Gina Kaminski Saves the Wolf

When Gina Kaminsky is taken out of class her support worker reads her the story of Little Red Riding Hood. Gina thinks the ending is awful and the girl and the wolf have made three mistakes. She decides to visit fairy tale land and fix them. Packing essentials for the adventure, including snacks and her emergency teddy she sets off. Gina starts fixing problems by eating the cake and not taking a short cut through the forest. Although she is followed by the wolf Gina is undeterred and manages to save not only herself and Grandma but the wolf as well giving the woodcutter a piece of her mind at the same time.

This story offers an interesting insight into the minds of children with neurodivergence who may find classrooms overwhelming, facial expressions hard to read and emotions hard to express. It suggests the different ways they look at the world could in fact enable them to solve problems in their own way and be the hero in their own stories. The illustrations perfectly match the text, and the use of emoticons helps us see how Gina uses this coping strategy.

An amusing take on a familiar story with a determined and resourceful heroine.

The patterning in the story; with three problems to solve, three items to pack and three messages for Granny, echoes the narrative style of many familiar traditional tales. Readers young and old are likely to love Gina Kaminski, who is a very appealing character and will be pleased to hear she returns in a second adventure, out now in hardback, Gina Kaminski Rescues the Giant.