Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm [Hardcover]

David T. Wenzel (Author), Doug Wheeler (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2003

Already well established as a children¹s book illustrator, Wenzel is also well-remembered for his beautiful comics adaptation of Tolkien¹s The Hobbit. He brings his knowledge of both crafts here to eyestopping effect with fresh and authentic versions of ²Little Snow White², among others. Script adaptation by Doug Wheeler.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3 6?Do libraries really need another edition of Grimm tales? In this case, the answer is a resounding "YES!" Philip retells 17 complete stories, two humorous vignettes, and one repetitive cumulative chant with internal rhyme. The stories are mainly familiar ones, such as "The Fisherman and His Wife," "The Musicians of Bremen," and "Rapunzel," but some lesser-known tales, such as "The Gold Children" and "The Knapsack, the Hat, and the Horn," are included. To sample the cleverness and accessible language of these sharp-witted retellings, just try "The Three Lazybones." Barely one page, this brief tale can be connected to many other stories here and elsewhere. At the same time, it is related to contemporary parodies such as Jon Scieszka's The Stinky Cheese Man (Viking, 1992). This valuable collection is superbly enhanced by the unusual, eye-catching illustrations, luxuriously painted in the manner of medieval illuminations and decorated with gold-leaf accents. With one or two full-page pictures per story, this book could easily become a family keepsake. Of course, library budgets are always a consideration, and the acquisition of this item depends upon the size, depth, and use of the folklore section. But it might be wise to jettison a well-loved and well-worn copy of the Grimms' tales and replace it with this one. It is sure to spark the interest and enthusiasm of a new generation of folk and fairy-tale aficionados.?Martha Rosen, Edgewood School, Scarsdale, NY
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Gr. 4^-6. Wenzel and Wheeler give "Snow White," "The Shoemaker and the Elves," and "The Three Sluggards" classic comic-book treatment. The nontraditional form works quite well with the tales. Pictures tell most of the story, but the sophistication of the original language is left relatively intact. Given the easily sensationalized events in the Grimms' tales, the illustrations are refreshingly nonsensational, and they retain the visual energy and complexity necessary to intrigue the discriminating comic-book reader. Janice del Negro

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Nantier Beall Minoustchine Publishing (January 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1561631302
• ISBN-13: 978-1561631308
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,958,274 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Collector's Edition, August 20, 2002

By 

Jay - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm (Hardcover)

Philip has faithfully translated this collection of the Grimm Brothers' anthology of oral folktales. He has chose to include twenty of the classic German tales in this beautiful edition. Hardcover, with gilted pages, and metallic highlights in the illustrations creates a very stunning picture. Philip has selected some of the most well known favorites, but also a few that modern times have forgotten. The reading level is approximately third grade, though the stories look as though they would be better understood and more entertaining if read aloud. There tends to be just one illustration per story. While they are wonderfully done and framed with more artwork, they don't do much to tell the plot of the story and are not always matched up with the text. Every classroom should have a collection of Grimm's fairy tales, but this isn't the one. This book seems to have been designed more for collectors and to sit on a shelf than to be handled by youngsters on a daily basis in a classroom environment.

Why 4 stars?:
This is not a book to be read, but one to be collected and set upon a shelf to collect dust. The illustrations are beautiful and the information provided about the tales and the brothers is excellent. However, this book was not made for children to read their favorite tales from.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Avoid Kindle Edition, July 15, 2008

By 

R. Roberts - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm (Kindle Edition)

This is a review of the Kindle Edition. The table of contents is not linked to the individual stories. Since this is a collection of stories, it makes the Kindle Edition book unusable -- you would have to click, page-by-page, to reach your desired story.