Reader: beware. Warlocks with dark spells, hunters with deadly aim, and bakers with ovens retrofitted for cooking children lurk within these pages. But if you dare, turn the page and learn the true story of Hansel and Gretel - the story behind (and beyond) the bread crumbs, edible houses and outwitted witches. Come on in. It may be frightening, it's certainly bloody, and it's definitely not for the faint of heart, but unlike those other fairy tales you know, this one is true.
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A Tale Dark & Grimm holds up to multiple readings, like the classic I think it will turn out to be. - New York Times
Gidwitz has created a sharp, funny story – a fairy tale with teeth. - INIS
Wisely written. Dark, edgy and just plain brilliant. - Peters Bookselling Services - Book of the Week
Gidwitz has a profound understanding of the Grimms' tales, and he cleverly weaves different tales with an imaginative thread so that they form a grand narrative that has a critical utopian vision - a realm ruled by wise and responsible children. - Jack Zipes, Professor Emeritus at the University of Minnesota
Told with a delicious wit...brilliant and terrifying - LoveReading4Kids
Gidwitz is terrifying and funny at the same time. His storytelling is so assured that it's hard to believe this is his debut novel. And his treatment of the Grimms' tales is a whole new thing. - School Library Joural, starred review
This wonderfully grisly retelling of the Brothers Grimm is to your typical Happily Ever After what an axe is to a butter knife. My advice: just nod and smile and tell your parents it's only a book of fairy tales. - Pseudonymous Bosch, author of The Name of This Book Is Secret
Witty, heartfelt, and spattered with gore . . . Adam Gidwitz tells his tale with urgency and panache. - Laura Amy Schlitz, Newbery-Medal-winning Author
A tour de force of imagination. - The Bookbag
Sufficiently dark and grisly to make children squeal with glee and has the perfect mix of fantasy and irreverence - Addicted blog
Children will love this. It's horribly grim and it's comical . . . I heartily recommend it. - The Bookette
A Tale Dark and Grimm and The Grimm Legacy are both amazingly good but I think that A Tale Dark and Grimm is better because there’s no kissing. - Biblioteca Reviews (a child's review)
I loved A Tale Dark and Grimm because of the gruesome and scary bits. It was really funny when the author interrupted the story with funny comments. - Johnny Cort, aged 8
By this author
About the Author
Adam Gidwitz grew up in Baltimore, USA. Now he lives in Brooklyn and teaches kids large and slightly less large at Saint Ann's School. Adam always writes about things that he's experienced personally. So, while all of the dark and grim things in this book really did happen to Hansel and Gretel, they also happened to Adam. Of course, if you've ever had a childhood, they've probably happened to you too. Want to hear more about Adam's harrowing experiences? Visit him online at www.adamgidwitz.com