“Hansel and Gretel” is a fairytale so pervasive that it’s safe to say everyone knows at least one version. The house made of gingerbread shows up in cartoons, video games, and even television commercials. The ubiquitous nature of this story, long-ago popularized by Jacob and Wilhem Grimm, makes it ripe for retellings and variations to bring it to a new audience yet again.

This edition of HANSEL AND GRETEL (TOON Books, 2023) sees Neil Gaiman taking his turn at retelling the tale. Gaiman, well-known for SANDMAN and AMERICAN GODS, seems perfectly suited for such a dark story. This is not his first time tackling a darker form of children’s story, and he does a fine job of contextualizing the malice in the tale. Traditionally, both of the parents were perfectly willing to abandon their children in the forest to save themselves from death by starvation - Gaiman takes the more modern route of having the father be only a reluctant participant in the evil stepmother’s scheme.

Accompanying Gaiman in this retelling is artist Lorenzo Mattotti. The artwork consists of dark splashes across the pages, with shadows shifting into depictions of the scenes like a Magic Eye painting the longer you look at them. Considering Mattotti’s own history with scribbling out the witch’s face in the illustrations of his childhood copy of the fairytale, this stylistic choice makes perfect sense - so frightened and betrayed was he of that seemingly kindly old lady.

In addition to the fairytale retelling, this book includes the history of the fairytale itself - and its likely origins during the Great Famine of 1315. The history includes a discussion of the woman who shared the tale with the Grimm’s, and some of the variations of it that have come into existence over the years. There is a small bit of speculation as to why this fairy tale in particular continues to appeal, given its dark content.

While not particularly a particularly novel retelling, Gaiman proves a delightfully ominous narrator for the tale. Gaiman’s distinct voice, coupled with Mattotti’s eerie art, is sure to terrify the younger readers and become a fast favorite for the more morbid of adults. The history of Hansel and Gretel may very well create a new generation of curious folklorists in much the same way the SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK series did for my own generation.

With this reinterpretation of the fairy tale, Neil Gaiman has disappointed me enormously. In my opinion, it is not even a reinterpretation of the fairy tale. The plot is almost 1:1 the original. In addition, I find the illustrations terrible. I don't like them at all. They are just black pages with few accents that create a certain atmosphere but are not beautiful at all. I didn't like looking at the pictures either and am just disappointed.

A classic telling of Hansel and Gretel with the add of wonderfully haunting artwork! This was a quick read for a graphic novel, but it's always lovely to revisit Grimm classic fairytales and German folklore.

▪️ I really like Neil Gaiman. The synopsis says this is a “brilliant reimagining” of the story, so I was expecting this to be a Gaimanesque retelling of Hansel & Gretel and I couldn’t wait to read it.

▪️ I’ve read several versions of the Hansel & Gretel story before, and this story is sadly NOT a “brilliant reimagining”. I’m not picking up on much at all that was reimagined to be honest. One difference I can discern is that the owner of the gingerbread/cake/candy house in the forest is usually referred to as a witch, but in this version is simply called an old woman. There is also a quirky explanation about the children’s names that I don’t recall in previous versions. The opening was also fleshed out a bit to discuss why there was so little food and why the children had to be abandoned. Beyond that, this felt like a literal retelling of the fairy tale, just a tad wordier and in modern English.

▪️ The imagery is very dark and haunting, but that fits for a story about adults trying to un-alive two children.

▪️ I expected the story to have a new twist, or maybe a unique viewpoint… but it didn’t have any of that. If you’ve never read the Hansel & Gretel story before you will probably enjoy this more than I did. I really wanted something new and creative, but I didn’t get it.

Thank you @NetGalley and Astra Publishing House / TOON Books for an eARC of this book, which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

I’m kinda surprised by this one. Usually Gaiman takes these traditional fairy tales and turns them and twists them. It gives me pause and makes me wonder - does he actually think Hansel and Gretel is a perfect story as is? There is no need for rewriting it because it’s already sinister enough? The twists of a young girl outsmarting an old witch is plot twist enough? There was no real surprise to his story of Hansel and Gretel.

The art in this one is amazing. Surprisingly I felt like the art in this made Gaiman’s storytelling where for his other fairytale retelling a like Sleeper and the Spindle and Snow, Glass, and Apples they were such happy interesting twists on these stories that his retelling was enough, and the art in those were simply the cherry on top.

Will I still buy a physical copy for the collection when I get a chance? Absolutely.

Hansel and Gretel by Neil Gaiman and Lorenzo Mattotti is a darker illustrated version of the classic fairy tale. The basic plot of the story did not change much from the original Grim tale. Unfortunately I couldn't enjoy the illustrations because they didn't format properly in my Kindle app and they were incredibly dark. I would be interested in viewing them in the actual graphic novel.
I did enjoy the story in all its grimness. It was a short quick read brought to life by Gaiman. Thank you to Netgalley and TOON books for the advanced copy. The opinions are my own.

Thanks to Netgalley and TOON Graphic for the ARC of this!

It was prose-wise exactly what you’ve already heard or expected from Hansel and Gretel with little variation, but it was good. The art, which is why you’d pick this edition, was creepy and sparse in style. I think my creepy books loving daughter would really enjoy it.

When I saw that Neil Gaiman was retelling this story I expected something different, something startling, but it was very much the same as the original story only this time accompanied by some dark drawings. It was ok but not what I thought it was going to be.

