Beagles and Books is excited to be a part of the blog tour for It’s Not Hansel and Gretel. It celebrates its book birthday on March 1, 2019. Special thanks to Two Lions Publishing and Barbara Fisch of Blue Slip Media for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Review:
An all-knowing narrator attempts to tell the traditional tale of Hansel and Gretel but is quickly interrupted by the characters who have their own idea of their story. For example, Gretel rebuts the notion that her parents wanted to get rid of her and her brother; rather, they are just taking a leisurely afternoon walk in the woods. When the siblings meet the witch, Gretel dismisses this label and refers to her as a sweet old lady. What makes my heart happy is Gretel’s championing of women’s rights with her insistence in changing the title to Gretel and Hansel and arguing about why her brother gets candy and she is stuck doing chores. “Get with the times-this is the fifteenth century,” she retorts!
Fed up with Gretel’s & Hansel’s (you’re welcome, Gretel) antics, the narrator turns the storytelling over to them which allows the duo to get creative growing mustaches, getting a pet unicorn named Fluffybottom, and opening up a bakery serving delicious sweets to their fellow fairy tale friends.
For fans of It’s Not Jack and the Beanstalk, It’s Not Hansel and Gretel is a hilarious and worthy follow up. Funk’s witty writing is pure joy to read aloud and honestly, I find it difficult to not laugh myself. Taylor’s illustrations are so entertaining and chocked full of details that I reread the story just to view his comical digital art. And look closely for cameos from characters from It’s Not Jack and the Beanstalk!
If like me, you can’t wait for more fractured fairy tales from the amazing collaborative team of Josh Funk and Edwardian Taylor, you will be thrilled to hear that It’s Not Little Red Riding Hood is set for release in February 2020. For more info, click here.
About the Author:
Like Hansel and Gretel, Josh Funk doesn’t like being told how stories should go—so he writes his own. He is the author of a bunch of picture books, including the popular Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast series, illustrated by Brendan Kearney, and recently, How to Code a Sandcastle, illustrated by Sara Palacios, and Lost in the Library: A Story of Patience & Fortitude, illustrated by Stevie Lewis. He lives in New England with his wife and children. Learn more about him at www.joshfunkbooks.com and follow him on Twitter @joshfunkbooks.
About the Illustrator:
Edwardian Taylor has worked as a visual development artist and character designer in the game and animation industry. He illustrated the picture book Race!, written by Sue Fliess and the chapter book Toy Academy: Some Assembly Required, written by Brian Lynch. He lives in Texas with his partner and their four dogs. Learn more about him at www.edwardiantaylor.com and follow him on Tumblr, Instagram, and Twitter @edwardiantaylor.
Giveaway!
Two Lions is offering one copy of IT’S NOT HANSEL AND GRETEL to one lucky winner (U.S. addresses) Giveaway begins Wednesday, February 27, 2019 and ends at 12:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 9, 2019. Good luck!
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