Gaiman did a splendid job when he retold Sleeping Beauty ( The Sleeper and the Spindle) so I was excited at the idea of another classic being twisted by his mind. The Brothers Grimm wrote the original fairy tale. Can you find out what other stories they wrote? If you could interview them today, what questions would you like to ask them? Newbery Medal-winner Neil Gaiman retells Hansel and Gretel as a story of parents plotting a murder by neglect, with full-spread India ink compositions by Lorenzo Mattotti as dark and terrifying as his forest setting. ... Gaiman's text is a study in minimalism, yet he includes every salient detail... A perfectly frightful treat.- Shelf Awareness , starred review

Hansel and Gretel - Bloomsbury Publishing

I wasn't a huge fan of the art, and when you aren't a fan of the art for an illustrated novel, the whole thing just falls flat. The old woman in the house is ‘as old as the hills’. Can you think of other similes to describe her / the other characters in the story? There's so much to sink your teeth into, not to mention the huge library of supporting resources for each new text type. Twist the text and make the same old stories take your learning further. Example guided reading questions for the story include: I think I was just expecting more from the retelling - obviously the main plot line of the story was going to be similar but I just didn't get the feeling I get when reading Gaiman's other novels. I think I would gave enjoyed it more if the story had just been darker or had something else to give it that extra spark - I did enjoy it but it wasn't amazing. Hello Yellow - 80 Books to Help Children Nurture Good Mental Health and Support With Anxiety and Wellbeing -

Teaching Ideas and Resources:

Master storyteller Gaiman plumbs the dark depths of Hansel and Gretel... Italian illustrator Mattotti contributes elegant b&w ink spreads that alternate with spreads of text. His artistry flows from the movement of his brush and the play of light and shadow. ... Gaiman makes the story's horrors feel very real and very human, and Mattotti's artwork is genuinely chilling. - Publishers Weekly , starred review Use the speech within the text to create a play script. Could you perform this with some friends or use puppets?

Neil Gaiman Reimagines Hansel and Gretel, with Stunning Neil Gaiman Reimagines Hansel and Gretel, with Stunning

Don't get me wrong, if you have (for whatever reason) never read a version of this fairy tale, this is the version you should go for. It's dark, it's interesting, it's beautiful – the words as well as the haunting art that's a careful study of darkness and light. Enjoy the traditional fairy tale 'Hansel and Gretel' in PowerPoint format, alongside directed active listening questions aimed at lower Key Stage 2 children. Questions focus on retrieval, inference and prediction skills, as well as discussing vocabulary choices and figurative language. Carry out role-play activities linked to the story, e.g. hot seating / interviewing characters from the story. How are they feeling at particular points, or ‘Conscience Corridor’ activities – should Hansel and Gretel go into the gingerbread house? Can you create some puppets of the main characters in the story and use these to retell it to an audience?Grimms' Hansel and Gretel was published in 1812. Twelve year old Dorothea Wild, known as Dortchen, was the source of the tale. She later became Mrs Wilhelm Grimm in 1825.