Tales from the Brothers Grimm — Robert Mathias

Gr 5-8 These eight Grimm tales are retold with a fine dramatic sense, well-paced narrative, lively dialogue, and vivid description. Children should be drawn into the tales quickly and held captive especially in the sinister scenes, such as the following from ``Snow White'': ``Suddenly, Snow White felt the cord slip around her throat, it tightened sharply driving the breath from her lungs. In seconds the woman had drawn the cord tight and firmly knotted it around Snow White's neck. Slowly Snow White slipped to the ground as if she were dead.'' A scene from ``Rapunzel,'' in which the sorceress catches the husband stealing, is riveting. On a lighter note, one senses clearly the Princess' childish temper in ``The Frog Prince'' and experiences her transition to a loving young maiden. There is even a gentle touch of humor in this one. A broader, coarser humor is displayed in the graphic description of Tom Thumb's rear expulsion from the cow's stomach. The color illustrations are disappointing and do not match the quality of the writing. The colors are somber and dark. The figures are static and look like statues staring into oblivion. However, the stories are appropriate for reading aloud to fifth through eighth graders because of their strong dramatic impact. Select these stories even if you already have other Grimm collections. Barbara Peklo Serling, Oneida City Schools, N.Y.