#332 of 1001 · June 28, 2021

To continue, here is a Hansel and Gretel illustrated by Sandy Ann Nightingale, who peppers her images with absorbing details: a cat glancing down in shock at its empty saucer, a cookbook open to the ominously titled recipe “Baked Boy”, a chair tipping over as a happy father jumps to his feet. As she puts the children to bed by candlelight, the witch (who with her long nose and pointed ears resembles a goblin) casts a stark shadow on the wall, recalling imagery from German Expressionist cinema. A note for folklore enthusiasts: this version of Hansel and Gretel, like many adaptations, refers to the woodcutter’s wife as the stepmother, following later editions of Kinder- und Hausmärchen by the Brothers Grimm. In the first edition, published in 1812, the woman is explicitly identified as the mother. As the Grimms had become aware of their tales’ popularity with children, their alteration perhaps reflects a belief that fictional abuse and neglect would be more traumatizing if committed by a biological parent. The text of this adaptation furthermore changes the death of the woodcutter’s wife to an unexplained departure. #forest #woods #house #witch #book #books #childrensbooks #beautifulbook #beautifulbooks #beautifulbookcover #beautifulbookcovers #picturebook #picturebooks #picturebookillustration #picturebookillustrations #picturebookart #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks