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katdfleming's review
4.0
My fourth grade students (boys particularly) LOVED this book/series. They had a long waiting line for it and asked our librarian to order copies for the school library. (Which she did.) GREAT for reluctant readers.
book_concierge's review
3.0
From the book cover Reader: beware. Warlocks with dark spells, hunters with deadly aim, and bakers with ovens retrofitted for cooking children lurk within these pages. But if you dare, turn the page and learn the true story of Hansel and Gretel – the story behind and beyond) the bread crumbs, edible houses, and outwitted witches. Come on in. It may be frightening, it’s certainly bloody, and it’s definitely not for the faint of heart, but unlike those other fairy tales you know, this one is true.
My reaction
What a wild – and disturbingly scary – ride! Gadwitz returns to the original Grimm tales, which were much darker and violent than what we commonly tell our children today, and makes them even scarier, darker, more violent, gory, disgusting, disturbing and nightmare-producing. In fairness, he does frequently include an aside warning that “little kids should be sent to the movies with the babysitter – NOW” before the bloodier more disturbing sections.
Children (and adults) meet horrific injuries and deaths here – beheadings, eviscerations, even cutting one’s own finger off. Parents kill their children. Children murder their parents. As Hansel and Gretel make their way through the book they are tortured, beaten, starved (or fattened), cold, hungry, alone and frightened. There is no one they can trust, as adult after adult betrays them. It is a bleak world, indeed, this kingdom of Grimm. It’s also quite an adventure and the children are brave, steadfast, intelligent, resourceful, courageous and pure.
My library shelves Gadwitz’s books in the YA section, but I know that some consider it appropriate for younger children. I don’t think I would give it to children under age 9, and not even to the more sensitive children under age 12.
My reaction
What a wild – and disturbingly scary – ride! Gadwitz returns to the original Grimm tales, which were much darker and violent than what we commonly tell our children today, and makes them even scarier, darker, more violent, gory, disgusting, disturbing and nightmare-producing. In fairness, he does frequently include an aside warning that “little kids should be sent to the movies with the babysitter – NOW” before the bloodier more disturbing sections.
Children (and adults) meet horrific injuries and deaths here – beheadings, eviscerations, even cutting one’s own finger off. Parents kill their children. Children murder their parents. As Hansel and Gretel make their way through the book they are tortured, beaten, starved (or fattened), cold, hungry, alone and frightened. There is no one they can trust, as adult after adult betrays them. It is a bleak world, indeed, this kingdom of Grimm. It’s also quite an adventure and the children are brave, steadfast, intelligent, resourceful, courageous and pure.
My library shelves Gadwitz’s books in the YA section, but I know that some consider it appropriate for younger children. I don’t think I would give it to children under age 9, and not even to the more sensitive children under age 12.
misspippireads's review against another edition
4.0
"Are there any small children in the room now? If so, it would be best if you just...hurried them off to bed. Because this is where things start to get, well...awesome. But in a horrible, bloody kind of way."
If you prefer not to read about blood, gore, fights and magic, I would pass this title up...well, maybe. I would have to agree with the quote, it is awesome. Awesome, as in the definition of awe. Gidwitz put the classic tales and gave them new twists, while maintaining the old feel of blood, guts and gore. The original tales are not pretty. The original tales were gathered from the German people at that time and the folklore was bloody. Life is not always happy ever afters and those original tales reflected that feeling of right and wrong, revenge and reward. If you enjoy a good fairytale, find a copy of A Tale Dark & Grimm. Gidwitz wove the tale of Hansel and Gretal, but he offers a couple more stories on his website at http://www.adamgidwitz.com/tales-dark-new.
Johnny Heller returns to read! I previously heard him read Flawed Dogs and Al Capone Does My Shirts. I enjoy listening to him read. When I placed the first CD in the player, it felt like welcoming a friend back. Thanks for a great listen, Johnny.
Reviewed from a library copy.
If you prefer not to read about blood, gore, fights and magic, I would pass this title up...well, maybe. I would have to agree with the quote, it is awesome. Awesome, as in the definition of awe. Gidwitz put the classic tales and gave them new twists, while maintaining the old feel of blood, guts and gore. The original tales are not pretty. The original tales were gathered from the German people at that time and the folklore was bloody. Life is not always happy ever afters and those original tales reflected that feeling of right and wrong, revenge and reward. If you enjoy a good fairytale, find a copy of A Tale Dark & Grimm. Gidwitz wove the tale of Hansel and Gretal, but he offers a couple more stories on his website at http://www.adamgidwitz.com/tales-dark-new.
Johnny Heller returns to read! I previously heard him read Flawed Dogs and Al Capone Does My Shirts. I enjoy listening to him read. When I placed the first CD in the player, it felt like welcoming a friend back. Thanks for a great listen, Johnny.
Reviewed from a library copy.
mehsi's review against another edition
5.0
Loved the narrator breaking the 3rd or 4th wall and just step in between stories to warn you for parts that are gruesome or that it isn't the end and many other things. Really laughed a lot while reading those.
Also loved that all the stories though separate got woven into one big story.
Also loved that all the stories though separate got woven into one big story.
blackberryblues's review against another edition
4.0
Good for its demographic. A Tale Dark and Grimm is the sort of book that lingers in the back of your throat after you read it.
charlotteg's review
3.0
Good, but narrating is for 8 and scary for ten. What age are you aiming for?
finalgirlfall's review against another edition
5.0
adam gidwitz providing the Divorced Parent Rep in fairytales that i love... <3 also, i've been haunted by one chapter of this book since i first read it, but i can't remember many details. i may have to reach out to the author and see if he can tell me the source story.
ptothelo's review
4.0
A great book that ties together various stories from Grimm's Fairy Tales with Hansel and Gretel. There is great humor to the re-telling and just the right amount of asides from the narrator to the reader. One of these days I'll have to read the original.
My favorite part is how under-standing is not explained as just understanding what someone says, but standing under them and supporting them.
My favorite part is how under-standing is not explained as just understanding what someone says, but standing under them and supporting them.
dustyshell's review
adventurous
dark
funny
4.0
Funny and macabre at the same time. An amusing spin on the Grimm’s version of the classic fairy tale.
erinb_0508's review
4.0
I see so much potential for deeper thinking activities for kids, but so gory. It took my breath away at parts because of the sheer level of gore. I think it will make kids motitvated to read, but I would be contentious about the age of child I would have read it.
Main idea: The whole story of Hansel and Gretel; 2 kids that run away, looking for good adults in the world, find horrific adventures along the way.
Certain parts would make great reader's theater for anyone, but because of the graphic nature of the descriptions, you would have to be careful where you stop and start.
Main idea: The whole story of Hansel and Gretel; 2 kids that run away, looking for good adults in the world, find horrific adventures along the way.
Certain parts would make great reader's theater for anyone, but because of the graphic nature of the descriptions, you would have to be careful where you stop and start.