earth_and_silver's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
turrean's review against another edition
3.0
Jenkins (author of the splendid Toys Go Out stories) retells seven traditional tales. In an author’s note at the finish, she explains that she wished to tell the tales faithfully, but also to answer questions about why a stepmother might reject her stepchildren, or an elegant princess come to love a slimy frog.
They are indeed faithful retellings, with plenty of amusing dialog (especially the noodleheads in the two comic tales.) The linking of the tales was clever; the frozen forest and the neighboring sunny forest are home to woodcutters and evil stepmothers aplenty. And the artwork by Eason is gorgeous — I remember the cover he did for The Wolves of Willloughby Chase!
Jenkins does not always answer her questions more clearly than many other retellings. For example, in some of the other versions of the story, authors simply state that Hansel and Gretel’s stepmother died in the children’s absence. Jenkins asks why stepmother should have died. When the witch has died, Hansel comments that he’s sure Stepmother is dead, too: “...Old Mother and Stepmother, too,“ said Hansel. “I am mostly certain.“ And he’s right. Were the Stepmother and Old Mother the same person? If so, why would the stepmother consent to starve with her new husband and children when she could make an edible house with her powers? Or was she herself eaten by those hungry creatures on the way home? If Jenkins means me to infer more, it’s too subtle for me.
The Frog Prince was easily my favorite of the tales. The arguments between the bored princess and the clever frog are funny, and the ending is lovely. I was delighted to read that the now-wedded couple occasionally quarreled to keep the dullness at bay.
They are indeed faithful retellings, with plenty of amusing dialog (especially the noodleheads in the two comic tales.) The linking of the tales was clever; the frozen forest and the neighboring sunny forest are home to woodcutters and evil stepmothers aplenty. And the artwork by Eason is gorgeous — I remember the cover he did for The Wolves of Willloughby Chase!
Jenkins does not always answer her questions more clearly than many other retellings. For example, in some of the other versions of the story, authors simply state that Hansel and Gretel’s stepmother died in the children’s absence. Jenkins asks why stepmother should have died. When the witch has died, Hansel comments that he’s sure Stepmother is dead, too: “...Old Mother and Stepmother, too,“ said Hansel. “I am mostly certain.“ And he’s right. Were the Stepmother and Old Mother the same person? If so, why would the stepmother consent to starve with her new husband and children when she could make an edible house with her powers? Or was she herself eaten by those hungry creatures on the way home? If Jenkins means me to infer more, it’s too subtle for me.
The Frog Prince was easily my favorite of the tales. The arguments between the bored princess and the clever frog are funny, and the ending is lovely. I was delighted to read that the now-wedded couple occasionally quarreled to keep the dullness at bay.
ljrinaldi's review against another edition
3.0
This is an interesting, but not terribly novel, retelling of fairy and folk tales. Like the author, I took classes on the oral tradition of story telling, and thus, like the author, I am well aware, as she points out in her afterward, that these stories were told, and retold, and tweaked with each new telling.
And that is all very well and good, but don't go reading this and hoping for a new, novel view of these classic tales of Little Read Riding Hood, or the Frog Prince, or, Snow White. There is some inside, and humor thrown in, but, as Jenkins points out, it is not her goal to add anything modern to the stories, just to explain some things, such as why step-mothers were cruel, or why fathers were thoughtless.
You might enjoy reading these. I found, although the humor was cute, that I grew boarded with how little she ended up changing things.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
And that is all very well and good, but don't go reading this and hoping for a new, novel view of these classic tales of Little Read Riding Hood, or the Frog Prince, or, Snow White. There is some inside, and humor thrown in, but, as Jenkins points out, it is not her goal to add anything modern to the stories, just to explain some things, such as why step-mothers were cruel, or why fathers were thoughtless.
You might enjoy reading these. I found, although the humor was cute, that I grew boarded with how little she ended up changing things.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
mckenzierichardson's review against another edition
3.0
For more reviews, check out my blog: Craft-Cycle
A nice collection of fairy tales. It contains the stories, "Snow White", "The Frog Prince", "Three Wishes", "Toads and Pearls", "Red Riding Hood", "The Three Great Noodles", and "Hansel and Gretel".
