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Hansel and Gretel

Hansel and Gretel

By&
Children's BooksFairy Tales
Published
2025
Language
English

Synopsis

This haunting tale reimagines the classic Grimm fairy tale of two brave children lost in a dark and dangerous forest. Literary legends Stephen King and Maurice Sendak guide readers into a deliciously daring rendition of the story. Will you find your way back out?

Prose complexity
4/10

Vibe

DarkAdventurousMysterious
SurvivalQuest

Genres

Children's Books Fairy Tales Folklore Gothic

Authors

M
Maurice Sendak

Maurice Sendak is an American writer and illustrator of children's literature. He is best known for his book Where the Wild Things Are, published in 1963.

S
Stephen King

Stephen King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author whose work has defined popular horror fiction for more than half a century. Born in Portland, Maine, he grew up in poverty after his father abandoned the family, and credits his mother's resilience and a voracious reading habit as the foundations of his imagination. He began selling short stories to men's magazines while working as a high school English teacher, and published his first novel, Carrie, in 1974—his wife Tabitha retrieved...

Characters

All characters in Hansel and Gretel

Frequently asked questions

  • What is Stephen King's Hansel and Gretel?

    Published in 2025 and illustrated by Nicolás Delort, this is King's illustrated retelling of the classic Brothers Grimm fairy tale. King wrote the text as a picture book for younger readers, maintaining the story's essential darkness while giving it his own voice. It is one of the very few works he has written explicitly for children.

  • How does King's retelling differ from the original Grimm tale?

    King stays close to the Grimm source material—the abandonment in the forest, the candy house, the witch, the oven—while updating the prose rhythm and sharpening the emotional logic. He has said he wanted to preserve the story's genuine menace rather than soften it, as many modern adaptations do. The Delort illustrations amplify the story's gothic, unsettling atmosphere.

  • Who is Nicolás Delort and what is his style?

    Nicolás Delort is an Argentine illustrator known for his intricate, cross-hatch engraving style that evokes vintage woodcut printing. His work has appeared on book covers and in illustrated editions of classic horror and dark fiction. His visual style is an unusual choice for a children's picture book—his illustrations are beautiful but not reassuring, which matches King's approach to the text.

  • Is Hansel and Gretel appropriate for all ages of children?

    The book is aimed at children but reflects King's philosophy that fairy tales should not be sanitized. The witch genuinely intends to eat the children, the parents genuinely abandon them in the woods, and the witch's death is not softened. Parents who prefer gentle versions of the story should preview it first; parents who believe children can handle the Grimm originals will find it faithful to that tradition.