Hansel and Gretel [Hardcover]

James Marshall (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up

A poor woodcutter's children, lost in the forest, come upon a house made of cookies, cakes, and candy, occupied by a wicked witch who likes to have children for dinner.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

James Marshall--creator of the well-loved George and Martha books--infuses merriment into the grimmest of the Brothers Grimm tales. His cheerful, cartoonish art is the perfect foil for this dark story, making it somewhat less scary, though by no means benign. A poor woodcutter lives with his wife and two children, Hansel and Gretel. His wife (the children's stepmother) doesn't like the youngsters, complaining, "Those wretched children of yours are gobbling everything up!" She persuades the loving but weak-willed woodcutter to take the children into the woods and abandon them to the wilderness. Hansel, first with white pebbles, then with bread crumbs, valiantly tries to lead his sister back to the house, but when the bread crumbs are eaten by birds, they are stuck. Much to their glee, the children eventually find a "small house made of cookies and candy, spun sugar and cake." But if you think this is a happy ending, think again! The weird, bawdy witch who lives in the delectable house cages Hansel (to fatten him up like a veal) and enslaves Gretel. Gretel pushes the witch into the oven as an unfortunate but necessary means to save her brother.

Marshall has winningly retold and illustrated other fairy tales, including Goldilocks and the Three Bears, a Caldecott Honor Book. Here, Marshall's retelling of this rather horrifying story contains just the right comic touches to match his artwork. The text is set in large type, with short lines, making it a natural for first- or second-grade readers. Marshall's wonderful illustrations guarantee that the story of Hansel and Gretel will once again leave youngsters spellbound. (Ages 5 to 8)

From Publishers Weekly

Marshall's trademark wit and slyness mark every page of this effervescent interpretation. Never has there been a more horribly magnificent witch than his--an overstuffed, cackling harridan resplendent in scarlet costume, lipstick and rouge, her hair bedecked with incongruously delicate bows. She is matched, perhaps even surpassed, in girth by the woodcutter's bad-tempered wife, whose piggish eyes, ferocious countenance and caustic barbs will prompt delicious shivers. The children triumph over both in high style, proving themselves worthy successors to the fairytale characters who have previously found new life in Marshall's hands. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Dial; 1st edition (September 4, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803708270
• ISBN-13: 978-0803708273
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,668,878 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 Just the way it's supposed to be!, May 1, 2010

By 

Ulyyf "Connie" (NYC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hansel and Gretel (Picture Puffins) (Paperback)

I was reluctant to pick up this copy of Hansel and Gretel because of the illustrations. I thought they were too comic, really. Hansel and Gretel is supposed to be a dark, scary story with mean mommies, starvation, and cannibalism! I was sure that the cartoony illustrations portrayed a light and funny version. And while some people prefer light and funny versions, I'm not one of those people.

Well, I was wrong! This version hews very closely to the one I learned as a young kid reading a tattered fairy tale collection. The mother is wicked, the father is weak-willed, the witch eats children (nobody turns into cookies, thank you very much). The author even remembered the detail about Hansel originally leaving out pebbles, and about a bird bringing them across the lake to home!

This was a very pleasant surprise for me, let me tell you.

The illustrations still aren't my thing, but this book has a well-deserved place on my bookshelf.

A word of warning: Obviously, this story can be scary for some children. While many children LIKE scary stories with their chills and thrills, just as many don't. I assume you know your own kid best, so please just use your judgment about this book, and if in doubt, read it before you buy it :)

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Creative Problem Solving -- and remember, not all adults are trustworthy, September 16, 2010

By 

M. Heiss (USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hansel and Gretel (Picture Puffins) (Paperback)

Hansel and Gretel *is* a scary story, but James Marshall ("Miss Nelson is Missing!") illustrates it marvellously. At first I thought the illustrations were going to be too clownish and cartoony, but there is a lot going on in every illustration. The forest is dark, the candy house is irresistable, and the witch is not nearly as scary as the mother. (!)

Kids are resilient and good at solving problems in their own ways. That goes for Gretel -- this book shows her trusting her instincts. And for Hansel -- he figures out how to track his way back through the woods. Of course, you can't always plan for those unintended consequences.

Very well done fairy tale. Much longer than our other James Marshall fairy tales. We like it very well.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars wonderful if you don't mind ad libbing some of the story, October 21, 2003

By 

HelpingDelayedKids.com "Margaret" (sf bay area, ca United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hansel and Gretel (Picture Puffins) (Paperback)

I love this book....great illustrations...perfect for catching the imagination of my speech delayed 4 year old...but I agree with the first reviewer who said that the words are a bit scary...a la fratured fairy tales..so no problem, I changed the words as I read the story...because I don't want to explain why the woodcutter's wife actually was bad and wanted to leave the kids in the woods..but here is the funny part, my son figured out the whole story anywau and he loves it. We have re-enacted it out several times in floortime play...it is a great story for learning about feelings and emotions during pretend play.