The book does not adhere strictly to the originals nor are they reinvented into completely new tales. Instead, as Jenkins writes in her Author's Note, "I wrote them simply as I myself want to tell them, using the storytelling techniques I have at my disposal". It is a nice middle-ground between the originals and new retellings. While the stories are not reinvented, they do take place in and near the same icy forest, which is a fun detail. There are some connections between the stories which adds an interesting (and sometimes humorous- I enjoyed all of the "noodle" references) element.
The writing is fairly simple but does contain some great descriptions and details. Jenkins notes that she tried to answer various questions while she wrote, such as "Why would Red trust the wolf?" and "How would it feel to have pearls dropping from your mouth?" While reading, I enjoyed these extra details added to the stories that had not been brought to light in other renditions.
With that, the overall reading experience was good. The book provides its own unique voice as well as a few added details, but for the most part sticks to the elements of the original tales. I think the subtitle, "A New Book of Old Tales" is very appropriate and describes the content perfectly.
A nice collection of fairy tales. It contains the stories, "Snow White", "The Frog Prince", "Three Wishes", "Toads and Pearls", "Red Riding Hood", "The Three Great Noodles", and "Hansel and Gretel".
The book does not adhere strictly to the originals nor are they reinvented into completely new tales. Instead, as Jenkins writes in her Author's Note, "I wrote them simply as I myself want to tell them, using the storytelling techniques I have at my disposal". It is a nice middle-ground between the originals and new retellings. While the stories are not reinvented, they do take place in and near the same icy forest, which is a fun detail. There are some connections between the stories which adds an interesting (and sometimes humorous- I enjoyed all of the "noodle" references) element.
The writing is fairly simple but does contain some great descriptions and details. Jenkins notes that she tried to answer various questions while she wrote, such as "Why would Red trust the wolf?" and "How would it feel to have pearls dropping from your mouth?" While reading, I enjoyed these extra details added to the stories that had not been brought to light in other renditions.
With that, the overall reading experience was good. The book provides its own unique voice as well as a few added details, but for the most part sticks to the elements of the original tales. I think the subtitle, "A New Book of Old Tales" is very appropriate and describes the content perfectly.
critterbee's review against another edition
2.0
A collection of some of the more well-known fairy tales, with beautiful illustrations and a rather stilted writing style. I think these stories would be OK for younger middle grade readers, but they lack a lyrical quality that I look for in fairy tales.
Upon reading the Author's note, it appears the stories were intentionally written simply, in a way the author feels is more akin to the tales' oral tradition.
*eARC Netgalley*
Upon reading the Author's note, it appears the stories were intentionally written simply, in a way the author feels is more akin to the tales' oral tradition.
*eARC Netgalley*
backonthealex's review against another edition
3.0
When I was a kid, my mom bought my sister and me a big book of fairytales we were supposed to share. Neither one of us liked the tales we read very much, and the book basically became a dust collector. So when my Kiddo came along, I told my mom "No. More. Fairytales. Please." But had Emily Jenkins' Brave Red, Smart Frog been around, I certainly would have encouraged her to give a copy of it to my Kiddo.
Here are seven classic fairytales that have been turned on their ear and are just wonderful. Yes, well-known favorites like the Brothers Grimm's Snow White and Hansel and Gretel are here. Jenkins has also included three by Charles Perrault, The Fairy is renamed Frog and Pearls and The Three Ridiculous Wishes has become simple The Three Wishes, and of course, there is Red Riding Hood. The Frog Prince is here, but not exactly the one originally by the Brothers Grimm; and you couldn't retell fairytales without including the story of The Three Great Noodles.
The fairytales that Jenkins chose are more or less faithful to the original versions we know, but not totally. Instead she has written them as she would want to tell them herself. Her justification: the organic nature of stories. Fairytales were originally told orally and with each telling, each teller made little changes. Even after they were written down, they continued to change bit by bit. Jenkins intention was to "bring out what's most meaningful to [her] in the stories" in the tradition of those earliest tellers of fairytales. The seven stories chosen for this volume are all familiar to you, but there is the delight of discovering what Jenkins has done to them.
