Isabel is no the Red Riding Hood you once read about. This girl is Latina, bilingual and walks through a desert to bring tamales with chili sauce to her abuela. In similar fashion to previous tales, however, Isabel is trusting, and the tale begins as she innocently greets a sly coyote who plans to eat her and her grandmother. Unlike the traditional Red Riding Hood, Isabel is more than innocent, she is practical. After the coyote comments that her hood is beautiful, Isabel explains that it keeps the desert sun off her face. She is also generous; she offers the coyote a tamale. He recoils saying this food is too spicy - a fact that Isabel intelligently remembers later - and sets off for the grandmother's house. When the coyote tries to eat her, Isabel foils his plan by throwing hot, spicy tamales with chili sauce into his mouth. Luckily, Grandmother had not been eaten (she had been taking a siesta in the backyard) and Isabel is praised for showing courage and cleverness.