Hansel and Gretel a thrilling grim version by Neil Gaiman

See sample pages from this book at Wink.

Neil Gaimans stirring narrative of Hansel and Gretel combined with artist Lorenzo Mattottis oppressively black illustrations give the Brothers Grimm fairytale a nightmarish quality different from what I remember as a kid. Back then the terrifying takeaway was the trusting old woman in the candy-coated gingerbread house who transformed into a mean and hungry cannibal. Dont get me wrong, the evil old woman is still mighty sinister in Gaimans book, but this time the takeaway was the horror of parental abandonment and betrayal. Maybe because Im now an adult, or maybe because it wasnt told in such detail when I was a kid (I cant remember), the events leading up to Hansel and Gretel finding the gingerbread house in this version are quite unsettling. Although its a great creepy book for kids, Id be careful not to read it to younger children who might be sensitive to the darker side of fairy tales. After all, there are no good fairies in this book.

Hansel & Gretel
by Neil Gaiman (author) and Lorenzo Mattotti (illustrator)
Toon Graphics
2014, 56 pages, 7.5 x 10.3 x 0.4 inches
$13 Buy a copy on Amazon