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Hansel and Gretel
The classic fairy tale that celebrates Hansel and Gretel's strength and spirit over the malevolence of the world around them. Set in Atlantic Canada.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1812
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
June 27, 2010
I think this is the first ever book I read.
February 26, 2024
u can never go wrong when u have witches, cults or cannibalism in a children's story <3
May 29, 2025
This rating is for the edition retold and illustrated by Ian Wallace.
October 14, 2014
Read it on an app that plays background music. It was fun.
Evoked memories of my mother narrating the story to me and my brother at bedtime. One of those first stories, along with young Krishna's adventures with his friends, that I visualized in my head and fell asleep to dreaming them.
This one is cute.
Evoked memories of my mother narrating the story to me and my brother at bedtime. One of those first stories, along with young Krishna's adventures with his friends, that I visualized in my head and fell asleep to dreaming them.
This one is cute.
January 3, 2012
Very sad but entertaining children's story.
May 22, 2018
This was one of my favorite stories when I was a kid, I would watch the movie as often as I could. Reading it as an adult, it is still a pretty solid story that I can still enjoy.
August 17, 2018
Im flying back to my childhood
August 28, 2018
A childhood favorite of mine
February 8, 2021
This is a classic story of two abused children who live each other. Although they escape their abusive mother, that are then challenged to save themselves from a cruel witch.
June 6, 2025
Hansel y Gretel:La historia sigue a dos hermanos, Hansel y Gretel, que se pierden en el bosque y caen en las garras de una bruja malvada.
La historia comienza con un padre y una madre que, debido a la pobreza, deciden abandonar a sus hijos en el bosque. Hansel y Gretel, sin embargo, escuchan el plan y se preparan para encontrar su camino de regreso a casa. La bruja, que vive en una casa de dulces y golosinas, engaña a los hermanos y los captura.
La historia comienza con un padre y una madre que, debido a la pobreza, deciden abandonar a sus hijos en el bosque. Hansel y Gretel, sin embargo, escuchan el plan y se preparan para encontrar su camino de regreso a casa. La bruja, que vive en una casa de dulces y golosinas, engaña a los hermanos y los captura.
October 24, 2013
DRA:? Grades:3-5
When a mean step mother convinces their dad to abandon them in the woods, Hansel and Gretel are forced to fend for themselves and find their way back home. The first time they were left in the forest, they managed to go back home because of the shinny pebles Hansel left on the path. However, the second time the children used bread to mark the path and the birds ate all the crumbs, leaving Hansel and Gretel unsure how to get back home. The starving siblings run into a house made of bread and sugar. While feasting on it, they meet an old woman who is nice to them at first but later show her true colors. The siblings fortune is on the witche's hand. Ane they need to defeat her before they can ever see home again.
When a mean step mother convinces their dad to abandon them in the woods, Hansel and Gretel are forced to fend for themselves and find their way back home. The first time they were left in the forest, they managed to go back home because of the shinny pebles Hansel left on the path. However, the second time the children used bread to mark the path and the birds ate all the crumbs, leaving Hansel and Gretel unsure how to get back home. The starving siblings run into a house made of bread and sugar. While feasting on it, they meet an old woman who is nice to them at first but later show her true colors. The siblings fortune is on the witche's hand. Ane they need to defeat her before they can ever see home again.
March 30, 2014
Hansel and Gretel are two children from a poor family. Their parents could barely make ends meet. They went out to pick berries but they some how ventured into the forbidden North Woods where demons and witches are said to live. Hansel The breadcrumbs that the baker gave her she dropped them to help them find their way back but a hungry crow ate the breadcrumbs. This story will keep your attention for sure. I think that children will be engaged by this story.
This could be used to teach a lesson on what to do if your lost.
This could be used to teach a lesson on what to do if your lost.
July 9, 2014
Originally read in a collected Grimm Brothers book. I'd love to know how many different versions of this I've now seen/heard/watched?
January 2, 2016
This is the first book I ever read in my life. I was six years old.....
December 15, 2025
Rating: 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I read Hansel and Gretel and rated it 4 stars. It is a beautifully written story that touches the heart. What I loved most was how it highlights the deep bond between siblings. It shows how, when a sister feels low, her brother knows exactly how to make her smile—even in the worst situations. And when the brother faces difficulties, the sister, though emotional, finds the strength to support him and help him through. This mutual care and understanding are something every sibling can relate to.
The story also delivers a powerful message: greed is always a curse. No matter how much money, power, or status a person has—even if they are a king—greed eventually leads to destruction. A greedy person will one day lose everything they value.
Overall, it’s a meaningful and heartwarming story with simple yet powerful lessons, which is why I truly enjoyed reading it.
