I’m not sure how common this story is in Europe, but having grown up in America I remember reading this classic folktale both at home and in school. I actually remember my mom using this story to her advantage every time she needed help around the house!

Surprisingly, up until now, I’ve never read this story to my own children… but now that my son is at the ripe ‘helping out’ age of three, I figured it was about time to start!

I was in New York last week, in a small town upstate, and I paid a visit to a charming little bookstore that featured local artists and authors. Jerry Pinkney happens to be one of their local artists, and this is how I discovered his version of The Little Red Hen. His watercolor illustrations are beautiful, and they capture the essence of the story perfectly.

For those who aren’t familiar, the story is about a hen who sets out to bake some bread with the seeds she found. She asks for help from her fellow farm animals, but gets no interest…. until, of course, it comes time to eat the delicious bread.

The story is simple and sweet, and will hopefully encourage your little ones to help their mom when she asks!
Available from Amazon US and UK.

-Courtney