Hansel And Gretel

Written by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm

Narrated by Marina Tolkachova

Hansel and Gretel is a famous German folk fairy tale recorded by the Brothers Grimm. Let's join dangerous adventures of brave Hansel and Gretel! Little brother and sister Hansel and Gretel was caught by an evil witch living deep in the forest in a house constructed of cake and confectionery, hansel and Gretel save their lives by outwitting her. Read about their clever tricks and enjoy the breathtaking plot of this famous fairy tale! Hansel and Gretel perfectly suits kids of all ages – read this fairy tale with your children and plunge into the miraculous atmosphere of this magic fairy tale!

• Language: English
• Publisher: SmartTouch Media
• Release date: Jan 16, 2015
• ISBN: 9781467606721

Jacob Grimm

With his brother Wilhelm, Jacob Grimm collected and published Germanic and European folk and fairy tales during the early to mid 19th century. Some of the world’s most classic and beloved stories have been published by them, including “Rumplestiltskin,” “Snow White,” “Sleeping Beauty,” “Rapunzel,” “Cinderella,” “Hansel and Gretel,” and many more.

Reviews for Hansel And Gretel

[shanetia · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Summary:This story is about siblings Hansel (boy) and Gretel (girl), who come from a very poor family. Their household consisted of a father, and a stepmother. The parents had no money to provide food for the children, so their wicked stepmother came up with an idea to leave Hansel and Gretel in the forest in hopes to free them from caring for the children. The father disagreed with his wife but granted her wish. The first attempt was unsuccessful, because Hansel was very clever. He left pebbles every step of the way, in order to use them to find their way back home. The second attempt was successful, because Hensel was unable to collect pebbles, he had to use bread crumbs. When the children tried to follow the bread crumbs the notice the crumbs were missing. The children followed a white bird through the forest to a house made of bread and cookies. The children were captured by a wick witch, who tries to eat them. The witch had Gretel prepare the oven and stick her head in to see if it was ready. Gretel denied that she know how to check the oven, so the witch tuck her head in to show Gretel how. Then, Gretel pushed the witch in and killed her. She rescued her brother and they returened home with fortunes. The family lived happily ever after, without their stepmother due to her death. Personal Reaction:This brings back memories. I remember my mother reading this book to me as a child. I like this book but I would not read this book to my four year but most definitely to my eight year. Hansel and Gretel is a good book to introduce children to a world of reality of evil people. I really did not care so much for the pictures, because I did not find them eye catching due to the dull colors. Another thing I didn't like about this book was that the stepmother had to be wicked. I think for younger children this might influence their perception of step parents. But, then again it is fiction. Classroom Extension:1. I would pick up a couple of gingerbread houses from the grocery store, put the students in groups, and have them create the gingerbread house with candy on the outside.2. I would put students in groups and assign pages from the story. Then I would have each group act out parts in the book with a narrator.

[epalaz_3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This classic story is great for children because it has all the elements of good and evil. The brother and sister are brave and smart and outwits the wicked witch to return safely home. I would read this to the children and they could learn good over evil, use tools to help find their way, or they could use use their own brains together to get through a difficult situation

[sullywriter_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A beautifully illustrated version of the Grimm tale.

[swelker-2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love the story of Hansel and Gretel. This story is such a classic folklore. It is about a brother and sister who get lost in the forest. They end up at a witches house, and she tries to eat them. The brother and sister end up breaking free. I would read this to my class and have an activity based on it. I could have my students create their own witches house. I think my students would enjoy that.

[sephma · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A great classic that I had not read in 20+ years. I'm glad I sat down and gave it a shot as an adult.