I read Hansel and Gretel and rated it 4 stars. It is a beautifully written story that touches the heart. What I loved most was how it highlights the deep bond between siblings. It shows how, when a sister feels low, her brother knows exactly how to make her smile—even in the worst situations. And when the brother faces difficulties, the sister, though emotional, finds the strength to support him and help him through. This mutual care and understanding are something every sibling can relate to.
The story also delivers a powerful message: greed is always a curse. No matter how much money, power, or status a person has—even if they are a king—greed eventually leads to destruction. A greedy person will one day lose everything they value.
Overall, it’s a meaningful and heartwarming story with simple yet powerful lessons, which is why I truly enjoyed reading it.
November 3, 2021
Había escuchado la historia cuando era pequeña, pero es la primera vez que la leo y me sorprende lo oscura que es.
No me termina de convencer la definición de los personajes adultos.
Tenemos a una madrastra mala, pero el padre es un "pobre hombre" que se deja manipular y abandona a sus hijos (en mi punto de vista, un mal padre también).
De todas formas, sé que es una historia antigua y la sociedad de aquel entonces era muy distinta (y es por esto que no criticare el cuento).
El cuento está bien pero no me gustó del todo.
No me termina de convencer la definición de los personajes adultos.
Tenemos a una madrastra mala, pero el padre es un "pobre hombre" que se deja manipular y abandona a sus hijos (en mi punto de vista, un mal padre también).
De todas formas, sé que es una historia antigua y la sociedad de aquel entonces era muy distinta (y es por esto que no criticare el cuento).
El cuento está bien pero no me gustó del todo.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 6, 2020
Assez dramatique comme conte
June 11, 2020
This is my always favorite tale. Wise siblings together versus a wicked witch.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
December 7, 2020idk
January 4, 2021
Children’s library
May 31, 2021
I want to know how the stepmother died. Hopefully she was ether witch. I said it.
October 13, 2021
This was a favorite as a child. Definitely a bit dark for children and doesn't have super clear messages for children, but still an exciting tale to spook kiddos!
Read
February 7, 2022to-read
February 7, 2022
Will always love this one but very sad
July 12, 2022
I've watched the movie
May 19, 2023
Just beautiful
September 1, 2023
Tenía que ser madrastra 😭
October 2, 2023
This book is great. I think that it is great for teaching kids to beware of strangers. It is also very entertaining for young children. Because it is a folktale it is also somewhat nostalgic.
October 5, 2025
Of course this is an old classic that was around way before I was born and I'm OLD now!
Read
February 29, 2016Title: Hansel and Gretel
Author: Grimm Brothers
Illustrator: Ian Wallace
Genre: European Folktale
Theme(s): Teamwork/Problem Solving
Opening line/sentence: “Once upon a time, a woodcutter lived at the edge of a great forest with his wife and two children.”
Brief Book Summary: The family is very poor and the parents think that they won’t survive if they have to feed all four mouths, so they decide to leave their children out in the woods. The first time the children found their way back, but the second time, they had trouble. They found a little house made of food and candy, so they went inside. But, an evil witch lived there that tried to fatten them up and eat them. Eventually, they were able to trap the witch and escape and made their way home. They took as much from the house as they could so that they would never be poor again.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1: Hazel Rochman (Booklist, June 1 & 15, 1996 (Vol. 92, No. 19 & 20)) Sinister but not gruesome, this retelling, first published in Canada, of one of the scariest of all fairy tales gives the story a contemporary setting. There's one basic change: the stepmother of the original is the mother this time, which is something many children may have always felt anyway. The pictures show a dark forest on a stormy shore. Times are hard; the mother is a scold with her hair in rollers; the father is too weak to stand up to her when she insists they abandon their children. Done with pastel pencil on black paper, the illustrations have a brooding, surreal fearfulness; and though the words say that the story ends happily, the pictures remain scary, the witch always a threat. Use this version with older readers who know the story. Category: For the Young. 1996, Douglas & McIntyre/Groundwood, $14.95. Gr. 2-4.
(PUBLISHER: Publishers Group West, PUBLISHED: 1996.)
