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This retelling of the Brothers Grimm folktale Hansel & Gretel from Newbery-winner Neil Gaiman and illustrator Lorenzo Mattotti is not for the faint of heart, but should prove a spine-tingling treat to readers who crave spooky stories or like their folktales to maintain some of the original grit. The tone of the tale is as masterfully dark as the black-and-white artwork, appearing every few pages in a breathtaking spread.
The bleakness of the setting and the desperation of the woodcutter are made palpable through story and pictures, and even readers already familiar with this tale of the siblings lost in the woods and their subsequent encounter with the old woman in the gingerbread house will be newly surprised by the details in this spare but affecting version. However, as grave as this telling can be, it also offers some hope and levity in its conclusion. Gaiman has also included an author's note on the origin and history of the Grimm folktale, which can make for some fascinating reading and may inspire further comparisons with other versions.
Best enjoyed by intrepid readers in grade 3 and up.
Emily Vole starts her life in a little hat box abandoned in an airport. When the wealthy and childless Dashwoods see the baby Emily on the news, they decide to adopt her. But when Emily turns five, Daisy Dashwood becomes pregnant with triplets, and Emily is banished to the laundry room and expected to be the Dashwoods' maid and babysitter.
Emily's life as a housekeeper is not fun, until she meets their quirky neighbor Miss String, who has a large talking cat and believes in magic. Soon, Emily finds herself inheriting a set of magic keys with legs that open a secret shop, and attracts the wrath of the evil witch Harpella, who is known to steal souls and turn people into pink bunnies.
Operation Bunny is the first book of the Wings & Co. series by Sally Gardner, with wonderfully zany illustrations by David Roberts. Emily Vole is one smart cookie of a character, and it was fun to read about her wild adventures. Of course, the pink bunnies were also a big part of the allure. We will be looking forward to Emily's new adventures.
For grades 3 and up.
Migrant by Jose Manuel Mateo and illustrated by Javier Martinez Pedro is a story of a boy's journey from a rural area of Mexico to a chaotic home in urban life in the U.S. illustrated in black and white and told in drawings like a Mexican codex as well as written the written word. It's a bilingual Spanish/English one on each side of the book. Tied together with a ribbon.
For readers in 3rd and up.
