What do you think?
Rate this book
[Tales from the Brothers Grimm and the Sisters Weird (Magic Carpet Books)] [By: Vande Velde, Vivian] [August, 2005]
Presenting a twisted take on familiar fairy tales such as Red Riding Hood, Rumplestiltskin, and Hansel and These fractured fairy tales are both humorous and unique, from their creative beginnings to their surprise endings.
Paperback
First published October 31, 1995
12 people are currently reading
983 people want to read
About the author
Vivian Vande Velde
51 books994 followersVivian Vande Velde (born 1951, currently residing in Rochester, New York) is an American author who writes books primarily aimed at young adults.
Her novels and short story collections usually have some element of horror or fantasy, but are primarily humorous. Her book Never Trust a Dead Man (1999) received the 2000 Edgar Award for Best Young Adult Novel. She says that she really likes to write for children. She likes to do school talks to children. She does many book conventions and also gives writing classes.
Her novels and short story collections usually have some element of horror or fantasy, but are primarily humorous. Her book Never Trust a Dead Man (1999) received the 2000 Edgar Award for Best Young Adult Novel. She says that she really likes to write for children. She likes to do school talks to children. She does many book conventions and also gives writing classes.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
July 30, 2018
I'm a sucker for Vande Velde, will read and reread just about anything by her. I think I finally realized one reason why: she's got a similar magic touch with words to James Thurber, for example in Many Moons.
"Once upon a time, before the inventions of waterbeds or air mattresses or Craftomatic adjustable beds, there lived a prince named Royal. Because Prince Royal had such a royal name, great things were expected of him...."
Don't underestimate children's ability to see the joke there; they know that the parents, the King and Queen, chose the Prince's name.
And I bet it's pretty easy for you to guess which tale is about to be fractured. If you're stumped:
"... and when it was time for him to marry, everyone agreed that he needed to find absolutely the most perfect princess to be his wife."
If you still can't guess the tale, you might not like this book. Everyone else will, though.
"Once upon a time, before the inventions of waterbeds or air mattresses or Craftomatic adjustable beds, there lived a prince named Royal. Because Prince Royal had such a royal name, great things were expected of him...."
Don't underestimate children's ability to see the joke there; they know that the parents, the King and Queen, chose the Prince's name.
And I bet it's pretty easy for you to guess which tale is about to be fractured. If you're stumped:
"... and when it was time for him to marry, everyone agreed that he needed to find absolutely the most perfect princess to be his wife."
If you still can't guess the tale, you might not like this book. Everyone else will, though.
February 15, 2019
Loved how this book included several different classic stories. From The Princess and the Pea to Beauty and the Beast, I recognized so many stories and enjoyed reading this. The writing style was great and I didn't have any trouble staying interested in this book.
April 11, 2020
4.5*
This was a quick read as part of a reading challenge, this being a book under 150 pages. This is a series of short stories based on the old children's stories and they are all re-imagined in one way or another.
For the most part, the stories are told from a different perspective or have the characters slightly different to how you used to remember them. One chapter isn't a story, it's more of a 'Wanted' advert which is a clever take. That was for Goldilocks! Another is for Cinderella and focuses on what happened after the clock struck midnight and the objects returned to their original form, except for the slipper...
A clever way of re-writing the stories of old and putting a new spin on them, an imaginative read. Despite this being for a young audience, I think adults would appreciate the alternative spin on some of the stories!
The story of Hansel and Gretel was a bit creepy though...
A good book for a bit of fun!
This was a quick read as part of a reading challenge, this being a book under 150 pages. This is a series of short stories based on the old children's stories and they are all re-imagined in one way or another.
For the most part, the stories are told from a different perspective or have the characters slightly different to how you used to remember them. One chapter isn't a story, it's more of a 'Wanted' advert which is a clever take. That was for Goldilocks! Another is for Cinderella and focuses on what happened after the clock struck midnight and the objects returned to their original form, except for the slipper...
A clever way of re-writing the stories of old and putting a new spin on them, an imaginative read. Despite this being for a young audience, I think adults would appreciate the alternative spin on some of the stories!
The story of Hansel and Gretel was a bit creepy though...
A good book for a bit of fun!
