Iron Hans: A Grimms' Fairy Tale (Grimms' Fairy Tales) [Deluxe Edition] [Hardcover]

Stephen Mitchell (Adapter), Matt Tavares (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 6 and up | Grade Level: 1 and up | Series: Grimms' Fairy Tales

Matt Tavares’s luminous illustrations and Stephen Mitchell’s wry text transform this classic Grimms’ fairy tale into a splendid edition to treasure.

"Deep in a forsaken wood, a wild man keeps watch over a golden spring."

Iron Hans is nine feet tall and as brown as rust, with hair to his knees. He is cursed, a terror to all, until a young prince finds the courage to befriend him. But when the boy betrays Iron Hans’s trust, he must make his way in the world alone, penniless and unknown — save for a little help from a certain forgiving wild man. Stephen Mitchell’s deft retelling and Matt Tavares’s elegant illustrations gracefully render this timeless Grimms’ tale about pride and humility, wealth and poverty, and the importance of doing good, whether servant or prince, wild man or king.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Stephen Mitchell is a renowned writer and translator whose award-winning books for young readers include THE WISHING BONE, THE NIGHTINGALE, and THE TINDERBOX.

Matt Tavares is the illustrator of ’TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS and JACK AND THE BEANSTALK, as well as the author-illustrator of ZACHARY'S BALL, OLIVER'S GAME, and MUDBALL. He lives in Ogunquit, Maine.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick; Gift ed edition (August 14, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0763621609
• ISBN-13: 978-0763621605
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 0.4 x 12.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,684,888 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars They love it, March 29, 2011

By 

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

This review is from: Iron Hans: A Grimms' Fairy Tale (Grimms' Fairy Tales) (Hardcover)

I'm a mom with boys, and we are a read aloud family. They loved this fairy tale right from the front cover -- that shaggy giant.

The illustrations are really good; the plot is a little jumpy and it seems like sections are missing.

I liked the message about actions and consequences. At first, the boy knowingly breaks the rules by releasing Iron Hans, and then he runs away to avoid consequences. Later, when he accidentally breaks the rules at the golden spring, he gets three chances, and then he is banished alone to make his way in the world. "Sorry" isn't enough.

A little bit in there about the fascination of the forbidden. Much more could have been made about contentment with simple comforts. Also, missed a chance to talk about how depending on others gives them a chance to make amends for their past misdeeds.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful illustrations; poorly crafted tale, September 4, 2009

By 

Kathy Livingston (East Texas, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Iron Hans: A Grimms' Fairy Tale (Grimms' Fairy Tales) (Hardcover)

My children just got this book today and already have had me read it twice (and it's pretty long and wordy for a picture book). They love the illustrations and will sit paging through the book to look at them. The story, however, although it wants to be a great fairy tale, keeps getting lost in modern interpretive rabbit trails that undermine any moral the author might have aimed for. The two main characters consistently act immorally (murdering, lying, breaking rules just because they feel like it, etc.) and in each case the author justifies their actions as being compelled, either by their own desires (which apparently need not be resisted) or by magic. Although in the end there is an attempt to make this into a standard fairy tale moral, the force of the narrative (reinforced continuously by the comments of the author) points to the boy needing to reject his parents and their standards, run off with a strange and dangerous man, and embrace poverty in order to become his true self and earn his rightful place. As I read the book, I think of nothing else but 60's hippy ideology.

This is a beautiful book, and the story has the seeds of a great tale. Alas, it will probably not be long for my bookshelves. A good editor could have saved this one.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspired children's story, January 20, 2008

By 

Isabel Taylor (Washington, D.C. United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Iron Hans: A Grimms' Fairy Tale (Grimms' Fairy Tales) (Hardcover)

This Iron Hans book is beautifully written and very inspiring. My grandchildren loved it! And I enjoyed sharing it with them, especially the 5 to 10 years olds. We need more children's book with such an inspiring message!