably capture the quiet woods and the ebullient tea party.

School Library Journal (Wed Jul 01 00:00:00 CDT 2015)

K-Gr 2 This work feels new and old, combining motifs from traditional and canonical literature. Elements from "Red Riding Hood" and Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland have the strongest presence with possible nods to "Goldilocks" and the less-known tale of the "Twelve Months." Kikko chases through the woods after her father with a pie for Grandma. Finding herself outside a different house, she joins a tea party. When her animal hosts hear that her pie had been crushed, they assemble an assorted dessert and parade with her to Grandma's house before disappearing. The translated text seems a bit flat and stilted in comparison to the fresh story concept and the pacing tends to lag at times, occasionally pausing on uninspired dialogue. Overall, the illustrations work well in some aspects and fall short in others. With a blend of realism and surrealism, Miyakoshi's style is reminiscent of Anthony Browne. The texture of the charcoal on paper gives the dark trees of the forest a wavery roughness as the author-illustrator artfully creates a barren landscape with the adept use of value, white space, and perspective. Although the stark bleakness makes sense for the outdoor scenes and Miyakoshi's tender grayness fits the real-life frame, the tea party scenes have a static, dusty quality for example, when the animals stare upon the newcomer through what might be described as a dry haze. With the restraint of the monochromatic palette and spot color, the wildly shifting perspective feels unnecessarily dramatic. The greatest disappointment may be that Kikko's minimal facial features occasionally read as inappropriately cross, comical, or smug, suggesting that perhaps more than just words are lost in the translation. VERDICT This is a delightfully unique story with striking illustrations but lacks the magic of a more lyrical translation and comprehensively distinguished visuals. Erin Reilly-Sanders, Ohio State University, Columbus