February 16, 2019
Tales from the Brothers Grimm and the Sisters Weird is a collection of fairytale retellings and it was an entertaining read. It's perhaps a little dark for the ages it's intended, but if you're okay with that you should enjoy the book.
3.5 stars
3.5 stars
September 16, 2020
5 stars:
-I love the weird takes on the stories! It the true weird stuff and not the stuff that is mildly weird. I recommend this book to all who love weird stories. I plan to buy this book down the road and reread it.
🇺🇸🦋💀🐼
-I love the weird takes on the stories! It the true weird stuff and not the stuff that is mildly weird. I recommend this book to all who love weird stories. I plan to buy this book down the road and reread it.
🇺🇸🦋💀🐼
July 12, 2010
To go along with my recent interest in fairy tales, I decided to look at some fractured versions, because those are always the best. One day, while browsing my online library catalog, I came across this book. It sounded just up my alley, and it was. This was a fantastic read and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys fractured fairy tales. I love how she takes these classic stories and retells them with a twist... often with the bad guys becoming good and the good guys becoming bad. Take Rumplestiltskin, for instance. In this re-telling, Rumplestiltskin is the good guy, who helps the soon-to-be queen turn straw into gold for no pay and when a child is born that the king ignores (because it is a girl, rather than a boy), Rumplestiltskin agrees to help the queen trick the king into loving his daughter. The story ends with a twist... to find out more, you'll have to read the book :)
July 27, 2009
Fun collection of fairytale retellings, most with a simple spin on the ending, others more a revisioning. My favorites were: Straw into Gold, Frog, The Grandaughter, Twins, Evidence, B & S, and Mattresses.
November 18, 2010
Great book, really funny-
Took two points off because:
Isabelle was probably baked in an oven, and what happened to Siegfried?
The stories were a little bland
Took two points off because:
Isabelle was probably baked in an oven, and what happened to Siegfried?
The stories were a little bland
May 13, 2018
You know me, I'm a sucker for fractured fairy tales. A short and funny collection of twisted fairy tales.
Some parts seems pretty familiar, especially the part in Rumpelstiltzkin about bringing gold from his world and how his world occupies the space that the Miller's daughter's world doesn't and Rumpelstiltzkin demonstrating this by intertwining his fingers. The "z" is supposed to be there BTW. Also, Little Red Riding Hood being named Lucinda rang a bell.
I remembered reading about the Rumpelstiltskin thing in a book of different variations on Rumpelstiltskin. And what do you know, it was written by the same author. Once I had that figured out, I remembered noting that all of the author's names started with "V" when I was logging the book.
My kindle edition has some ATROCIOUS and incredibly obvious errors. Take this line:
"'Thank you, sir," Della said, curtsying again. it j >>"
That's literally it. Just a random "it j >>" inserted in between (relatively) normal dialogue. Other error include random capitalization. The errors weren't on-every-page common, but they were so weird that they really stood out. I think of it like someone reading the book and not looking at the computer as they transcribed the book, and then not reading it over to check for mistakes, but the person is generally a really good typer.
Some parts seems pretty familiar, especially the part in Rumpelstiltzkin about bringing gold from his world and how his world occupies the space that the Miller's daughter's world doesn't and Rumpelstiltzkin demonstrating this by intertwining his fingers. The "z" is supposed to be there BTW. Also, Little Red Riding Hood being named Lucinda rang a bell.
I remembered reading about the Rumpelstiltskin thing in a book of different variations on Rumpelstiltskin. And what do you know, it was written by the same author. Once I had that figured out, I remembered noting that all of the author's names started with "V" when I was logging the book.
My kindle edition has some ATROCIOUS and incredibly obvious errors. Take this line:
"'Thank you, sir," Della said, curtsying again. it j >>"
That's literally it. Just a random "it j >>" inserted in between (relatively) normal dialogue. Other error include random capitalization. The errors weren't on-every-page common, but they were so weird that they really stood out. I think of it like someone reading the book and not looking at the computer as they transcribed the book, and then not reading it over to check for mistakes, but the person is generally a really good typer.
April 2, 2019
This was thoroughly disappointing. I actually would have DNFed it after the second story but I wanted to use it for a reading challenge and figured it was short enough to suffer through the rest.
