Hansel and Gretel [Hardcover]

Brothers Grimm (Author), Dorothee Duntze (Illustrator), Anthea Bell (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2001 | Age Level: 4 and up

Once upon a time there was a poor woodcutter who lived near a great forest with his wife and his two children. The little boy was called Hansel, and the little girl's name was Gretel.
So begins this classic Grimm tale of two innocent children, abandoned in the forest by their cruel mother, who happen upon the enchanting gingerbread house of a wicked witch. Hansel's cunning and little Gretel's courage foil the witch's evil plan to fatten them up and eat them, and in the best fairy tale tradition, they and their loving father live happily ever after.
Dorothee Duntze's elegant, stylized illustrations provide an intriguing new interpretation of this childhood favorite, a satisfying story of evil punished and goodness rewarded.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Dorothe‚ Duntze memorializes another fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm with a palette readers can almost taste in Hansel and Gretel. The gingerbread house looks truly scrumptious, the woods seem foreboding indeed.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3-This version of the familiar tale of two clever children who overcome their fears and triumph over evil, while clear and readable, tends toward the lurid. For example, when Gretel pushes the witch into the oven, the text reads: "The old witch burned to death, screaming and howling miserably." Duntze's startlingly imaginative illustrations range from impressionistic to surreal, and vary in size and coloration to match the changing moods of the narrative. The cleverly wrought bread-strewn endpapers set the tone for this stylized picture book. While a few of the images are potentially frightening, most will agree that the illustrations are accomplished and very special, indeed.
Barbara Buckley, Rockville Centre Public Library, NY
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: North-South (July 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0735814228
• ISBN-13: 978-0735814226
• Product Dimensions: 12.9 x 9.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,601,327 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining Book, April 23, 2004

By 

Wesley Wentworth (Pace, FL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hansel and Gretel (Hardcover)

First off, I really like the story of "Hansel and Gretel." It's one of the few fairy tales I remember reading when I was little. Recently, I wrote a paper on "Hansel and Gretel" and found that there is a lot of negativity surrounding it. Researchers object to the portrayal of women as cold-blooded killers and the father as weak and useless. In the story, the evil stepmother easily dominates her weak husband and forces him to go along with her scheme to abandon the children. It is believed that the Grimms included this in their story as a warning to men to watch out for domineering women. Another point scholars make is the fact that both the evil stepmother and wicked witch are both fatally punished for their treatment of Hansel and Gretel, but the father gets off scott free. In fact, the father is allowed to reap the benefits when his children return home with their arms filled with riches. Now, I don't fully agree with everything scholars have said about "Hansel and Gretel" because I found the story to be based somewhat on actual facts.
When the Grimms wrote this book, there had been many famines that wiped out entire villages. Also, women often died during childbirth, leaving the father to raise the kids on his own or remarry. The harsh conditions drove people to desperate measures and it was not uncommon for families to sacrifice a child or other loved one to ensure their own survival; especially stepmothers who were taking care of children that were not their own. I do agree that the story does not portray a normal, happy family but most fairy tales don't. On the other hand, I don't believe the Grimms' intention was to demean their characters, but to reveal the harsh realities of their time. In any case, "Hansel and Gretel" is still a good book, a classic fairy tale, and definitely worth a read.

4.0 out of 5 stars A review of Hansel and Gretel illustrated by Dorothee Duntze, April 26, 2009

By 

Z Hayes (TX, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Hansel and Gretel (Hardcover)

Much has been said about "Hansel and Gretel", and this fairy tale has its share of controversy , but my review focuses on the version translated by Anthea Bell and illustrated by Dorothee Duntze. The story itself is very dark - two young siblings, Hansel and Gretel are left abandoned in the forest by their weak father who is under the domineering influence of his second wife, the children's stepmother. The two siblings then find a wonderful house deep in the forest, made of gingerbread and other edible delights. Lured by the promise of shelter and food, the pair are taken in by an old woman who turns out to be a wicked witch fond of gobbling up young children. There is a happy ending as in most fairy tales, but the telling of the story certainly has its dark parts that gave me nightmares as a child [it'll be awhile before I read this particular fairy tale to my young daughter].

The illustrations in this version are by Dorothee Duntze who credibly captures all the fears and loneliness experienced by Hansel and Gretel, as well as the ugliness of the wicked stepmother and the witch [who appears almost demonic]. This particular version is worth adding to one's library if you're a fan and collector of fairy tales in their various editions, but I'd not recommend this to younger children [5 and under] if only because of the dark overtones and the scary illustrations.