Review The author/illustrator of the popular Toot & Puddle books and creator of the character Holly Hobbie brings her enchanting art to the folklore genre. In Hansel & Gretel, Hobbie diverges from her usual sunny stories with a version of the tale that is as dark and harrowing as Neil Gaiman’s or Lorenzo Matotti’s. “The woodcutter finally agreed to abandon his children to the forest”. An artist’s note contains source information. Although she based the text on Grimms’ Tales for Young and Old, translated from the German by Ralph Manheim (1977), Hobbie’s intention was “to let the illustrations speak for themselves, so the text has been shortened substantially form the original”(Hobbie, 2015, end note). The decision proved successful. Eerie scenes of Hansel and Gretel lost in the forest are played out in transparent watercolor, pen & ink, with gouache. Hobbie uses indigo blue in place of her usual ultramarine to convey the darkness and impending doom of imprisonment by the evil witch. Hansel and tow-headed Gretel are fair skinned and the witch is unnaturally white, which gives her an inhuman quality. Page design is formal, which seems appropriate for a classic tale. Most pages feature text on white opposite illustrations with an occasional two-page spread. Design elements combined with a concise version of the story make the book accessible for younger audiences while honoring the tale as a classic for all ages. Themes Folklore; Fairy Tales; German Fairy Tales; Witches Read-alikes Hyman, Trina Schart (1983). Little Red Riding Hood. Grimm, Jacob (1987). Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. Tranlated by Randall Jarrell. Illustrated by Nancy Eckholm Burkert. Application Partnering with local park rangers, hold a Fairy Tale storytime in the park. Read Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel & Gretel, and other woodsy tales, then lead families on a forest hike. Better yet, tell the stories in the forest. This type of outreach will benefit the library as well as the park, as it will attract visitors to both. Hansel & Gretel fairy tale hike. Photo by Sarah Jo Zaharako References
Hansel & Gretel [cover image]. Retrieved from https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61HEhjmmhCL._SX258_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg Hansel & Gretel [illustration]. Retrieved from http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A_7i6BXZ4_Q/VjM7V3BVYQI/AAAAAAAAE5Y/_ptOuTOJTOU/s1600/Hansel_and_Gretel_3.jpg Publisher’s Weekly. (July 20, 2015) Hansel & Gretel [book review]. Retrieved March 9, 2017 from http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-316-07017-1 Titlewave. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.titlewave.com Toot & Puddle [illustration]. Retrieved from https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/37/97/bf/3797bff60791fa2597ba180661a02fd5.jpg Wikipedia. (n.d.) Holly Hobbie. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holly_Hobbie
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