Hansel and Gretel

by Grace De La Touche (retold) Pam Storey

8.2" * 8.3".

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fairy Tales, Fiction, Cultural, Africa, Folklore

21 pages, Hardcover

First published April 2, 2009

Reviews

[Shaneka Knight · Rating 3 out of 5]

Think that may be enough Hansel and Gretel for me for the entire year but this one had some beautiful artwork! I would say, 3.5.

[Dabin]

Personal response (3-5 sentences)
I (dis)liked because...

I liked this book because I can imagine during reading this book, so it was fun. And even this story was not real, but I can remember long. This book wrote story clearly.

plot summary (5-7 sentences)
This book was about...

There are few main characters, Hansel and Gretel are brother and sister, they live with their father and bad stepmother. Their bad stepmother tried to throw kids in the forest. But Hansel and Gretel heard that and they pick up some stones and they dropped on the way. So they could come back home safely. But the stepmother plans to lock the door so they could not gathered stones. And she gave them a piece of bread, so they dropped bread but birds ate all of bread on the way. So they lost the way. They were so hungry and they found Ginger bread house. One old grandmother lives in that house, but she was old witch. First day, she helped kids but next they she shows her mind, and locked kids. She wants kids to be fat and get into the pot, but smart Hansel trick her, she gets into the pot. They kids took jewels, which were there and they could get out of that house. Finally they could find their house, and their stepmother was died for unknown reason. The father who was filled with sad, saw Kids. They lived happily ever.

Characterizations (3-5 sentences)
How did the character changed

Hansel and Gretel's father was sad because he lost his kids, but he could be happy when the kids came back home. He felt sorry to kids so he start to love kids more. And kids brought jewels from witch's house so they could be rich.

Recommendation (3-5 sentences)
Age, Gender, Interest...

I recommend this book to all children. This story can make children to think about escaping even this story is not real, but it was fun story. Also Children would like witchś ginger bread house. I hope children to be safe.

[Zina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story is very similar to the original tale but his has some tweaks to the story. The characters in the story are African and the pictures are so amazing. Each picture is a collage and its full of detail and bright colors. In this story the witch looked super creepy, and her house was made of bread, with a cake ruff, and sugar windows. In this story after the defeating the witch, Hansel and Gretel filled their pockets with precious stones and pearls instead of gems and gold. I enjoyed the book and was glad to have read it from an African point of view.

[Bethany Pollock · Rating 4 out of 5]

A traditional tale with a cultural twist! ❤

[Bonnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations.
Leaving children to die in the woods, and a witch that is fattening up a child to eat him and burning the witch to death?
Not reading this to the children.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do I think this fairy tale is ethical? Hmm, not sure. The kids are resourceful, at least, so maybe from a child's point of view, although what it says about stepmothers isn't great. But I am so impressed that it is told with African American characters this time. Seriously, it just proves that there is no reason that every single one of my children's fairy tale books should have all white casts! Think outside the oppressive box, people!

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though set in Africa, this is a traditional telling of the familiar tale.

The illustrations are gorgeous and really make the book...BUT...the cynic inside me was saying - "The forest is jam-packed with animals, AND they own a pet cat. Why are they starving?"

[Agnė · Rating 4 out of 5]

Isadora's collage illustrations are breathtaking! The compositions as well as each detail, color choice and shapes tell a much more powerful story than the words. I could't take my eyes off!

[Morgan Efland · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about a common folktale and many people have heard before. Hansel and Gretel are left in the woods by their father and stepmother and have to find their way home. Since they are very smart kids they find their way back home and lived happily together with their father.

Hansel and Gretel was mainly a WOW book for me because of the neat illustrations. I really liked how the illustrations were so colorful and they followed the story. This would be a great book for students because I am sure that most students would have heard Hansel and Gretel before, but every time it is told there is always something little that changes. This would be fun for the students because it is familiar for them and they could easily pick out what is different from what they have heard before. Also, this would be a great book to use when talking about folktales and the parts of a folktale/fairytale because students could dissect the text and compare it to other folktales/fairytales and see what is different and similar.

Overall, this is a great book to use with students and they will have a fun time reading something that they are already familiar with and will have fun looking at the illustrations.

[Ingrid Sawubona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rachel Isadora gives a cultural twist to a classic Grimm fairy tale, and sets her version of “Hansel and Gretel” somewhere deep in a forest in Africa.

While the story stays true to the original version for the most part, witch-and-all, it is the illustrations that make this book so memorable. Each collage tells a story that is as colorful and vibrant as the people of Africa itself.

So if you’re looking for a picture book brimming with diversity; fill your pockets with some white pebbles, take a piece of bread, and follow our two protagonists on a mission through the dark forest, back to their home and family.

[Jeniece Goellner · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want to diversify your children's picture book reading, but also want to include classic fairytales and folklore, look no farther than Rachel Isadora. I've read a few of her picture books and plan to go through her whole catalogue. She takes your Euro-centric fables, and puts them in new settings, along children of all backgrounds a chance to see themselves in these classic tales with moral lessons. This story, a Hansel in Gretel tale, is set in the and African forest. The illustrations are vibrant and engaging. The story, largely the same from the general Grimm tale parents know and grew up on. Lovely read and would recommend.

