It's Not about the Crumbs!: Easy-to-Read Wonder Tales
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"Jean Renoir's cinematic masterpiece La Grande Illusion (1937) tells the story of two French prisoners-of-war escaping through Germany towards France during the First World War. Its themes of loyalties divided by class, racial and national identities and the conflict between patriotism and pacifism made it particularly compelling and controversial on its release in the last days of the French Popular Front. Julian Jackson's study of the film places it in the historical context of France in the late 1930s, and also addresses the film's unforgettable character studies and its unusual structure, with the narrative divided into a series of self-contained set pieces"--Provided by publisher.
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It's Not about the Crumbs! explores parallel tales across countries in an easy to read book for kids. I was really impressed with the three versions of Hansel and Gretel that were presented. The reader is allowed to explore the story from a mixture of European sources, from an African version and then from a Japanese version. As an older reader, and one who loves reading the same tale from different perspectives, I had a great time reading all three and seeing where they had similarities!
As to reading level, although the book claims that it is “easy-to-read” and for younger readers, I'm not entirely sure what level this would be for. I can say that my first grade class would definitely have trouble with some of the words in this book. Although the tales are definitely written in kid-friendly language, there are also some concepts that they might not grasp or feel uncomfortable with.
I think this is definitely a great asset to parents who have reluctant readers! I would suggest that parents read it first though to see if it matches their child's reading level, and also to see if they are comfortable with the story matter. After all, we all know fairy tales can be a little dark at times. Overall I'd give this book a solid four on the recommendation scale!