Author: Retold by Rika Lesser
Illustrator: Paul O. Zelinsky
Genre: Traditional Literature (Fairy Tale & Folk Tale)
Major Awards: Caldecott Honor Book
Age Group: Kindergarten - 5th
Summary:
Two siblings, Hansel and Gretel, live together with their father and stepmother. Their stepmother did not like them at all and made them do chores at home. One day, the stepmother told the dad to abandon the children in the forest or else they would starve to death. When the whole family went on a walk through the forest, Hansel left pebbles as a trail back to the house. The father has said his goodbyes, lying to the children about coming back for them later. After the children found their way back, the stepmother told the father to leave the children further into the forest. Hansel and Gretel had to find ways to survive during their trips in the forest. One day, they really got lost and Gretel started getting scared. Hansel becomes the big brother and tells Gretel that he wouldn't let anything happen to her. A couple days later, the children arrive at a cottage made of food and decide to approach it. An old, ugly woman opens the door and offers the children as much food as they want to eat inside the cottage. Little did they know, the old woman was a wicked witch who eats people for dinner. Therefore, she traps Hansel in a jail cell and tells Gretel to do house chores as a slave. Hansel tricks the witch into thinking he hasn't gotten fatter with a chicken bone, because she would eat him if he was plump. After a while, the witch tells Gretel to get the oven ready and Gretel tricks the witch into thinking it is not so she would check it. Gretel threw the witch into the oven, unlocked the jail door, and escaped with all the treasure they found. Their father was so happy to see them when they got home. In the end, they lived happily without their stepmother.
Evaluation & Comments:
I think it would be interesting to use this book in my classroom. It is such a classic story that all kids would enjoy. The students could think and learn about different ways that Hansel and Gretel got out of dangerous situations and survived in the end. There could also be lessons about family and not trusting strangers. Even though the witch had offered them many nice things, children should learn that not everything that looks nice is good. They probably shouldn't have entered the house for so long because they didn't even know the old witch. Hansel and Gretel could also be used for class discussion, asking what they think will happen at each stopping point or realistic scenarios because the story has such a straightforward storyline. We could also do a Venn diagram for comparing and contrasting characters in the story. Another idea could also be doing a comic strip that describes the story of what the students can recall. 🙆
Illustrator: Paul O. Zelinsky
Genre: Traditional Literature (Fairy Tale & Folk Tale)
Major Awards: Caldecott Honor Book
Age Group: Kindergarten - 5th
Summary:
Two siblings, Hansel and Gretel, live together with their father and stepmother. Their stepmother did not like them at all and made them do chores at home. One day, the stepmother told the dad to abandon the children in the forest or else they would starve to death. When the whole family went on a walk through the forest, Hansel left pebbles as a trail back to the house. The father has said his goodbyes, lying to the children about coming back for them later. After the children found their way back, the stepmother told the father to leave the children further into the forest. Hansel and Gretel had to find ways to survive during their trips in the forest. One day, they really got lost and Gretel started getting scared. Hansel becomes the big brother and tells Gretel that he wouldn't let anything happen to her. A couple days later, the children arrive at a cottage made of food and decide to approach it. An old, ugly woman opens the door and offers the children as much food as they want to eat inside the cottage. Little did they know, the old woman was a wicked witch who eats people for dinner. Therefore, she traps Hansel in a jail cell and tells Gretel to do house chores as a slave. Hansel tricks the witch into thinking he hasn't gotten fatter with a chicken bone, because she would eat him if he was plump. After a while, the witch tells Gretel to get the oven ready and Gretel tricks the witch into thinking it is not so she would check it. Gretel threw the witch into the oven, unlocked the jail door, and escaped with all the treasure they found. Their father was so happy to see them when they got home. In the end, they lived happily without their stepmother.
Evaluation & Comments:
I think it would be interesting to use this book in my classroom. It is such a classic story that all kids would enjoy. The students could think and learn about different ways that Hansel and Gretel got out of dangerous situations and survived in the end. There could also be lessons about family and not trusting strangers. Even though the witch had offered them many nice things, children should learn that not everything that looks nice is good. They probably shouldn't have entered the house for so long because they didn't even know the old witch. Hansel and Gretel could also be used for class discussion, asking what they think will happen at each stopping point or realistic scenarios because the story has such a straightforward storyline. We could also do a Venn diagram for comparing and contrasting characters in the story. Another idea could also be doing a comic strip that describes the story of what the students can recall. 🙆
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