[Jessica Stransky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I grabbed this version of Hansel and Gretel at my local library and absolutely loved the African setting and characters. The plot stays mostly the same but the illustrations show African culture through the characters and dress. The illustrations are impeccable. It is very busy and distracting in the best way, with lots of finger or leaf like shapes and amazing color. There is also a lot of abstract animals within the background which I believe could almost be like an eye spy game for children ages 3-7. This version has less details than others like the journey home but I like how the ending was to the point. Overall, I loved it and would like to see more works by Rachel Isadora.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rachel Isadora takes on the task of retelling a Brothers Grimm classic fairy tale in her version of Hansel and Gretel. While the story stays true to what most readers will remember from their childhood, the illustrations are what make this book a standout. Using oil paints, printed paper, and palette paper Isadora creates a vivid African backdrop for the story. The use of printed paper creates the illusion of texture that makes you want to reach out and touch the page.

Isadora, R. (2009). Hansel and Gretel. New York, NY: The Penguin Group.

[Gabby Tedesco · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is great for younger children because they are able to use their imagination and imagine the events that are taking place in the book. When reading the book, I could imagine what was going on when I was reading. The other Hansel and Gretel was a little bit darker than this one. This is why this version of the story is great for younger children to read. This teaching them how to problem solve. The pictures in the book also made it more interesting. It shows many different emotions throughout the book like fear, relief, and being brave.

[Alexsa Scofield · Rating 3 out of 5]

One observation I made was that this story is very similar to the original story Hansel and Gretel.
One connection I made with this story was that I enjoyed it as much as the original. It was one of my favorite books growing up.
One question I have is for the author. I would want to know why she chose to re-create the book.
One surprise I had was how well the graphics and images were in the book.
My opinion on this book is that I would read it to my students.

[Tessa Duncan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting retelling of the classic Hansel and Gretel story. The children were set out to the forest by their evil stepmother, since their family had started running out of food. Along the way, the children come across the evil witch in the candy house. The siblings use teamwork in order to out smart the witch. I also loved the paper illustrations in the book, and how it is set in Africa.

[Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like that the story was transplanted into Africa, but very little from the original tale changed. This could be viewed as a positive or negative, depending on the audience. Since I was not a huge fan of the traditional version, this one didn't really light my fire either. Why does the step-mom always have to be the evil one? Grrr...

[Aleria · Rating 5 out of 5]

This might be my favorite retelling.

All of the colors pop out at you on each page! The kids in this retelling are so darn cute & quite fashionable in my opinion. I did laugh at the witch though, she literally looked like a green goblin than anything else.

The art style does look familiar though, I might have read a book by this author as a kid. But I can't recall right now...

(Date & Time Read: 10th August 2019; 9:29am to 9:36am)

[Julee Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Hansel and Gretel" is the retelling of the classic Hansel and Gretel but in a jungle in Africa. It was the classic Hansel and Gretel story, with a slight shift in the location. This could be an asset to any classroom library as it brings more diversity to a European folktale.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

This particular fairy tale has always terrified me on a number of levels, but this book makes it so much worse due to the illustrations. They are wonderful and terrible in the classic sense of the word, making the horrific story so much more bone-chilling.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful retelling of Hansel and Gretel. The storyline is pretty similar to the storyline a lot of us have heard. This is great option for readers who are looking to read fairy tales, and would be an excellent storytime choice.

[Karla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this version
Highly recommended

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gorgeous brightly colored illustrations transport readers to an African jungle for a retelling of this fairy tale. Roots of the story remain true.

[emyrose8 · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5- Same traditional Hensel and Gretel story set in the African jungle. Neat illustrations.

[Rebecca Plaza · Rating 3 out of 5]

Setting and art remarkable! Good for fairytale retelling comparisons.

[Jo Oehrlein · Rating 3 out of 5]

African setting (but nothing really changes in the text) and collage illustrations for this fairytale story.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

The artwork is gorgeous!

[Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Those pictures. Beautiful.

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A basic retelling of the classic tale, except it is set in Africa. The illustrations are fabulous and a lot of fun to look at. I like how she integrated African patterns/designs into each collage.

[Bryant Schumacher · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Don’t worry.” Hansel and Gretel’s family are quite poor. One night, they overheard their stepmother telling their father that they were running out of food. To fix this situation, their stepmother said that they might need to get rid of their children altogether. Unwilling at first, their father was given no choice but to agree to her demands. Hansel and Gretel were ordered into the woods to collect supplies, and little by little, their stepmother’s demands became increasingly difficult. Soon enough, they found themselves deep in the forest, where their adventures really begin.

Rachel Isadora’s version of Hansel & Gretel is an adaptation of the old Grimm’s fairy tales. This version is quite interesting as the characters and setting have been appropriated to fit within an African cultural setting. This, however, does not have an effect on the story itself (or the fact that African children would have names like Hansel & Gretel). The moral of the story, at least for me, is a bit confusing. What is there to be learned from being exiled from your family, almost dying in the forest, and only to return to a father that’s only happy because his wife is dead and his kids brought back jewelry? Pretty morbid stuff here, if you ask me. Also, the illustrations almost feel a bit kitsch in regard to them being in faux Afrikaans style (a poor [wo]man’s Kara Walker?). At any rate, I believe there are better versions of this story available...like the original. And even the original, well, pretty dark stuff for kids.

Rachel Isadora’s version of Hansel & Gretel could work in most k-5 grade classrooms and up.
Target audience: 3 and up.