Funny and sensible twisted fairy tales, perfect for middle grade readers who are over the tales themselves, but still crave interesting new ways to devour them.

Such imaginative and fresh retellings of familiar fairytales. I particularly loved the retelling of Rumplestiltskin from his perspective - it made me feel so sorry for him!

Readers will enjoy the fresh take on familiar tales. The most remarkable of the retold tales was that of Rumpelstiltskin. McKay was able to add depth to the character of Rumpelstiltskin as well as to that of the girl. Some of the other tales were not as strong, but would still be a great compilation of stories to share with children as bed time stories.

I really enjoyed Straw into Gold: Fairy Tales Re-Spun. Hilary McKay put a fresh new spin on each of the stories. I highly recommend this book.

Thanks to the publisher for an advanced reader's copy.

I really enjoyed reading Straw Into Gold. The illustrations were breath taking, and it was never clear how the new versions of these tales were going to be told. This was one of the most fun books I have read in a good while. If you love fairy tales then you will want to check this book out.

The tales in this volume are refreshing takes on classic stories. The story of Rumpelstitskin resonated with me the most, but the re-imagining of Hansel and Gretel was also very funny and memorable. Readers will enjoy the new interpretations and recognize what's familiar.

The tales are familiar. A young woman attends a ball with the aid of a fairy godmother. A girl escapes from an evil queen and her quest for vain gratification. A girl and her cloak journey through the woods. Fairy tales provide the simplistic and highly dramatic bones that have influenced countless retellings, reimaginings, reexaminations— pick your word.

It’s almost remarkable then that writers are still finding interesting and original things to pull from these stories. Yet that is exactly what author Hilary McKay has done with ten of these tales. Some of them range more on the classic side, with Cinderella remaining close to its source, though with a few clever twists on the idea of royal blood. Similarly, Rumpelstiltskin is the same piece only told from the point of view of the mysterious “hob”, whose loneliness makes him yearn for a child. McKay’s approach to both of these is charming and surprisingly tender.

However, the stories that put the original tale in the periphery work best. Particularly, Hansel and Gretel takes the form of a child’s class essay of what she did over her school break. The reader glimpses it over the shoulder of her teacher, who is preoccupied with her own problems as she acclimates to the school. It’s incredibly smart, and also makes for a nice break from the abundance of royal-based tales.

Illustrator Sarah Gibb provides lovely silhouettes to accompany each section. They straddle that line between whimsically elegant and modernly practical, matching McKay’s words perfectly.

By neither sticking to straight retellings nor moving all stories outside their base, McKay has succeeded in making something entirely new. It probably won’t replace the originals as quickly recited bedtime stories. However, it is a tome readers can pluck from the shelf to admire a master storyteller weaving masterful ideas into old tales.

Note: This review will go live on Plucked from the Stacks on 01/06/2019.

Straw into Gold: Fairy Tales Re-Spun is a classic fairy tale collection to treasure. Featuring Hilary McKay's imaginative retellings of key favourites, this ten-story collection includes the much-loved tales of Rapunzel, Cinderella, the Princess and the Pea, Rumpelstiltskin, the Pied Piper of Hamelin, the Swan Brothers, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, Red Riding Hood, the Twelve Dancing Princesses and Hansel and Gretel.

My Thoughts
DNF
I've tried to read this but it's impossible to do so, every time I've read one of stories, I had to go back and re read that same story ,it felt like I was missing something , like the story wasn't connected to the fairy tale she was written about ,with that said I want to say thanks to Netgalley for letting me at least try and read it in change for my honest opinion.