The Tale of Snow White and the Widow Queen

Tales for Once & Ever #1

by Jonathan Pageau, Heather Pollington (Illustrator)

Snow White and The Widow Queen marks a re-awakening of the traditional fairy tale. Master of symbolism Jonathan Pageau recounts the familiar narrative in a bold voice as a celebration of our ancient stories. Written for the enjoyment of children, parents will nonetheless find surprising treasures hidden in these pages and discover how so many of Snow White’s secrets have been hiding from them in plain sight.

The book is designed and illustrated with magical richness by Heather Pollington. Her work on some of the world’s most beloved fantasy and fairytale movie franchises has made her an expert in hiding deep meaning in beautiful details.

Snow White and The Widow Queen is the first of eight fairy tale books written by Jonathan Pageau to weave a new and surprising tapestry of well-known characters and narratives, creating a fairy tale world worthy of our great heritage.

Genres: Fantasy, Fairy Tales, Childrens, Retellings, Fiction, Classics, Christianity

52 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2023

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful! I loved this so, so much. Heather Pollington’s illustrations are magnificent and Jonathan Pageau truly crafted an incredible, thought provoking retelling of Snow White. I will treasure this (seriously can’t stop marveling at the beautiful illustrations) and can’t wait for the rest of the books in the series.

[Connor Leoni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Years and years pass, yet fairy tales remain relevant… until Disney depraved them.

These short stories go from generation to generation reflecting some of the deepest patterns of reality. So why rewrite them? It seems like all modern rewritings of these fairy tales are perversions of the original story that change half of it so that the “21st century audience could understand.”

So what’s the deal with this one? Why rewrite it? Pageau does a fantastic job staying true to the story, yet emphasizing certain parts to help the audience perceive meaning at all levels.

Also, one of the most well-crafted books physically I’ve ever held. How many times do we buy some cheap made paperback off of amazon to save money? content of a great story should be reflected in the build quality.

[Leah Pavlosky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely book!! This one is my favorite out of Rapunzel and Jack and the Giants. I really enjoyed the beginning, but did find the ending a little anticlimactic. The art is stunning, best part of the book! Snow White truly is the fairest of them all, unlike other art/animation I see of her.

[Jeremy]

Watch Jonathan Pageau discuss the meaning of the story here. Watch a discussion about the book's art here.

[Scott W. Blankenship · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun read! I loved all of the biblical allusions.

[Rose Prickett · Rating 4 out of 5]

It gets an extra star for the fantastic art.

I like that the Widow Queen's attempts to kill Snow White are a big part of her loss of beauty. The dwarves got a little character growth and were not forgotten in the ending. I liked the weaving in of biblical language and themes. I liked the crow (which the art portrays as turning into a dove when the Prince finds Snow White in her glass coffin; a nice touch)

I think it's a lovely adaptation with incredible art.

Ignore the rest if you aren't interested in my one really weird hang-up.

I have a quibble with the the Prince being "hypnotized" by Snow White's beauty. That's a very loaded word (I'm not concerned about feminist issues here, I'm referring to the magical compulsion sense of the word), which Pageau should know since he's so big on symbolism. He later says Snow White is "mesmerized" by one of the Queen's gifts and Mesmer and his mesmerism is the basis of hypnotism and when a character in a fairy-tale is hypnotise/mesmerized by someone or something it almost always implies a domination of their will to another/compulsion by the person or object. Rarely to the character's good. You may say this is a nitpick and you would be right. But. Pageau said on the Kickstarter that he's been contmplating Snow White for years. From the kickstarter page: "I have spent the past two decades meditating on the strange narrative elements of Snow White and other fairy tales. I'm now very excited to put these meditations into print because the stories are beautifully preserved and refined by time and ready to present hidden treasures most of us have never noticed."
It is called "a symbolic adaptation", again from the kickstarter, and I expect every word to be weighed for it's symbolic meaning and how it works with the larger symbolism of the story. Same with the art. Which is why I stumbled at this choice of word for the pull of Snow White's beauty. Why not say, "Struck by the beauty of the girl in the outside..." Pageau probably has a reason for this word, and perhaps he answers this in the little pdf on symbolism, and I can think of a few reasons myself, but I still say it is a strange sour note in a lovely song. If it had been used during the Huntsman letting her go, I probably wouldn't have an issue. But to use her beauty to "hypnotize" the Prince to see her, though utterly unconscious on her part left an uneasy feeling in my mind about Snow White's beauty. Maybe that was the point, but it's no where else in the story except with the Queen and her magical machinations! At no other point are we supposed to feel concerned about Snow White's beauty. We grow concerned about her accepting of gifts to enhance her beauty, but an ugly person would suffer the same temptations. The Queen was beautiful and is showing us what that kind of concern for keeping and prioritizing and weaponizing beauty does to a person. I don't understand when there are so many ways to say the Prince went to talk to her because she was beautiful than this weirdly unsettling one. He came to the kingdom because he heard of how surpassingly beautiful she was and asked to see the most beautiful person when he showed up! We know he'll want to go to her when he sees her. Pageau, I need an answer!

[Sam Gruber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pwetty

[S. Paterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful.

[Joseph R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of Snow White has been immortalized by the Disney film from the 1930s. Based on a Grimms' fairy tale, everyone knows the tale of a young princess driven from the castle by a jealous and vain step-mother with a magic mirror (and other magics, as it turns out). This adaptation fills out some of the story, giving more background to Snow White's true parents, her birth, and her life under her step-mother. Many of the elements are familiar from other fairy tales (Snow White becomes a servant in the castle like Cinderella; the temptation with the poisoned apple is explicitly paralleled with the Garden of Eden temptation; etc.). The storytelling also uses the rule of threes several times to great effect, giving it a sense of classic fairy tale narrative. The story becomes fuller and richer in Pageau's telling.

