Beni MontresorBesprekingen

Hansel and Gretel is a story that goes way back, im unsure of what happens in the classic version of hansel and gretel. In this story Hansel and Gretel, the two children initially walk into the woods looking for strawberries to eat. They then ended up eating all the strawberries they found and fell asleep only to awaken in front a castle of the witch that eats children. The witch then locked hansel into a cage and told gretel to prepare the pot to cook him. But while the witch was not looking gretel freed hansel and they were able to get away.

The setting starts off this fairy tale already dark. We hear of the dark creepy woods the kids go in to look for dinner. Already witches and devils are associated as supernatural beings living there in our minds. Again the book reminds us of such and forewarns us of such evil coming. At first, I thought the language of them sleeping they would be dragged into the witches house then but instead, they were reeled in by delicious smells. Although this book was similar to the cannibalism and the witch of other versions the big castle was a change. I had remembered this being more of a gingerbread house or house made of sweets to lure the kids in. Some versions were much more descriptive. The images could have better portrayed what was occurring this version was not as detailed as my memories of versions I read as a child.

Stunning Woodcuts. The text is only there to make this into a "picture book" instead of the "art book" it really should be classified as.

In this version of the classic tale, Beni Montresor uses illustrations to portray the story much more than he uses words. The actual writing style present in the book definitely isn't the greatest; language is very simple, and honestly, a bit dull. The words are neither exciting nor lively and they do very little for readers. Much of the emphasis is placed on the illustrations, where brightly colored silhouettes carry the story. This is a great version of story to read with younger children, when the interest isn't necessarily in the writing but in the pictures. Because of the simplicity of the language, this version of the story is probably the least gruesome of the many out there, but the images do help to portray the "anyone can overcome evil" theme that all versions of "Hansel and Gretel" have.½

Beni Montresor's version of Hansel and Gretel follows the same plot that people have read in the past. This book would be great for beginning readers because the words are easy and are in large print. The illustrations are lacking therefore, the book is less interesting to read.½

Hansel and Gretel lived in a very poor home. They went in the woods to find some strawberries for their mother and never returned. They were so hungry they ate all of the strawberries that they picked and fell asleep. When they woke up they smelled food and candy in the air coming from a castle, being starved they go and check it out. The witch kidnapped them and made Gretel cook. When the witch wasn't looking she took her wind and helped her brother out his cage. They then pushed the witch in a pot to cook and saved all the other children.

The version of the story told in this book is exactly how I remember the story being told. The kids are held captive by an evil witch. The kids escape and the witch dies in the end. I loved reading this story, but I was not fond of the illustrations.

First published in 1963, and then reprinted in this 1989 edition, Beni Montresor's The Witches of Venice is an original fairy-tale that makes use of a number of traditional folkloric themes, and which was, in the mid 1990s, made into an opera by composer Philip Glass. Opening with the childless King and Queen of Venice, it develops along fairly standard lines at first, with two Fairies of the Lagoon, in a move reminiscent of such tales as Thumbelina, offering the king a magic plant that will blossom into a boy. Here the narrative departs from the conventional fairy-tale trajectory, however, as the king refuses to believe the fairies - dismissing them rudely as "stupid girls" - and chucks the plant out the window. Even when it blossoms (a kind maid having planted it), and produces a boy, the king refuses to relent, and the little flower-plant boy is made a prisoner in the castle courtyard. It is only when he learns of the existence of a little flower-plant girl, said to be in the keeping of the two Witches of Venice, that he takes heart and, with the help of the Wind, sets out to find her...

I really liked the way in which Montresor set this story up, with all the narrative clues initially pointing in one direction, and raising the expectation that this would be a certain kind of tale - the kind in which a childless couple obtain a tiny infant through extraordinary magical means, whether by plant generation, or honey-comb construction - and then departing from that expected story trajectory into something else. Something similar, but different. What an interesting character the king is, unable to admit his mistake, even when the evidence is staring him in the face - determined, in fact, to bury that evidence, and keep it from the eyes of all around him. Montresor's artwork is just as compelling as his text, with a definite vintage sensibility that is difficult to describe. I like the simultaneous detail (the intricate lines) and obscurity (the "fuzziness") of his illustrations, and particularly appreciated the pigeon-vehicle that the flower-plant boy uses, and the faces of the anthropomorphized Sun and Wind, who help him.

Definitely something unique, The Witches of Venice is a book I would recommend to fairy-tale lovers in the mood for something a little bit strange and a lot bit lovely, and to fans of Beni Montresor's art.

In this story, Beni Montresor puts a little twist on the classic tale of Hansel and Gretel. A young brother and sister venture out into the woods to pick strawberries when they are captured by an evil witch that eats children. Once they escape, they burn the witch and then set all of the other captured children free. Older children might like this book because of its interesting plot and bold pictures while a witch that eats children may frighten younger ones. I may be skeptical to share this book with a future class.

Hansel and Gretel are greedy little children. They leave home in search of food. They came across a castle that smelled as if wonderful foods were being cooked. They went right in. Unfortunately that was the wicked witch’s castle who was known for eating children. Hansel was locked up while Gretel prepared the fire that would be used to cook them. Gretel took the witch’s magic wand and freed her brother and all the other imprisoned children. The witch was pushed into the fire and was burned.

Details: This book was written to interest children in grades K-3 and is on a 1.7 reading level

A replay of the folk tale Hansel and Gretel put into various forms of art with color.

Hansel and Gretel went in the woods to pick strawberries for their mother, they fell asleep in the woods after eating all the berries they had picked. When they woke up they saw a castle and smelled food, they were hungry so they went into the castle to find the witch that eats children. Gretel managed to get Hansel free and they burned the witch and set all the other children free. This story would be good to read when teaching children not to talk to strangers or go into strangers home with out tour parents knowing.

This simple retelling of the traditional tale is very scary. The text is very simple. The illustrations are interesting, but not my cup of tea.

LIttle red riding hood is about a little girl who is going to visit her grandmother and she has to go through the woods. She comes across a wolf and tells him where she is going. The wolf beats her there and eats the grandmother. He tricks the girl into thinking he is the grandmother and the he eats her too.

I think the story is too frightening for little children. they do not need to be reading about the wolf eating the grandmother and the girl. Also the pictures of her in the wolfs stomach is disturbing.

You could make this into a play without the devouring of the people for your students. You could also make cookies to bring to grandmother.