102. Hansel and Gretel

102. Hansel and Gretel. Stephen King. Illustrated by Maurice Sendak. 2025. 48 pages. [Source: Library] [picture book, 4 stars]

First sentence: Once upon a time, long before your grandmother's grandmother was born, a poor broom maker and his wife lived on the edge of a great dark forest with his two children, Hansel and Gretel. The broom maker was an easygoing man; his wife, the children's stepmother, was a shrew who liked to have her way and mostly got it.

Premise/plot: The illustrations are by Maurice Sendak. The narrative text is by Stephen King. The story, obviously, is Hansel and Gretel. This "picture" book features plenty of illustrations, but, it is extremely text-heavy.

My thoughts: I have not read the variations of Hansel and Gretel. I know that Grimm's Fairy Tales have gone through several printings and there are some variations perhaps. I could not begin to tell you how Stephen King's retelling differs from the original. I'm not even going to try to judge that. I could not tell you if this one is "lighter" or "darker" than the original. I just don't know. I can tell you that I enjoyed Maurice Sendak's illustrations. And the narrative text was pleasant enough. I wasn't wowed by the retelling. Then again, I'm not sure that Hansel and Gretel has ever been my favorite fairy tale.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews