Hänsel und Gretel, m. Audio-CD Hansel and Gretel, w. Audio-CD

Luisa's version relegates the father and the witch to superstructure in favour of an extended meditation on the brother-sister bond. Hänsel's manic insanity plays off of Gretel's fluttery heart and cold nervous hands; again and again you tell yourself you won't get taken in by Hänsel's cheeky

self-reliance, that programmatic pluck that so easily becomes Todestrieb; again and again, you tell yourself you'll make it out of this one to listen to Gretel-two-score-years-hence chainsmoking and telling Hänsel's grandkids about her nerve damage. But against your better judgment, you'd follow Hänsel into any witch's hut in any forest in the land, because he never stopped being your hero--as long as Gretel was there like a complaining left leg to complete you. It's an ouroboros. Sibling love, unity, and respect! (You know, the ill-considered acronym SLUR.)

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LibraryThing member dchaves

The father 'tries to protest' - the ineffectual father or absent father has just never gotten the same play as the evil stepmother. There seems to be more real life versions of absent fathers then evil stepmothers.

LibraryThing member shelbyweryavah

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.

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LibraryThing member susiehinckley

This is a story about a brother and sister named Hansel and Gretel. Their father's wife is a selfish woman that has her husband take the children deep into the forest. The father abandons the children there. Hansel and Gretel stumble upon a wicked witches home while trying to find their way back to

theirs father's house. In the end the children find their father's house with his wife dead and a very sorry father.
This story brings mixed emotions to me. I hated the use of children being nothing more than extra mouths to feed. I like that even though Hansel and Gretel are young, that they are self-sufficient.
This would be a good time to use a maze. I would use this book to show that because something taste good does not always mean it is good for you. I would try to incorporate my teaching health through this book.

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LibraryThing member ashlynprill

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.

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LibraryThing member WSRobitaille

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.

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LibraryThing member khand

This book is about the classic tale of Hansel and Gretel. It takes place in a fantasy world where two children snack on an old woman's house and learn a lesson for doing so.

LibraryThing member nnicolic

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.

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LibraryThing member nellysanchez

Hensel & Gretel is a traditional literature, which one I grew up, my older sister used to read me this book every day. I love this magic story about this family with two children that were very poor. One day the father said that he don’t have any more many to feed his children and wife. One night

the mother was telling his husband to take the children to the forest and they will get lost and never will back home. The children were listing the conversation and they decided to make a plan. The next day in the morning the father and the mother tell their children to get ready because they are going to the forest to bring wood and they has to go with them. The father was not convinced to do that and feel compassion for his children, while the mother was determinate to do it. The morning that they will go was there and the mother gives them the last peace of bread they have to eat. While they were walking to the forest the boy was looking behind to learn the way to return home, the mother notice that and recall to the boy not look behind and watch the road in front of him. But the boys replies that was saying good by to his cat. Gretel in the other side she was leaving breadcrumbs all around the way but unfortunately the birds ate all the bread crams and they where not able to find the way back.
While there were lost in the forest they found a little house where there live a witch who at the beginning do not treat them in a good way, but letter help the children to be safe and found the way home. When the children finally get there they realize that his mother has died, their father receive them with love and ask for forgiveness.
I love this book because remember my childhood and perhaps is very sad story at the end of the book it has a great final reunification, perhaps the mother who was of the idea has passed a way they live happily with the one who really love them, his father.

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LibraryThing member edeidrich

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.

LibraryThing member Thach

Characters: Hansel and Gretel, Father, stepmother, and the witch

Setting: It takes place in the woods and cabin.

Theme: Do all you can to survive.

Genre: Folktale

Summary: 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 folklore

Personal 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.

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LibraryThing member sephma

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.

LibraryThing member Swelker

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.

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LibraryThing member AlyssaScruggs

Hansel and Gretel are abandoned in to woods by their father and evil stepmother, eventually finding there way to a candy house that is home to an evil witch. She plans to eat Hansel, but the clever children find a way to escape. Many students will love the adventure of this story and enjoy that

it's about two young children. A great way to show bravery and how useful being clever can be.

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LibraryThing member BeckyPugh

This has been one of my favorite story since I was little. I still live it today.

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