It wasn't all bad, I actually really enjoyed the take on Jack and the Beanstalk, it was clever and a unique way to kind of explain the original fairy tale. The Beauty and the Beast one also was decent, as were a few others. I'd say half the stories though the best I could say would be meh, with the Frog Prince one being the worst (the above mentioned story that almost made me quit the book).
I would skip this and read Girls to the Rescue instead.
Similar format, idea, and reading level, but much better execution throughout. (my review)
It wasn't all bad, I actually really enjoyed the take on Jack and the Beanstalk, it was clever and a unique way to kind of explain the original fairy tale. The Beauty and the Beast one also was decent, as were a few others. I'd say half the stories though the best I could say would be meh, with the Frog Prince one being the worst (the above mentioned story that almost made me quit the book).
I would skip this and read Girls to the Rescue instead.
Similar format, idea, and reading level, but much better execution throughout. (my review)
August 10, 2018
A friend recommended this to me in middle school, and I really enjoyed it. I've read the book several times, and while it still makes me smile, I don't think most of the twists Velde puts on the fairy tales will seem as clever to modern readers as they may have when it first came out. Most of them involve the old "make the hero a villain, make the villain a hero, point out what's wrong with the original tale's message" type of twist, that was probably a lot more clever before "Shrek" came out.
Still, I enjoyed this book. A couple of stories were even on the more serious side ("Straw into Gold," and the "Hansel and Grettel" retelling), and were interesting re-tellings in their own right. The one that made me laugh the hardest was "Jack," which lampoons my personal least-favorite fairy tale. Red Riding Hood and Goldilocks also got some well-deserved portrayals as a diva and a con artist respectively.
Still, I enjoyed this book. A couple of stories were even on the more serious side ("Straw into Gold," and the "Hansel and Grettel" retelling), and were interesting re-tellings in their own right. The one that made me laugh the hardest was "Jack," which lampoons my personal least-favorite fairy tale. Red Riding Hood and Goldilocks also got some well-deserved portrayals as a diva and a con artist respectively.
August 28, 2021
A book of short stories of classic fairy tales with some really interesting twists on them. I was super surprised (in the best of ways) to see the Pied Piper of Hamelin tale make an appearance, even if it was really short. The stories themselves were presented in different formats - sometimes short stories, sometimes in verse, and once in the form of a wanted ad (which made me snicker). The Hansel and Gretel retelling was one of the best, but it was also creepy as heck.
April 10, 2020
I ran across some of my childhood books and reread a few this winter. Vivian Vande Velde was always a favorite of mine. She loves to take fairy tales and turn them on their heads. This is a collection of short stories, and although not as good as her longer ones, it was still an entertaining afternoon.
September 20, 2017
A nice read, but you need to know the original stories before you get it.
November 9, 2017
Loved that this book jacket called these tales "PG-13". The best one was their spin on Hansel & Gretel. Fun read if you enjoy fractured fairy tales like I do.
December 28, 2018
Super quick read for me since many of the stories were ones I had read in other collections. Cute, but nothing especially deep.
March 25, 2019
A fun twist on the classic Grimm's Fairy Tales. While the tales in this book stand on their own, you really need to read the original versions to appreciate the creative twist.
June 17, 2019
Very clever takes on fairy tales.
I especially like all of the subtle references to other tales that are not told in this collection.
Unique, enjoyable, and quick.
I especially like all of the subtle references to other tales that are not told in this collection.
Unique, enjoyable, and quick.
August 3, 2020
Pretty good twists on classic fairy tales. Would love a whole book of this Hansel and Gretel including when they were younger as well as after they were older than in this story. They're so creepy!
April 14, 2021
Creepy, but then that’s how fairy tales were truly meant to be.
May 26, 2021
Clever takes on well known fairy tales. For instance, maybe Cinderella's stepmother really just wanted to get her out of the house.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 11, 2022
Amusing twists on fairy tales, although certain of them deal with some issues kids may not fully appreciate. I like Hansel and Gretel best as it was creepy rather than funny.
June 6, 2025
Fun twists on classic fairy tales
October 3, 2016
Very funny. Some excellent endings!
August 30, 2019
This book is very awesome.
