Gretel and Hansel

Waeland's candy-hued imagery turns the tables in this wordless retelling of the Brothers Grimm--collected tale. When young Hansel and Gretel, portrayed with brown skin, happen by the gingerbread abode of a kindly citron-hued witch with a flair for baking and confectionary, the home proves irresistible. But after the witch invites them inside, the siblings make a mess as they gobble everything in sight. Pushed to the brink, the witch and a trusty black cat companion employ a magic wand to teach a transformative lesson. Readers unfamiliar with the source material may have to puzzle out the story, but fans will enjoy decoding the bold, color-block images of sweets, and spotting humorous details, including a lollipop stuck in Gretel's hair, in this fractured escapade involving just des(s)erts. Ages 3--5. (May)

Waeland (The Three Bears and Goldilocks, 2022) fractures a second familiar fairy tale in this graphically crisp, wordless project. As the inverted title telegraphs, twists await. A gray-haired witch in owlish red spectacles bakes sweets, a black cat nearby. After a woodcutter and two children reach the forest, Gretel and Hansel wander after a scuttling fox; a robin swiftly consumes Gretel's scattered baguette crumbs. Discovering the witch's delectably edible cottage, the pair--eyes popping like candy pinwheels--commence gobbling it, licking lollipops and chomping slabs of cookie siding. The witch invites them inside, and their boots dry beside the woodstove's crackling fire. The rowdy duo devour a cherry-topped Black Forest cake, candies, fruit, and more--leaving a messy wake that includes an overturned cauldron and cat dish. The witch exacts revenge: A lightning bolt from a star-tipped wand reaches the fleeing Hansel, who is turned into a frog. The woodcutter searches for and tearfully reunites with the children--though the trio seem relatively unbothered by Hansel's species switch. Meanwhile, the witch and the sleek cat enjoy refreshments, including a cookie with a sly resemblance to Gretel. Flat color and simple, bold shapes yield easily decoded visuals in this quirky, humorous tale. The woodcutter and children have brown skin; Hansel and the woodcutter sport black hair, while Gretel's tresses match the witch's flax-colored skin. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Another wry romp in the author/illustrator's alternate fairyland, where justice is served to recalcitrant half-pints. (Picture book. 3-5) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.