School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-3-Two more welcome additions to the series. Hansel and Gretel tells the familiar story of two children who are abandoned by their heartless stepmother and gutless father, taken in by a child-eating witch, and ultimately escape to return home to a happy reunion with their widowed father. Losantos's ink-and-watercolor cartoons in muted colors present a Hansel and Gretel who are charmingly scruffy, a befuddled father who is almost sympathetic, and a tough-looking witch. The Musicians of Bremen concerns four elderly animals who manage to make a home for themselves with the help of their none-too-melodious voices and some superstitious robbers. Montserrat's earth-toned acrylics have an almost linocut look and make excellent and arresting use of form and volume. Though a bit abbreviated, the prose in each story follows classic translations of the Grimms' tales, maintaining cadence and humor. Both titles read aloud beautifully in both the stylish English renditions and in the European Spanish, which may sound a bit exotic to readers or listeners of Latin American extraction. Both books are beautifully laid out and a pleasure to view and share. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
Hansel and Gretel is a straightforward retelling with cartoonlike illustrations reminiscent of the Tintin and Asterix comics. The Musicians of Bremen shows a bit more imagination in the retelling, and the stylish illustrations fit the story nicely. The English text is translated from the Spanish adaptations. [Review covers these titles: Hansel and Gretel/Hansel y Gretel and The Musicians of Bremen/Los musicos de Bremen.] (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
K-Gr. 3. Hansel and Gretel go into the woods once more in this bilingual retelling, originally published in Catalan, which is part of an ongoing series. The illustrations--softly colored and outlined in heavy, black ink--bring distance to the familiar story of parental abandonment and a child-eating witch. Interestingly, Hansel and Gretel are not depicted as cute, tempting morsels; rather, they resemble adults (remember Olive Oyl in Popeye?). What's more, the story and pictures concentrate less on the sticky, sweet outside of the house (the Spanish reads casa de pan or house of bread ) than on the details inside, such as a paella seething with slithery seasonings. An amusingly wicked approach to a well-known tale. --Julie Kline Copyright 2005 Booklist