August 3, 2025
What a wonderful nostalgic read for me! I remember as a young reader going all in on Vivian Vande Velde books over the course of one geeky, book-filled summer. My only problem with reading several of this author’s books many years ago is that I can’t remember any of these books separately—particularly books like Tales from the Brothers Grimm and the Sisters Weird, which features multiple shorter stories. Even though I remembered almost nothing from this book, I had a great time reading these stories as if they were completely new to me.
All of the stories in this book are easily recognizable fairy tales with different twists, interesting ideas, and in some cases, better endings. Take, for instance, “Straw into Gold,” in which Rumplestiltzkin is described as a young elf who is “handsome in a strange, otherworldly way” and seems to be the preferable choice for Della, the miller’s daughter over the greedy and conceited king. Instead of the goblin-like character who spins straw into gold for increasingly costly rewards, Rumplestiltzkin acts more like a benevolent force when Della must meet the king’s increasing demands: “Then, just as they had done the previous night, Rumplestiltzkin brought armloads of gold from between the particles while Della threw straw out the window. But this time Della knew the king would be pleased, so, instead of worrying, she and Rumplestiltzkin talked and laughed together as though they were old friends.”
Little Red Riding Hood, meanwhile, is long-winded and insufferable when she meets the wolf in “The Granddaughter”: “After a few minutes that felt like an hour or two, the wolf was thinking that he was in serious danger of being bored to death. The next time Little Red paused to inhale, he pointed at the sun overhead and exclaimed, all in one rush so Little Red couldn’t interrupt, ‘My goodness, look at the time, I had no idea it was so late, I’m late for an appointment, it was real nice meeting you, good-bye!’ He also had the sense to start moving as soon as he started talking.”
Along with enjoying these excellent fairytale rewrites, I also often laughed at thoughtful observations made by various characters. In “Beast and Beauty,” Beast lightly roasts Beauty’s father about his daughter’s name: “‘What kind of name is that? What did you do, call her “Hey, you,” until she grew up, and then, when she turned out to be good-looking, you finally settled on a name for her? Or did you call her Beauty from the start, simply hoping for the best, trusting to chance that she wouldn’t turn out to be a dog?’ The man was obviously taken aback. ‘We called her Beauty all along,’ he told Beast. ‘We hoped she’d be beautiful, and she is. Beauty is a fine virtue.’ ‘I suppose she’s lucky you didn’t call her Honesty,’ Beast said. ‘That’s a fine virtue, too. Or Sweet Breath. Or Mathematical Ability.’” I’m so glad I chose to reread this book and experience it all over again, and I rate it as five-out-of-five-stars.
All of the stories in this book are easily recognizable fairy tales with different twists, interesting ideas, and in some cases, better endings. Take, for instance, “Straw into Gold,” in which Rumplestiltzkin is described as a young elf who is “handsome in a strange, otherworldly way” and seems to be the preferable choice for Della, the miller’s daughter over the greedy and conceited king. Instead of the goblin-like character who spins straw into gold for increasingly costly rewards, Rumplestiltzkin acts more like a benevolent force when Della must meet the king’s increasing demands: “Then, just as they had done the previous night, Rumplestiltzkin brought armloads of gold from between the particles while Della threw straw out the window. But this time Della knew the king would be pleased, so, instead of worrying, she and Rumplestiltzkin talked and laughed together as though they were old friends.”
Little Red Riding Hood, meanwhile, is long-winded and insufferable when she meets the wolf in “The Granddaughter”: “After a few minutes that felt like an hour or two, the wolf was thinking that he was in serious danger of being bored to death. The next time Little Red paused to inhale, he pointed at the sun overhead and exclaimed, all in one rush so Little Red couldn’t interrupt, ‘My goodness, look at the time, I had no idea it was so late, I’m late for an appointment, it was real nice meeting you, good-bye!’ He also had the sense to start moving as soon as he started talking.”
