Customer Reviews

Iron Hans: A Grimms' Fairy Tale (Grimms' Fairy Tales)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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.

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!