And as you read, you will noticed that there are small ways in which the tales connect to each. Some of the characters live in "a frozen forest, cold as cold ever was." Nothing grows, the streams are always frozen over, even horses can not walk through this forest. Other characters live in a sunny, warm place on the outskirts of the frozen forest but almost all find themselves there for different reasons. A woodcutter who is granted three wishes lives there, a huntsman goes there to cut the heart out of a vain queen's beautiful stepdaughter, a young girl in red walks through this forest to meet her dying grandmother for the first time, and two children, taken to the forest by their father, discover a candy house after they are abandoned there. And sometimes one character passes through the story of another. I found that by connecting the stories through the setting made the characters feel less isolated and therefore, their stories felt less dangerous, and I could see the point of each one in a new way.
Each tale is introduced with a watercolor and ink illustration by Rohan Daniel Eason that really captures the cold, dangerous, haunting atmosphere of the forest and you can see, the cover reflects the interconnectedness of the stories placing Red Riding Hood and The Frog Prince in the same picture.
While there isn't really much new in these stories, Jenkins has managed to bring back some of their magic and charm by making what was old into something new.
Back matter includes an Author's Note, but there is not sourcing for the stories used. And you can find a useful Educator's Guide to download produced by the publisher, Candlewick Press HERE
This book is recommended for readers age 8+
This book was as ARC received from the publisher, Candlewick Press
Here are seven classic fairytales that have been turned on their ear and are just wonderful. Yes, well-known favorites like the Brothers Grimm's Snow White and Hansel and Gretel are here. Jenkins has also included three by Charles Perrault, The Fairy is renamed Frog and Pearls and The Three Ridiculous Wishes has become simple The Three Wishes, and of course, there is Red Riding Hood. The Frog Prince is here, but not exactly the one originally by the Brothers Grimm; and you couldn't retell fairytales without including the story of The Three Great Noodles.
The fairytales that Jenkins chose are more or less faithful to the original versions we know, but not totally. Instead she has written them as she would want to tell them herself. Her justification: the organic nature of stories. Fairytales were originally told orally and with each telling, each teller made little changes. Even after they were written down, they continued to change bit by bit. Jenkins intention was to "bring out what's most meaningful to [her] in the stories" in the tradition of those earliest tellers of fairytales. The seven stories chosen for this volume are all familiar to you, but there is the delight of discovering what Jenkins has done to them.
And as you read, you will noticed that there are small ways in which the tales connect to each. Some of the characters live in "a frozen forest, cold as cold ever was." Nothing grows, the streams are always frozen over, even horses can not walk through this forest. Other characters live in a sunny, warm place on the outskirts of the frozen forest but almost all find themselves there for different reasons. A woodcutter who is granted three wishes lives there, a huntsman goes there to cut the heart out of a vain queen's beautiful stepdaughter, a young girl in red walks through this forest to meet her dying grandmother for the first time, and two children, taken to the forest by their father, discover a candy house after they are abandoned there. And sometimes one character passes through the story of another. I found that by connecting the stories through the setting made the characters feel less isolated and therefore, their stories felt less dangerous, and I could see the point of each one in a new way.
Each tale is introduced with a watercolor and ink illustration by Rohan Daniel Eason that really captures the cold, dangerous, haunting atmosphere of the forest and you can see, the cover reflects the interconnectedness of the stories placing Red Riding Hood and The Frog Prince in the same picture.
While there isn't really much new in these stories, Jenkins has managed to bring back some of their magic and charm by making what was old into something new.
Back matter includes an Author's Note, but there is not sourcing for the stories used. And you can find a useful Educator's Guide to download produced by the publisher, Candlewick Press HERE
This book is recommended for readers age 8+
This book was as ARC received from the publisher, Candlewick Press
carolsnotebook's review against another edition
4.0
I truly enjoyed these lovingly retold fairy tales. Jenkins has taken some favorite, familiar tales and while not adding anything new, has made them into charming tales. We have Snow White, Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood, the Frog Prince, and Diamonds and Toads among others. While she keeps the traditional plots and characters. she gives some extra depth, like why the Frog Prince loved the princes or how Hansel and Gretel’s father could have let them be left in the woods. She asks why the step-mother was so cruel and how Red could have been tricked by the wolf. I also love how the cold, frosty wood figures into the tales. The tales have touches of humor and are connected in ways that make the book fit together well, rather than just a random collection. For example, the same huntsman who doesn’t kill Snow White does kill the wolf in Little Red Riding Hood’s story.