Along with enjoying these excellent fairytale rewrites, I also often laughed at thoughtful observations made by various characters. In “Beast and Beauty,” Beast lightly roasts Beauty’s father about his daughter’s name: “‘What kind of name is that? What did you do, call her “Hey, you,” until she grew up, and then, when she turned out to be good-looking, you finally settled on a name for her? Or did you call her Beauty from the start, simply hoping for the best, trusting to chance that she wouldn’t turn out to be a dog?’ The man was obviously taken aback. ‘We called her Beauty all along,’ he told Beast. ‘We hoped she’d be beautiful, and she is. Beauty is a fine virtue.’ ‘I suppose she’s lucky you didn’t call her Honesty,’ Beast said. ‘That’s a fine virtue, too. Or Sweet Breath. Or Mathematical Ability.’” I’m so glad I chose to reread this book and experience it all over again, and I rate it as five-out-of-five-stars.
July 14, 2013
These versions of familiar fairy tales are quite enjoyable. Well, the Hansel and Gretel one was disturbing, but most of them have endings I prefer to those of the original, particularly 'Jack and the Beanstalk,' which is funny. These are the story titles:
'Straw Into Gold'***
'Frog'****
'All Points Bulletin'***
'The Grandaughter'****
'Excuses'***
'Jack'****
'And Now a Word From Our Sponsor'***
'The Bridge'***
'Rated PG-13'*****
'Mattresses'****
'Twins'*****
'Evidence'****
'Beast and Beauty'****
The various stories retold, some in very abbreviated form (see 'Rated PG-13') : 'Beauty and the Beast,' 'Chicken Little,' 'Cinderella,' 'The Elves and the Shoemaker,' 'The Emperor's New Clothes,' 'The Frog Prince,' 'The Gingerbread Man,' 'Goldilocks and the Three Bears,' 'Hansel and Gretel,' 'Jack and the Beanstalk,' 'The Little Red Hen,' 'Little Red Riding Hood,' 'The Pied Piper of Hamlin,' 'The Pincess and the Pea,' 'Rapunzel,' 'Rumplestilskin,' 'Sleeping Beauty,' 'Snow White,' 'The Three Billy Goats Gruff,' and 'The Ugly Duckling'.
The cover is delightfully creepy. I like the wolf in granny guise on the cover of the book being read, the glowing eyes behind the three strange children under the bed, and the black widow spider in the window. The children under the bed are also seen in the frontispiece. The girl is not hiding her smile behind her hand there and that's no improvement. I suspect the smiley face nightlight was chosen by the reader's parents and the reader probably scorns it. I think the watch's time is 3:13. Happy late reading!
'Straw Into Gold'***
'Frog'****
'All Points Bulletin'***
'The Grandaughter'****
'Excuses'***
'Jack'****
'And Now a Word From Our Sponsor'***
'The Bridge'***
'Rated PG-13'*****
'Mattresses'****
'Twins'*****
'Evidence'****
'Beast and Beauty'****
The various stories retold, some in very abbreviated form (see 'Rated PG-13') : 'Beauty and the Beast,' 'Chicken Little,' 'Cinderella,' 'The Elves and the Shoemaker,' 'The Emperor's New Clothes,' 'The Frog Prince,' 'The Gingerbread Man,' 'Goldilocks and the Three Bears,' 'Hansel and Gretel,' 'Jack and the Beanstalk,' 'The Little Red Hen,' 'Little Red Riding Hood,' 'The Pied Piper of Hamlin,' 'The Pincess and the Pea,' 'Rapunzel,' 'Rumplestilskin,' 'Sleeping Beauty,' 'Snow White,' 'The Three Billy Goats Gruff,' and 'The Ugly Duckling'.
The cover is delightfully creepy. I like the wolf in granny guise on the cover of the book being read, the glowing eyes behind the three strange children under the bed, and the black widow spider in the window. The children under the bed are also seen in the frontispiece. The girl is not hiding her smile behind her hand there and that's no improvement. I suspect the smiley face nightlight was chosen by the reader's parents and the reader probably scorns it. I think the watch's time is 3:13. Happy late reading!
February 9, 2016
One of Velde's greatest abilities is her talent in taking traditional fairy tales and giving them entirely new twists. This book is a perfect example of that.
She starts off with Rumpelstiltzkin and the concept of weaving straw into gold for a king that is never quite satisfied with how much was actually accomplished. Then there's the story about the frog prince. An abused frog prince, that is. Does changing back into a Prince automatically mean happiness for the girl responsible? Not always.
Then there's the problem of Little Red Riding Hood. A very annoying Little Red Riding Hood. There's also the lazy boy Jack and the bird laying golden eggs and the singing harp, but then again not everything goes according to plan, does it?
