Fairytale Fiasco: Hansel and Gretel

This bright and colourful new animated series for children introduces classic fairy tales.

Cleo is a positive joyful girl who loves reading. She chooses Hansel and Gretel to read and declares it silly because of the obvious errors made by Hansel and Gretel… why don’t they just run away from the witch?

Cleo’s magical bookmark – Mark – invites her to leap into the story but warns her not to turn it into a Fairytale Fiasco! Arriving in the legendary forest, she soon finds cheery Hansel and Gretel. Cleo learns that things are not all the same in the olden days. There are no paths or signs and listening out for a noisy town does not help as there are no loud roads or traffic to listen for … they are lost.

The children are soon driven to distraction by their growing hunger and can’t believe their luck when they see a stunning cottage made of all their favourite yummy treats, including Cleo’s absolute favourite – chocolate sponge with rainbow sprinkles. Deep down Cleo knows this isn’t right but the witch who invites them in is such a warm-friendly and harmless-seeming lady… surely nothing could go wrong!

Opening with a simple telling of the classic fairy tale, the story ensures that children have a knowledge of the original text before it begins to play with it, and the adjustments made to the story are well-balanced. There are jokes and humorous illustrations but no silliness or modern technology so that a nostalgic feel is maintained.

Children will be immediately drawn in by the vibrant illustrations that fill every page, and the prose is manageable for younger children. It’s a short book, and more ambitious readers might be hoping for a few more shocks or surprises along the way, but it is certainly a fun take on the bedtime story.