The illustrations are even better. Pollington has worked in film art departments for Guillermo del Toro, among other filmmakers, and has an unerring sense of visual storytelling, especially in the folk-lore or mythic modes. The full-page images convey important story moments with many details thrown in. Visual motifs are reused to good effect, like the parallel between Snow White's mother's deathbed and Snow Whites' glass coffin. The illustrations are delightful and fascinating.

Highly recommended--this is the start of a series of fairy tales retold by Pageau and I am sure to get future volumes.

[Nadia · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always, I never tire of reading the same fairy tales over and over again, just slightly different. This was a good retelling. As I was reading it and looking at the illustrations, I thought it was neat that at times more was shown than was written. It made me think, if you read this to a child many times, they would pick up on what is being shown as well as written for a more complete picture. For example, the passage about the King being killed and the illustration showing the Queen talking to the Hunter. We all assume that the Queen killed him because we have seen representations of the queen in other works and wouldn't put it past her, but to someone who hasn't experienced this story before, that is something they could pick up on. Bravo for that!

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating and rich retelling of this classic fairy tale. The artwork stands alone: vivid, emotional and full of detail that rewards close analysis. Pageau’s text has even more layers. Linking this tale to stories like the Iliad and showing real lessons in morality, love and human folly without feeling like a Sunday school lesson.

Get this book to read to your children or grandchildren, of course! But it is equally as enchanting for adults, especially any that grew up only with the Disney version.

[Rebel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A beautiful retelling, ruined by cowardice at the end. I thought the goal was to reverse the damage done by Disney's changes, not perpetuate them! And then Pageau even doubles down in the companion book insisting that it's absolutely essential to the story for Snow White to be awoken with a kiss. How important can a plot point added over 100 years after the story was first written down possibly be? Especially when the Grimm Brothers' ending would have also served the symbolic significance Pageau was aiming for, but oh no we don't dare go against Disney's version!

[Ivana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this fairytale! The book is beautifully done, a treasure to hold in your hands. The very look and feel of it make it mysterious and precious, and that kind of puts you in the mood for a mysterious and precious tale. Since I watched many videos about the story, I kinda knew what to expect. I will not do that for the next book in the series. But there was one thing that totally surprised me - the little tucked-in note at the end! I loved it!

[Samuel Hilgeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been a fan of Pageau for a long time. He has, in some way, been my Rabbi through the collapse of modernity, guiding me to safer harbors. I can safety say that this work that Jonathan and Heather have produced carries that same legacy by guiding it's reader through the ocean current of modernity and into a newly enchanted world of classic fairy tales. When I have kids, this will be the first story off the shelf, and I believe I will enjoy it more than they.

[Geno C. Foral · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most beautiful reading experiences I have had in a long time. I felt as though I were holding a relic. From the artistic expression, the quality of material, and the respect for the symbolism and wisdom of the source material, this book is a cherishable gift to behold.

Well done, Jonathan Pageau and Heather Hollington. I appreciate your willingness to revive some of our ancient stories. May we be wise enough to remember them.

[Susan M. Gonyo · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much better

This is so much better than the other version of the story. I would have loved to read this book to my granddaughter when she was small. The illustrations are beautiful. This book will make a wonderful keepsake. I would recommend this to anyone with a young daughter or granddaughter.

[Daniel Berryment · Rating 5 out of 5]

The art is gorgeous. The story is retold faithfully with a lot of love and appreciation for the themes of the original. In an age where fairytales are being reinterpreted constantly, this is a beautiful rendition of everything about the Snow White story which was good in the first place.

For that reason, it may not be suited for younger kids. There is not a small amount of blood.

[Brad Bevers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful book, great illustrations and an excellent retelling of the classic Snow White story. This book is not a kids book, but you can easily read it aloud in less than half an hour. Hopefully there are more coming in this series with other fairy tales.

[EJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Much anticipated and exceeded my expectations in its beauty. The ending where the queen is exiled rather than executed is pleasing and highly fitting. I display my copy and have read it multiple times. As Tolkien says, fairy tales are certainly for adults, as well as children

[Yana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to love it, and maybe with time I'll warm up to it, but it didn't feel better than the original. I appreciate the effort and the details that have been brought back and often forgotten, I'm not sure about the extra details.

[Mrs Anne-Marie Catterall · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful and deep telling of Snow White

The deepest telling of Snow White I have read, the fairy tale was full of powerful connections and the illustrations are beautiful. Really enjoyed it and looking forward to more in the series.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un vrai livre de conte à l'ancienne, qui nous plonge dans la magie du symbolisme. J'ai particulièrement aimé les illustrations, qui mêlent le merveilleux du conte et des rappels d'épisodes bibliques. Un bel objet, qui fera du bien aux adultes et aux enfants qui le liront.

[Astrid · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5*

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

The artwork is wonderful; the storytelling, overall, very good.

[Myrick Crampton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A visual work of art, takes Grimm to the next level. It’s patterns all the way up and down!

[Rose Prickett · Rating 4 out of 5]

An extra star for the lovely art that complements the writing while adding some depth of it's own, such as the raven becoming a dove.

[Karen H · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was well worth the wait. Such a beautiful book . Lovely illustrations. It's a treasure to be handed down.

[Joel Wiedrich · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is great.

[Legustafson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful retelling of a favorite story. The artwork is intriguing and multilayered. Thank you for making such an amazing book. I will treasure my copy as an heirloom item to pass on.

[Chandler Glotfelty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated and written! I’m excited to come back to and to share this book with my family. Jonathan’s additions and edits to the traditionally story are seamless and edifying