You then have the story of the troll bridge and three billy-goats. Um, making that one billy goat. (There are also some one or two page poem-type stories scattered here and there like the police APB for Goldlocks.)
One question that is worth asking is, would you put up with a Princess who was so sensitive she could detect the presence of a squashed pea underneath multiple mattresses and who let you know (in no uncertain terms) that she was not pleased with the sleeping arrangements?
What happens if Hanzel and Gretel are two really, really nasty kids? What happens if Beauty actually likes Beast's appearance?
All these and various other things are covered in this delightful book. Another gem from Velde.
She starts off with Rumpelstiltzkin and the concept of weaving straw into gold for a king that is never quite satisfied with how much was actually accomplished. Then there's the story about the frog prince. An abused frog prince, that is. Does changing back into a Prince automatically mean happiness for the girl responsible? Not always.
Then there's the problem of Little Red Riding Hood. A very annoying Little Red Riding Hood. There's also the lazy boy Jack and the bird laying golden eggs and the singing harp, but then again not everything goes according to plan, does it?
You then have the story of the troll bridge and three billy-goats. Um, making that one billy goat. (There are also some one or two page poem-type stories scattered here and there like the police APB for Goldlocks.)
One question that is worth asking is, would you put up with a Princess who was so sensitive she could detect the presence of a squashed pea underneath multiple mattresses and who let you know (in no uncertain terms) that she was not pleased with the sleeping arrangements?
What happens if Hanzel and Gretel are two really, really nasty kids? What happens if Beauty actually likes Beast's appearance?
All these and various other things are covered in this delightful book. Another gem from Velde.
May 6, 2022
Its kinda repetitive, but that's to be expected when you're reading classic tales like these. It starts strong at the beginning of the longer stories, then skim through the middle and jump back in near the end. But I like the short stories and the unexpected twist that were made.
October 31, 2010
http://librarytalker.blogspot.com/201...
Take a cup of fairy tales, add a tablespoon of irony, and a dash of snark and you get a whole new take on the stories of the Brothers Grimm. These aren't just fractured; they are completely smashed and then rearranged in some strange mosaic that sometimes only vaguely resembles the original tale.
Take, for example, this line from the Beast of the original "Beauty and the Beast":
Beast was looking at the man skeptically. "Your daughter's name is Beauty?" he asked. "What kind of name is that? What did you do, call her 'Hey, you,' until she grew up, and then, when she turned out to be good-looking, you finally settled on a name for her? Or did you call her Beauty from the start, simply hoping for the best, trusting to chance that she wouldn't turn out to be a dog?"... "I suppose she's lucky you didn't call her Honesty," Beast said. "That's a fine virtue, too. Or Sweet Breath. Or Mathematical Ability."
Final thoughts: This is an older book that's been around a while, but I'd never had a chance to read it. I am a fan of retold tales and a few of these were hilarious. Unfortunately, they aren't all great. There was a definite inconsistency in the quality of the tales. Some of them felt very well thought out, while others felt like throwaways designed to fill space.
Take a cup of fairy tales, add a tablespoon of irony, and a dash of snark and you get a whole new take on the stories of the Brothers Grimm. These aren't just fractured; they are completely smashed and then rearranged in some strange mosaic that sometimes only vaguely resembles the original tale.
Take, for example, this line from the Beast of the original "Beauty and the Beast":
Beast was looking at the man skeptically. "Your daughter's name is Beauty?" he asked. "What kind of name is that? What did you do, call her 'Hey, you,' until she grew up, and then, when she turned out to be good-looking, you finally settled on a name for her? Or did you call her Beauty from the start, simply hoping for the best, trusting to chance that she wouldn't turn out to be a dog?"... "I suppose she's lucky you didn't call her Honesty," Beast said. "That's a fine virtue, too. Or Sweet Breath. Or Mathematical Ability."
Final thoughts: This is an older book that's been around a while, but I'd never had a chance to read it. I am a fan of retold tales and a few of these were hilarious. Unfortunately, they aren't all great. There was a definite inconsistency in the quality of the tales. Some of them felt very well thought out, while others felt like throwaways designed to fill space.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews