(2) K-3 Retold by Trina Schart Hyman. Hyman’s much-loved retelling of “Little Red Riding Hood” (a 1984 Caldecott Honor Book), with its endearing, pigeon-toed protagonist, is here reissued for a new generation of readers, with a foreword by Jason Chin. Chin notes the vitality of the art and the empathy Hyman had for her characters—extending beyond the humans: “the wolf and the cats, the ferns and mushrooms, the basket and the wine bottle.” Lush, detailed illustrations present a bucolic setting of cozy, flower-filled cottages and sun-dappled woods; the wolf is variably smarmy and scary; and don’t miss a heroic black cat. The wonderfully decorative borders, which often contain segues to the next page-turn, are a highlight.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2023

(2) K-3 Retold by Barbara Rogasky. Illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman. Hyman's iconic art, full of decoration and embellishment, has been "lovingly restored" (through digital means) in this welcome reissue. The hues are crisp and bright, with everything from the emotive facial expressions to the filigreed borders looking rich and vibrant. Some may prefer their careworn editions (and the "dark, brooding romanticism" of the art, as characterized by the original Horn Book review, is now somewhat less so). But this volume should be embraced, especially by those new to this retelling.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: February, 1983; November, 2019

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Sybille Schenker. In another sumptuous presentation (Little Red Riding Hood), Schenker uses a limited palette of green, black, white, and gold; clear acetate overlays; strongly-lined die-cut designs; and a hand-stitched binding to create a very special volume. Retold in a fuller version than usual, this telling includes the prince's faithful servant, Heinrich, who placed iron bands around his body to keep his heart from breaking when his master was transformed into a frog.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Laura Francesca Filippucci. This traditional portrayal of the Brothers Grimm version of the tale has dense, small-print text that tends to crowd the page. Italian illustrator Filippucci's delicate ink lines and watercolors are precise but airy and rich in color. A balance of detailed full spreads and spot images makes the book enjoyable to explore; better for quiet at-home reading than group sharing.

Reviewer: Jeannie Coutant

(3) 4-6 Retold by Felix Hoffmann. Illustrated by Felix Hoffmann. Afterword by Martin Salisbury. Swiss illustrator, printmaker, and artist Hoffmann's retold tales, originally published as seven picture books in Germany from 1949 to 1975, are gathered together in a handsome volume that will encourage appreciation for Hoffmann's many styles and techniques. Originally created for his own children, there are occasional changes from the Grimms' versions of "Rapunzel" and "Hans in Luck," described in the editorial note.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) 4-6 Translated by Margaret Hunt. Illustrated by Gris Grimly. This selection of forty tales includes classics such as "Rapunzel" and "The Bremen Town Musicians," as well as lesser-known tales such as "The Singing Bone" and "Herr Korbes." Many of the Grimms' tales were meant to teach lessons, often through fear, and Grimly's spot and full-page black-and-white illustrations--plus several sepia-toned inserts--deftly accentuate the tales' malicious characters and ominous plots.

Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Kvӗta Pacovská. An unusual presentation of the folktale, perhaps best for children already familiar with the story. The full version of the Grimms' tale is presented in a few text-heavy pages scattered throughout the volume's abstract artistic interpretations, including figurative scribbles of Hansel, Gretel, and the witch. Pacovská's graphically strong illustrations in bold colors, including metallic silver on glossy paper, are arresting.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) K-3 Translated by Anthea Bell. Illustrated by Gerda Raidt. The historical note by folklorist Jack Zipes emphasizes the familial love at the heart of this smoothly translated story of the little sister who sacrifices herself, vowing silence and weaving shirts to transform her brothers, imprisoned in swan bodies by their evil stepmother's spell. Finely detailed illustrations capture both the story's darkness and its moments of domestic happiness.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) 4-6 Translated by Anthea Bell. Illustrated by Sybille Schenker. The gothic cutout lettering and the hand-sewn binding signal that this is a special retelling of the familiar story. In Bell's excellent translation, the girl is called Little Red Cap; Schenker uses intricate die-cut pages to reveal the action and heavy black contour lines that are reminiscent of woodcuts. This gorgeous (but delicate and expensive) volume will intrigue sophisticated readers, young and old.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Irina Dobrescu. A snobbish princess, who will not deign to marry any of the noblemen presented to her by her father, must marry a beggar who tries to humble her in many ways. The surprise ending is satisfying, and the amusing illustrations, full of caricatures of royals and commoners alike, nicely play off this story formally retold by an unnamed translator.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Dorothée Duntze. The classic tale about princesses who mysteriously wear holes in their shoes every night is illustrated with spirited, delicate watercolors. Duntze uses a palette of pinks, reds, and golds to give a lush, warm feeling to the story.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(2) K-3 Translated by Naomi Lewis. Illustrated by Binette Schroeder. A warm, uncluttered rendering of the familiar tale of the distressed princess and an enchanted frog. The spare rendering of text and pictures, shot through with understated humor, holds broad appeal for personal reading and story-hour use.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc. | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 1990

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Christopher Bing. Three versions of the story are contained in this volume: a traditional Grimm telling, a variant in which Little Red and her grandmother outsmart the wolf, and, printed in a small booklet pasted on the endpaper, a Perrault translation, with its caution to girls against letting "wolves" into their chambers. Handsome pen-and-ink drawings, run through with intense-hued watercolors, enhance the presentation.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Bernadette Watts. In this Swiss import, first published in 1968, the well-known story is told simply and without embellishment, including some violent elements (e.g., the wolf's belly is slit open and filled with stones). The expansive illustrations use Old World folk-art elements to envelop readers in the forest landscapes.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Quentin Gréban. Gréban illustrates this faithful Grimm version of the classic story with a minimum of hocus-pocus. With the notable exception of the seven dwarfs, who are dead ringers for garden gnomes, the characters are realistic-looking: Snow White is a frightened and confused young girl, the wicked queen (in disguise) becomes a stooped, old peasant woman, the jodhpurs-clad prince is appropriately regal.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(2) K-3 Translated by Elizabeth D. Crawford. Illustrated by Lisbeth Zwerger. Illustrator Zwerger, with her delicate, instantly recognizable style, is an acknowledged master at interpreting classic tales. Although she has broadened her palette in recent years, this early work, with its acknowledged debt to Arthur Rackham, is well worth seeking out.

Reviewer: Terri Schmitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: June, 1980

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Rachel Isadora. Hoping to discover how the king's daughters reduce their shoes to shreds, a soldier follows the princesses underground where they dance with a dozen princes. Isadora's ebullient collages give this minimalist retelling an African setting. She pieces together forms cut from printed papers and paper striated with oil paint to evoke traditional costumes and landscapes; ample white space adds drama.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2007

(4) K-3 Translated by Anthea Bell. Illustrated by Lisbeth Zwerger. Dark, muted colors characterize Zwerger's paintings in this classic tale of four past-their-prime animals in pursuit of happiness. Somber portraits establish the animals' gloomy existences, and the pairing of the action-packed robber scenes with the static illustrations dilutes some of the story's excitement. The ominous ending leaves readers unconvinced that the "musicians" live happily ever after.

Reviewer: Sethany Rancier Alongi

(2) K-3 Translated by Elizabeth D. Crawford. Illustrated by Lisbeth Zwerger. Crawford's translation of the Grimm fairy tale, smoothly paced and with natural-sounding dialogue, adheres closely to the original story--a cautionary tale if there ever was one. Zwerger's illustrations, watercolor washes in muted earth tones, are expressive, dramatic, and humorous by turns.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc. | Horn Book Magazine Issue: April, 1983

(3) K-3 Retold by Bernadette Watts. Illustrated by Bernadette Watts. In this smoothly retold version of one of the Brothers Grimm's less popular tales, the witch turns young girls into birds and freezes young men who wander too close to her castle. Jorindel manages to escape, frees his true love, and transforms the other birds back into young women. The intricately rendered paintings convey the story's magical quality.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt