Little Red Riding Hood (First Dream)

This book is not a conventional adaptation of the classic tale, but rather a profound and poetic reinterpretation that invites introspection. This nearly silent book draws from Gabriel Pacheco’s masterful visual storytelling and subtly intertwines fragments of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz’s poem First Dream (Primero sueño). The result is a fascinating dialogue between the familiar and the dreamlike, where Little Red’s iconic journey through the woods becomes a symbolic voyage toward self-discovery and reflection on femininity, reason, instinct, and the wild.
Through its stunning illustrations—often featuring Pacheco’s characteristic cobalt blue—the work evokes an enveloping mystery and an almost mystical atmosphere. Recurring elements such as the forest, darkness, the wolf, and puddles take on deeper meaning, engaging with the reader’s psyche and challenging linear interpretations. This approach allows each reading to be a unique and ever-evolving experience, where the meaning of the story is constructed in the mind of the observer, inviting them to lose themselves, inquire, and contemplate in the twilight of dreams—as if wandering through a vast forest of infinite forms.

Key points

• It received the 2021 Best Books for Children and YA Award from Venezuela’s Banco del Libro.
• A poetic and profound reinterpretation of a classic tale, transforming the narrative into an introspective and symbolic experience.
• A book of universal accessibility that transcends linguistic and cultural barriers.
• The work establishes a subtle and intelligent dialogue with Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz’s poem First Dream, adding layers of meaning and complexity attractive to adult audiences.
• Gabriel Pacheco is an acclaimed author who has been internationally recognized and awarded on multiple occasions.