Hansel and Gretel by Neil Gaiman and artist Lorenzo Mattotti is a book that's at once as familiar as a dream and as evocative as a nightmare. Mattotti's sweeping ink illustrations capture the terror and longing found in the classic Brothers Grimm fairy tale. Gaiman crafts an original text filled with his signature wit and pathos that is sure to become a favorite of readers everywhere, young and old.

Hansel and Gretel is a fairy tale retelling that captures the horror and hope of the Grimm version of this story. I love that Gaiman offers up some history of the story, and his personal history, of this tale. The black and white images from Mattotti are the perfect inspiration and pairing to the text. The inspire study, because there are details that a quick glance does not reveal. I think this book will appeal to fairy tale fans of all ages, and will be a fast favorite for many.

Well this was super creepy!!! ;-)

I loved this retelling [which is much closer to the original - thanks to the notes in the back about that very thing] much more than the story I learned as a child. I also enjoyed learning why the illustrator and author chose to do this book [which is almost as intriguing as the story itself] and will be buying a physical copy of it. With fantastic illustrations [that make you look really closely at them to see the FULL picture] this is super creepy, but with a story of importance woven within it, I highly recommend this - it is perfect for a creepy night or for creepy reads in October.

Well done.

Thank you to NetGalley, Neil Gaiman, Lorenzo Mattotti - Illustrator, and Astra Publishing House/TOON Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have not read much by Neil Gaiman, but I see why he is so popular! I loved the art style and the pace of the story. I will be happily adding this book to my collection!

Great, basic retelling of the Grimm story. War and famine drive mother to push husband to "lose" the children. Stones and breadcrumbs left by Hansel after hearing nighttime conversations. The black and white illustrations add to it.

This is a short book, but it perfectly captures Neil Gaiman’s skillful blending of simplicity, atmosphere, and fantasy. Gaiman is one of our greatest modern fairy-tale writers, and he deftly weaves his personal style into this story that has been told and retold a hundred times so that it feels like something new.

I didn’t realize until I read the author’s note at the end of the book that Lorenzo Mattotti’s illustrations for “Hansel and Gretel” came first and partially inspired Neil Gaiman’s retelling of the story. The darkness and contrast in Mattotti’s art lend themselves well to the subject matter. I don’t usually feel like I miss much when reading a book digitally versus in print, but I have to say that I’m excited to see the physical, full-resolution version of “Hansel and Gretel” when it’s released.

The classic tale of Hansel and Gretel with a Neil Gaiman touch. You will not be surprised at how it goes, because we all know the story, the setting, the conclusion... I am not sure what he was going for there. There is the touch of anguish that rises from his words like in Coraline, but I think I would have liked him to take the story somewhere new, to make it truly his own, instead of this simple retelling.

It's a Hansel and Gretel Book with slight retelling aspects to it. By that I mean the major incidents of the original story remain the same to offer the resemblance, but the route to reach those incidents is a little innovative. And the end is slightly different.

This was one of my favourite stories as a child, whether had to read it or watch it as a movie. So for a fan like me, this book worked well for a one-time read. I did however wish the retelling offered something extra. I am a fan of @neilhimself 's writing style, but I missed that Midas touch in this book. Overall, good for one time read, but I don't see myself putting money on the table for this book.

Disclaimer: This book is supposed to be graphic/comics but all the texts are condensed together, while the illustrations are on a separate page turn. I feel that will not work best for the targeted age group.

Thankyou @netgalley @astrapublishinghouse @toonbooks for the e-ARC

Genre: #childrensfiction

Neil Gaiman offers a pretty standard retelling of the Hansel and Gretel story, and honestly, I expected a bit more from him. It's already a dark story, obviously, but I think Gaiman had some opportunities to make it even darker and more fantastical -- and also more thoughtful.

Lorenzo Mattotti's illustrations are intriguing -- moody and strange and eerie. They are all rendered in black and white, and they play with perspective in fascinating ways. The longer you look at them, the more you see. I wish they had paired a bit better with the text -- that Gaiman had chosen a darker and more layered retelling to match them

An astounding take on Hansel and Gretel. I have never been disappointed with a Neil Gaiman book. This was also beautifully illustrated.

Neil Gaiman offers a decent retelling of the classic, VERY FAMILIAR story. He really doesn't change or add anything, and the book may be too text heavy for younger children. Perhaps some more illustrations to break up the words would have helped.

Lorenzo Mattotti's artwork is intriguing. I usually see this tale decorated with full-color illustrations, and his dark, moody pictures fit well with the theme. I particularly liked his vision of the gingerbread house, both the exterior, and the interior version where light is streaming through the cracks in the . . . bread. Nicely done.

The book concludes with an interesting look at the history of the Grimm brothers focusing on this story in particular.

Hansel and Gretel is a classic-style retelling of the story of the same name, but what makes this version special is the haunting and stark India ink art by Lorenzo Mattotti, created for a TOON exhibit in 2007 but that was a partial inspiration for Neil Gaiman's retelling here.

It's a short read, dark (as so many Grimm tales are), and even being someone born and raised in the US and having these tales ingrained in me since childhood, it still felt a little refreshing while still concise. Also, I appreciated the two-page history lesson near the back of this tale through the ages and editions and interpretations and the notes from the artist and author. This is a good one!

Thank you to NetGalley, Astra Publishing House, and TOON Books for allowing me to read and review this book in exchange for the free borrow!

I enjoyed this telling of the classic story Hansel and Gretel. The illustrations were subtle yet haunting, a wonderful depiction of this harrowing tale of two children and their survival.