Professional Recommendation/Review #2: From School Library Journal: Grade 1-4?A brooding, surrealistic version of the classic fairy tale. Wallace modernizes the Grimms' story, turning the stepmother into the more ambiguous "the woman"; making Gretel into Hansel's equal partner (eliminating her crying); and omitting all mention of God. Otherwise, the text follows the original pretty faithfully. The illustrations, done in pastel pencils on black paper, have an eerie gloominess and iridescent quality. The witch's face is only shown on the cover, but the pictures inside are scary enough. When the children are alone in the forest, they are tiny figures in an alien, threatening landscape. What looks like a giant, half-submerged face seems to threaten them at one point; a huge hourglass next to Hansel's cage underlines the urgency of his danger; and the siblings' reunion with their father takes place near a graveyard. At the end, the text proclaims the traditional litany of "...they lived in perfect happiness from then on," but a turn of the page reveals an ominous rebirth of the witch. Somewhat surprisingly, there are not many good picture-book versions of this tale in print. James Marshall's (Dial, 1990) is excellent for the very young?the witch is not scary and a sense of humor pervades the text; Susan Jeffers's (Dial, 1980) is traditional and beautiful. Wallace's is unusual and emphasizes the dark side of the tale. It is definitely a distinguished book to savor; independent readers will pore over its pages and scrutinize its details.?Judith Constantinides, East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Response to Two Professional Reviews: I agree with both reviews. The illustrations are very eerie and terrifying. I think that the pictures do a very good job at setting the scene and mood of each page and action.
Evaluation of Literary Elements: As I stated before, I think that the pictures do a very good job at setting the scene and mood of each page and action. In addition, I like the dialogue between the brother and the sister and how they are portrayed as equals to each other.
Consideration of Instructional Application: In a classroom, I could use this book to teach about problem solving and teamwork. Hansel and Gretel were able to work together in order to escape from the witches house and we could do an activity where the students are paired up and given a situation that they need to work together to get out of. This may be a good activity to do in gym or outside.
Author: Grimm Brothers
Illustrator: Ian Wallace
Genre: European Folktale
Theme(s): Teamwork/Problem Solving
Opening line/sentence: “Once upon a time, a woodcutter lived at the edge of a great forest with his wife and two children.”
Brief Book Summary: The family is very poor and the parents think that they won’t survive if they have to feed all four mouths, so they decide to leave their children out in the woods. The first time the children found their way back, but the second time, they had trouble. They found a little house made of food and candy, so they went inside. But, an evil witch lived there that tried to fatten them up and eat them. Eventually, they were able to trap the witch and escape and made their way home. They took as much from the house as they could so that they would never be poor again.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1: Hazel Rochman (Booklist, June 1 & 15, 1996 (Vol. 92, No. 19 & 20)) Sinister but not gruesome, this retelling, first published in Canada, of one of the scariest of all fairy tales gives the story a contemporary setting. There's one basic change: the stepmother of the original is the mother this time, which is something many children may have always felt anyway. The pictures show a dark forest on a stormy shore. Times are hard; the mother is a scold with her hair in rollers; the father is too weak to stand up to her when she insists they abandon their children. Done with pastel pencil on black paper, the illustrations have a brooding, surreal fearfulness; and though the words say that the story ends happily, the pictures remain scary, the witch always a threat. Use this version with older readers who know the story. Category: For the Young. 1996, Douglas & McIntyre/Groundwood, $14.95. Gr. 2-4.
(PUBLISHER: Publishers Group West, PUBLISHED: 1996.)
Professional Recommendation/Review #2: From School Library Journal: Grade 1-4?A brooding, surrealistic version of the classic fairy tale. Wallace modernizes the Grimms' story, turning the stepmother into the more ambiguous "the woman"; making Gretel into Hansel's equal partner (eliminating her crying); and omitting all mention of God. Otherwise, the text follows the original pretty faithfully. The illustrations, done in pastel pencils on black paper, have an eerie gloominess and iridescent quality. The witch's face is only shown on the cover, but the pictures inside are scary enough. When the children are alone in the forest, they are tiny figures in an alien, threatening landscape. What looks like a giant, half-submerged face seems to threaten them at one point; a huge hourglass next to Hansel's cage underlines the urgency of his danger; and the siblings' reunion with their father takes place near a graveyard. At the end, the text proclaims the traditional litany of "...they lived in perfect happiness from then on," but a turn of the page reveals an ominous rebirth of the witch. Somewhat surprisingly, there are not many good picture-book versions of this tale in print. James Marshall's (Dial, 1990) is excellent for the very young?the witch is not scary and a sense of humor pervades the text; Susan Jeffers's (Dial, 1980) is traditional and beautiful. Wallace's is unusual and emphasizes the dark side of the tale. It is definitely a distinguished book to savor; independent readers will pore over its pages and scrutinize its details.?Judith Constantinides, East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Response to Two Professional Reviews: I agree with both reviews. The illustrations are very eerie and terrifying. I think that the pictures do a very good job at setting the scene and mood of each page and action.
Evaluation of Literary Elements: As I stated before, I think that the pictures do a very good job at setting the scene and mood of each page and action. In addition, I like the dialogue between the brother and the sister and how they are portrayed as equals to each other.
Consideration of Instructional Application: In a classroom, I could use this book to teach about problem solving and teamwork. Hansel and Gretel were able to work together in order to escape from the witches house and we could do an activity where the students are paired up and given a situation that they need to work together to get out of. This may be a good activity to do in gym or outside.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews