Pretty Salma: A Little Red Riding Hood Story from Africa by Niki Daly

Pretty Salma is a Little Red Riding Story coming out of Ghana. This version is much different from what American children are used to, but still contains familiar elements that older readers will recognize. Salma lives with her grandma and grandpa and one morning Granny sends Salma to market. As she walks Salma sings herself the special song Granny always sings to her and she meets a strange dog. The dog convinces Salma to give him some of the clothing items she is wearing such as her yellow sandals and her scarf by telling her that these items must be making Salma very hot and offering to wear them for her as if he were doing her a favor.

After Salma hands over these items and her purchases from market the dog asks Salma to teach him her special song, but all he can do is bark. Salma realizes that she would like her things back but the dog refuses and tells her he will bite her in two! Salma runs away and finds her grandfather in town performing stories. She tells him the whole story and then they think of a plan to save Granny.

Meanwhile, Mr. Dog arrives at Granny's house and Granny asks a series of questions leading Granny to decide that despite appearances she is not dealing with her Pretty Salma. The clue that tips her off is that Mr. Dog can't sing Granny and Salma's special song. Granny tries to shoo Mr. Dog away with a broom, but Mr. Dog scares her so much she jumps into her cooking pot. Mr. Dog makes plans to make Granny soup, but then Salama and her grandpa burst through the door in masks and beating drums and scare Mr. Dog so badly he runs back to the wild side of town.

Genre: Fairy tale/Folkore

Daly, N. (2007). Pretty Salma: A little red riding hood story from Africa. New York: Clarion Books.