Overall, while the stories here don’t offer anything unique, they are told well and I enjoyed them. Everyone gets a happy ending, well except the dead step-mothers and witch.
Overall, while the stories here don’t offer anything unique, they are told well and I enjoyed them. Everyone gets a happy ending, well except the dead step-mothers and witch.
kailey_luminouslibro's review against another edition
5.0
This delightful collection of familiar fairy tales is told with a fresh voice and enchanting writing!
Including new versions of Snow White, The Frog Prince, Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel, and several others that are less well-known, this book provides a crisp new look at these old tales while still remaining true to the main stories.
While the basic plots remain the same, it's the sparkling dialogue and little inside jokes that make these fairy tales so enjoyable to read and reread.
The lovely illustrations bring the stories to life and give a nod to classic fairy tale illustrators like Arthur Rackham and Walter Crane. I love how elegant the illustrations are!
I especially loved that each fairy tale has some small detail that connects it to the other stories. (For instance, the huntsman who spares Snow White's life is the same huntsman who kills the Big Bad Wolf and cuts Little Red Riding Hood and her Grandmother out of the wolf's belly. The wood where Hansel and Gretel are lost is the same wood where Snow White meets the seven dwarves.) Although each tale is told in a separate chapter, these little elements make the book feel like a whole, instead of chopped up stories bundled together randomly. I really appreciated that the book flowed beautifully from story to story.
One of the best things about the writing is that it asks some deeper questions of the classic fairy tales and answers them in a new way. (Why did Hansel and Gretel's parents really abandon them in the forest? How could an elegant princess fall in love with a smelly frog? ) The author takes the stories just a little deeper by looking at the roots of the characters' personalities and circumstances, bringing a new light into the fairy tales, but without making them too complex for young readers.
A complete delight to read!
Disclaimer: I received an ecopy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts and are not influenced by anyone.
Including new versions of Snow White, The Frog Prince, Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel, and several others that are less well-known, this book provides a crisp new look at these old tales while still remaining true to the main stories.
While the basic plots remain the same, it's the sparkling dialogue and little inside jokes that make these fairy tales so enjoyable to read and reread.
The lovely illustrations bring the stories to life and give a nod to classic fairy tale illustrators like Arthur Rackham and Walter Crane. I love how elegant the illustrations are!
I especially loved that each fairy tale has some small detail that connects it to the other stories. (For instance, the huntsman who spares Snow White's life is the same huntsman who kills the Big Bad Wolf and cuts Little Red Riding Hood and her Grandmother out of the wolf's belly. The wood where Hansel and Gretel are lost is the same wood where Snow White meets the seven dwarves.) Although each tale is told in a separate chapter, these little elements make the book feel like a whole, instead of chopped up stories bundled together randomly. I really appreciated that the book flowed beautifully from story to story.
One of the best things about the writing is that it asks some deeper questions of the classic fairy tales and answers them in a new way. (Why did Hansel and Gretel's parents really abandon them in the forest? How could an elegant princess fall in love with a smelly frog? ) The author takes the stories just a little deeper by looking at the roots of the characters' personalities and circumstances, bringing a new light into the fairy tales, but without making them too complex for young readers.
A complete delight to read!
Disclaimer: I received an ecopy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts and are not influenced by anyone.
amalyndb's review against another edition
4.0
A lyrical retelling of several fairy tales with pretty illustrations. Prose style is reminiscent of oral traditions and reminds me somewhat of translated Latvian and Russian folk tales.
erine's review against another edition
3.0
A collection of fairy tales retold with no particular spin or agenda. The stories are familiar, perhaps you’ve read or heard or watched them before. But it’s always interesting to hear another version, with a few small twists and some fresh eyes.