Hansel and Gretel: A TOON Graphic

I love Neil Gaiman so when I saw this retelling of a popular classic fairytale, I was excited to dive in. The story is creepy, sad and warrants an important lesson. I love the dynamic between Hansel and Gretel.

The illustrations are simple, yet spooky. The illustrations truly tie into the atmosphere giving a creepy, eerie experience. My children absolutely loved this retelling. It was quick paced, easy to read and not overly childish. Definitely a good experience and a tale we will read many times again throughout the years.

I wanted to love this one because Neil Gaiman and fun art, but the story held no surprises and the art was not for me. One star for the art; three stars for the retelling, but only because it's decently written. It's not inventive or original in any way which is fine; it's just not worth a read unless you've never read the original version. The art is all in black and white, mostly black, lots of it. I love illustrated books, so I was excited to see a new one. It doesn't really work for a fairy tale. I don't see kids poring over it like I did with so many beautifully colorful books I had growing up which is a shame, but maybe this one is for the adults? In which case, WHY wasn't the story developed into a text for mature readers? It just didn't work for me, and I expected something better from Gaiman, frankly.