[thach_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Characters: Hansel and Gretel, Father, stepmother, and the witchSetting: It takes place in the woods and cabin. Theme: Do all you can to survive. Genre: FolktaleSummary: This book tells the classic story of Hansel and Gretel and their adventures. The siblings live with their father and stepmother. Going through starvation, the stepmother suggested that the father leave the children in the woods to feed themselves. As the children are left in the woods, they leave a trail of rocks so that they know how to get back home. This is done multiple times. On the last situation where they leave breadcrumbs to find their way home, the crumbs are eaten by the birds. This is where they see a house made of gingerbread and go inside to eat. The witch in there feeds them until they are plump so that she could eat them. The sister out smarts the witch and was able to get the witch to fall into the crock pot. Soon enough, they find themselves some gold in the house and look for a way home. When they find their house, they find that the stepmother had died with their father waiting for them. With the money they found, they lived happily ever after. Audience: Children who learn about how to think creatively. Curriculum ties: Ties to early development, learning about different creativity, and folklorePersonal response: As a kid, I always liked listening to folktales. I like how the tales are so mysterious and sends me through a fantasy world. This book made me reimagine those stories that I used to hear at school. This book does things a little bit differently… The art is an old style oil painting of some soft and adds a bit of creepiness to it. I think if I was a child and had to read this book, I would be quite frightened. But the images did remind me of how the story was and really connected to the story telling. The story followed the original story and does a great job at it with the pictures. I miss folk tales.

[edeidrich · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

While previously familiar with the story, Lizbeth Zwerger's illustrative talents add more of a ominous and dreary tone to the book. The grainy and weathered style of the art brings the characters, specifically the old witch, into a more dreadful and eery realm.

[nnicolic_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I must say, I don't remember Hansel and Gretel being this dark. This is a story about a family who couldn't afford to feed themselves and the children, so the stepmother decides they should lead them into the woods to die. How horrifying! In the end the children return home and finds the stepmother is dead and is reunited with their father. I would probably read this book around Halloween time, since it's a little spooky.

[wsrobitaille · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the classic Grimm’s tale of Hansel and Gretel who are led into the forest to die by their father and his wife because they are a poor family and running out of food. They find their way back the first time but get lost the second time and end up finding a gingerbread house made out of candy in the woods owned by an old witch that wants to fatten them up and eat them. This story surprised me a bit because the gruesomeness of the tale was something I didn’t really take note of as a child, but is quite horrible compared to stories made for young children today. The illustrations in this book are also extremely well done and not only support the story but add to it for both creating the fearful and dark mood and provide many interesting fantastic asides. One of the more notable asides are the pieces of bread strategically placed in most of the outdoor forest scenes to look like trees, which is an interesting contrast to the fact that this story is about a family torn apart by hunger . Also, some of the earlier pictures are highly surreal and symbolic such as the miniature wolves surrounding the miniature children on the fathers lap as the wife explains her ideas to abandon them and the changing foliage that appears to be growing out of the father’s hat. The story by itself is quite good, but when you add the vision of this illustrator you get something that is truly art.

[ashlynprill · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A translation of Hansel and Gretel, a fairy tale by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. A poor man and his wife make the decision to take their children out into the forest to leave them their because they do not have enough money to feed them. Upon hearing this, the children leave a trail of breadcrumbs to find their way home; unfortunately, birds eat up the trail and they are left to wander the forest until their peril. That is, until they chance upon a house made of sweets and the wicked witch inside.I was skeptical when going to read this book, because this fairy tale has never been overly appealing to me, both as a child and an adult. However, I was very pleased with the in-depth translation, because I find a lot of fairy tales like to gloss over the true story for the quick version. This picture book is actually quite long textually but easily followed and understood: The pictures help to bring the story to life, like a angry face on a fiery furnace as it devours the witch. Overall, it is a very true and delightful fairy tale.

[shelbyweryavah · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

This story is about two children whose step-mother convinces their father to leave them in the forest alone so they will die. There is a famine and the step-mother is afraid to starve. The first time, Hansel leaves a trail of white rocks; the children follow the rocks back home. When another famine hits, she convinces the father to take them deeper into the woods. Hansel leaves a trail of bread crumbs, but they are eaten by all the birds and they get lost. They come to a house made out of sweets that a witch lives in. The witch plans to eat the children.I did not like this story, it was awful! It does not appeal to me at all. I thought it was a waste of perfect words and illustrations. No father in their right mind would agree with a witch that would want to send his children to the woods to die, because she is afraid that she won’t be able to stuff her face. I know this is just a fairy tale, but I’m sure cruel people would do that.For my extension I will have the students create a “food” house, like the witch’s house and make a brochure that will advertise the house. With the brochure, there will be a blueprint of the house, and a map for directions, thru the woods, to the house.