Very dark and menacing children's book. Hansel and Gretel's parents are very poor and can't afford food for the family. The mother suggests to abandon the children so that they can afford to eat. The father doesn't like this idea, but obeys anyway. The children try to find their way back home but realize they will starve before they get there. They stumble upon a candy house and start eating it until an old lady comes out of the house; she tells them they will be safe with her and invites them in. She then reveals her true side which is a mean witch. She orders Gretel to feed Hansel until he gets fat and then she will eat him. While preparing, the witch tells Gretel to get in the oven to make sure its hot (she plans on eating her too) but Gretel plays dumb and the witch goes to show her and Gretel pushes her in and kills her. The two escape finding jewels in the witches house and find their way home to their father.
I think the book was very detailed and maybe too much for children. ( )

Ian Wallace's version of "Hansel and Gretel" is a more modern and slightly different version than the original. The mother of Hansel and Gretel decided it would be a good idea to abandon her children in the woods because they didn't have enough food to feed them. The father was against this idea, but the mother insisted. When Hansel and Gretel are lost in the woods, they come across a house made of candy and cake and are invited in by an older lady who seems to be nice. After the children fall asleep, the lady, who is an evil witch, locks up Hansel and orders Gretel to feed him in order to fatten him up so the witch could eat him. When the witch orders Gretel into the oven, she shows Gretel how to climb in and Gretel then locks the oven behind her causing the witch to burn to death. The children escape and find their way home where they have found out their mother has passed away. The children brought back pearls and jewels from the witch's house and they are able to live happily ever after with their father. I think something that caught my attention was that the evil witch died and so did Hansel and Gretel's mother. I think this is accurate because their mother was an evil person as well, wanting to abandon her children in the woods. I don't think this is a good story to read to young kids because it's definitely a dark and twisted story. I do believe the moral of the story is don't trust strangers. It's very easy for someone to pretend to be someone they're not just in order to get you to do what they want. ( )

This version of Hansel and Gretel is set in more modern times and is slightly different than the usual story you hear. This would be a book to read to older students as it might scare younger students. But it is a very interesting story that includes wonderful illustrations. It would be a good book to read along with the more traditional versions to see what has been changed and to question why. ( )

very dark