Bethan WoollvinCritiques

Independent Reading Level: Grade 1st - 4th
Awards/Honors: Macmillan Children’s Book Prize 2014, New York Times Best Illustrated Book 2016, AOI World Illustration Awards 2017

reading level: grades 2-4

Though this wasn't my favorite of Woollvin's books, I really enjoy her style. The illustrations are simple, mostly in black, gray and white but with pops of color. In this story, the pop of color was Rapunzel's gold hair which was perfect. The story itself was simple and straight to the point, which is good for young children as it is easy to follow however, I did feel like the story was missing something. That being said, I did appreciate her version of the story where Rapunzel saves herself instead of the prince sweeping in to save her. I prefer that message over the one where Rapunzel waits in the tower to be saved.

Overall, I prefer Woollvin's Hansel & Gretel over this story, but I still enjoyed it.

Best friends Ebba, Helga, and Wren know something is not right, but when they tell the Chieftain, he dismisses their claims, replying, "Nonsense! ...and I know best." So the three little Vikings go out on their own, and wind up defeating a troll - "because we know best!"

Woollvin's recognizable style using thick black outlines and a limited but bold color palette works again in this tale of small girls outwitting and defeating those who would attack or underestimate them.

Independent Reading Level: Grades K-4

a troll to defeat!

A trio of little girls in the Viking village are observant and see signs of unusual activity going on around the village and woods. They investigate and then alert the Chieftain of their findings. He discounts their concerns and says things are ok and he knows best but they go on to prove him wrong.

A cute story but not overwhelmingly interesting or fun. It does show girls being proactive, strong-minded, and problem solvers. But it also seems to be a bit male-bashing, too. I'm not familiar with the fairy tale of which it is suppose to be a fractured version.

A good school or public library source.

I received a complimentary copy to facilitate a review. Opinions are mine, alone and are freely given.

This rendition of Little Red Riding Hood is a little disturbing (not that the original isn't!). The Red-is-victorious outcome common in most modern retellings of the story has a slight twist in this version. I wasn't the biggest fan, but I can see some kids really enjoying this one.

Note: I received a digital ARC through NetGalley.

The story takes a different take on the story of little red riding hood. She was told to take a cake to her grandma who wasn't feeling well. She then encounters the wolf who eventually eats her grandma. Rather than being afraid, she confronts the wolf. I recommend this book because it empowers girls to not be afraid and that they are strong. This would also be a great read aloud for kindergarten to 2nd graders.

In this twist on the classic tale, Willow is a good witch who merely asks Hansel and Gretel to clean up their breadcrumbs so they don't lead birds and mice to her gingerbread house. The twins decline, so Willow does it herself. In fact, when she finds them eating her house, she invites them in for a meal ("Willow did not get angry, because Willow was a good witch"). But when Hansel and Gretel eat all the food without leaving the witch any, and then play with her magic things without her permission, finally Willow puts the two misbehaving kiddos in a cauldron and turns them into gingerbread cookies ("Because as it turns out, Willow wasn't ALWAYS a good witch.")

My 5yo loves this book (as she does Little Red, Rapunzel, and Bo the Brave). I always enjoy a twisted fairy tale as well, especially one that takes a different perspective than usual However, I wish it weren't implied that good people can't get angry - anger is a rational response to people trampling over your house, belongings, and feelings.

Stylistic illustrations (gouache on cartridge paper) are rendered in gray, black, and orange on a white background.½

Delightful. Bo the Brave wants to hunt monsters with her brothers, but they wont let her go. They think she is too small. Well, she shows them. She becomes the best monster hunter because she realizes that monsters need love too. A great book for anytime, but also good for abstractly talking about why hunting is not nice.

There have been many retellings of Little Red Riding Hood. This one has a bit different ending, but overall it’s not spectacular. There is nothing but great artwork to differentiate it from the original.
#Wintergames #teamreadnosereindeer +16

"She couldn't see Grandma,
but she could see a badly disguised wolf waiting in Grandma's bed!
Which might have scared some little girls.
But not this little girl.
She made a plan and went inside."

In this retelling, there's no woodcutter, just a clever girl and a handy axe.

Gift from Abby & Ellie for L's 4th birthday

A feisty retelling of the Rapunzel story. (If the witch could use her hair to get into the tower, then Rapunzel could use it to get out.)

*

Re-read October 2020½

Bo's big brothers won't let her come monster hunting with them, so she goes by herself. Bo finds a griffin, a kraken, and a dragon - and makes friends with all three. It turns out her brothers are the real monsters - they took the dragon's baby. Bo and her "monster" friends set things right.
*
Re-read January 2021

Bo the Brave is a delightful tale of adventure and derring-do with a strong female protagonist. When Bo's brothers set off on a quest to catch a monster, Bo is left behind—too small, they tell her. Bo decides to go off on a quest of her own. Armed with an arrow, a net, or a sword, she approaches each beast with a signature catchphrase, "Get ready to be got!" But the monsters Bo encounters are not really monsters at all. In fact, they're quite kind,

"You simply MUST learn to swim," the creature bellowed, plucking Bo from the waves. "And me? A monster? Don't be ridiculous. I am the Kraken! I mean you no harm."

When Bo finally does find monsters, they're certainly not the type she'd been seeking.

This good-sized book has Beth Woollvin's signature style artwork (Little Red, Rapunzel, Hanset & Gretel). Bo's hair and cape are lovely shades of pink and the creatures are sufficiently mythical without being scary. This is a longer read-aloud for attentive 4-year-olds and up. The suggested age range is 5-9. Bo is an enchanting adventurer.

On sale in April, 2020. My copy was provided by the publisher.

http://shelfemployed.blogspot.com

I absolutely love the art in this book! It’s all in black and white, except for the little hints of red on each page. I find the simple expression on Red to be humorous. It’s a great updated ending for girl empowerment by her taking care of herself. There is no stereotypical damsel in distress. However, they don’t resolve Grandma. She just seems to be dead.

This version of Rapunzel is different from the classic version. In this version Rapunzel does not need to be rescued by a prince and she is able to outsmart the witch that locked her in the castle. This version of the story would be very enjoyable to little girls. It shows that you can do things on your own and you do not need a man to help you.

In this version of Hansel and Gretel the witch is portrayed as good and the children are portrayed as naughty. The author who is also the illustrator, uses a color theme consisting of black, orange, grey, and white. With only these few colors, she brings the pages to life. I can use this book in a second grade class to talk about different perspectives since the original story portrays the witch as "bad".

I was not expecting this book to end the way it did. First I was surprised to see that in a children's book abut little red riding hood that the grandmother has actually gotten eaten. I was a little skeptical until I noticed that Red had an axe, then I was very curious as to what a tiny girl was going to do with an axe to a huge wolf. The next page showed Red wearing a new fur coat made out of what I'm assuming was wolf fur. I took the biggest gasp ever when I saw this. I wanted to cheer for her but I also felt sorry for the poor wolf. Great ,suspenseful, book.

The description of this book on the inside cover is the most perfect way to describe this book. "With irreverent humor and striking illustrations, the author puts an empowering and delightfully dark twist on a classic story of a helpless damsel." Rapunzel being stuck in her tower under the threat of a witch's curse, she is worried she will never escape. Till she uses her hair to get out and explore one day, then realizing she has to escape for good. When the witch visited her and went down the tower on her hair, *snip* *snip*, Rapunzel cut her hair and the witch fell to her death. No more curse to worry about. I love this twist the author put on this story, and the illustrations are absolutely stunning. This will definitely be put in my future classroom.

This version of Rapunzel is feminist forward. Does Rapunzel need a prince on a horse to come save her? No. Rapunzel is clever enough to figure out how to escape the tower herself, but she does use the help of a horse. This tale is almost black and white, with the only color being Rapunzel's valuable hair.½

This is a re-written version of Rapunzel that little girls should love. Rapunzel does not need to be rescued by a prince, she is smart and strong and is able to outsmart the witch who has her trapped in the castle tower. With the help of some animal friends she meets when she sneaks out of the tower, she not only escapes, but does away with the witch. A very short cute story that shows how brains can overcome a lot of troubles. A great book for public, school and home libraries. This could be used when teaching fairytales, learning about self-esteem as well as to develop confidence. A lot of uses in a classroom. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley.