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A review by hazelalaska
Fairy Tale Comics: Classic Tales Told by Extraordinary Cartoonists by Vanessa Davis, Jillian Tamaki, Gilbert Hernández, Karl Kerschl, Raina Telgemeier, Joseph Lambert, E.M. Carroll, Bobby London, David Mazzucchelli, Luke Pearson, Jaime Hernández, Ramona Fradon, Graham Annable, Brett Helquist, Charise Mericle Harper, Craig Thompson, Gigi D.G., Chris Duffy
3.0
2.5
I picked this up from the library on a whim since I was looking for something else to read. It was ok. I felt that the stories were over simplified in their retellings and were missing some of the context of the story. Even with the stories that I had never read before, I could feel that there was really more to the story that they weren’t including. I get that these fairy tales being retold as comics are meant for children, but that is no reason to cut things out and basically dumb them down.
It was kind of interesting to see the stories done in different art styles, but at the same time it was annoying for things to always be switching around, especially fonts and how it’s written.
This book contains 17 stories. They are all very short, all of them less than 10 pages, so it was a fast read.
Sweet Porridge: I didn’t really like the art style. It seemed too much like an ordinary cartoon. It didn’t have that fairy tale feel. I didn’t really like the story that much. It was too simple.
The 12 Dancing Princesses: The art style is pretty good. I like it more than some of the others. The story was ok, but there is a lot missing. In this version the adventurer is only there for one night, not 3. There is also no explaination as to why they are dancing there in the first place and why they wouldn’t just tell their father that. In other versions of the story they are under a spell and can’t tell anyone about where they go.
Hansel and Gretel: I didn’t like the art style at all. The story was just okay too, nothing spectacular.
Puss in Boots: The art style was again okay. I didn’t really like the way the story was told, and how they changed the carriage to a truck. I was looking for the more traditional fairy tale feel.
Little Red Riding Hood: I really like the art style on this one. It was one of my favorites, if not my favorite from this book. It was so cute! The story was okay. I liked that they made the lumberjack a girl (or, at least I think it’s a girl).
The Prince and the Tortoise: I liked the art style on this one, because it really does look like a comic book. The story was interesting as well, and it was one that I had never heard of before. However, I do get the feeling that there was moe to the story that they cut out to simplify it and make it shorter.
Snow White: I don’t like the art style on this one because it’s really funky. Some of the people look like they are from the future and maybe live on another planet, like the mother and stepmother, but then the rest of the people look normal. The story was just kind of average.
The Boy Who Drew Cats: athe art style on this one was okay. The story was boring, and
I couldn’t wait for it to end. I have never heard this one before, but again I still feel like there is something missing, like they cut things out.
Rumplestiltskin: I liked the art style on this one. It reminds me more of a traditional picture book. The story on this one was good, and quite close to the versions that I remember reading.
Rabbit Will Not Help: The art style for this one is terrible. I absolutely hated it because it’s so ugly. It may work with cartoons that are in the newspaper or whatever, but for a fairy tale it does not work at all. The story was okay, but the art really detracts from it. It could have been a really beautiful story but it was so ugly that I didn’t even want to read it.
Rapunzel: I have mixed feelings about the way this was drawn. On the first page I didn’t really like it, but after seeing how Rapunzel was drawn I think I do like it. I actually really liked the story on this one, especially how Rapunzel doves out the window and used her hair to save them both. I especially like at the end how she told Gothel she didn’t know how to get her down and just left her there and how she said she had the whole world to explore. It reminds me of the song “Wind in My Hair” from Tangled: Before Ever After. It was really cute.
The Small Tooth Dog: I didn’t really like anything about this one. I didn’t like how it was drawn, it just seemed sort of cluttered. I found the story rather boring as well.
Goldilocks and the Three Bears: The style for this one was okay, I guess. Goldilocks looked fine but the vears were drawn weirdly. There was no dialogue at all in this, and everyone already knows the story so I’m not sure why they bothered to include it. It was just boring.
Baba Yaga: I feel like I may have heard this one before but at the same time I feel like I haven’t. The art style is really cute and pretty. The story is interesting, but I still feel like they left some things out. It was one of my favorites from this book, though.
Bremen Town: The style on this one isn’t that great. The story didn’t really make that much sense because not that much happened. I’m fairly certain that they did cut a lot out here.
Give Me the Shudders: The style was pretty okay on this one. The story was also olay, though they may have left some things out. I have heard of this one before but I am fairly certain it has a different title.
Azzolino’s Story Without End: This one was also sort of boring. Nothing really happened here wither, and I still think there is more to the story that they cut out. The art style is detailed but the page just looks a bit too messy and cluttered.
I picked this up from the library on a whim since I was looking for something else to read. It was ok. I felt that the stories were over simplified in their retellings and were missing some of the context of the story. Even with the stories that I had never read before, I could feel that there was really more to the story that they weren’t including. I get that these fairy tales being retold as comics are meant for children, but that is no reason to cut things out and basically dumb them down.
It was kind of interesting to see the stories done in different art styles, but at the same time it was annoying for things to always be switching around, especially fonts and how it’s written.
This book contains 17 stories. They are all very short, all of them less than 10 pages, so it was a fast read.
Sweet Porridge: I didn’t really like the art style. It seemed too much like an ordinary cartoon. It didn’t have that fairy tale feel. I didn’t really like the story that much. It was too simple.
The 12 Dancing Princesses: The art style is pretty good. I like it more than some of the others. The story was ok, but there is a lot missing. In this version the adventurer is only there for one night, not 3. There is also no explaination as to why they are dancing there in the first place and why they wouldn’t just tell their father that. In other versions of the story they are under a spell and can’t tell anyone about where they go.
Hansel and Gretel: I didn’t like the art style at all. The story was just okay too, nothing spectacular.
Puss in Boots: The art style was again okay. I didn’t really like the way the story was told, and how they changed the carriage to a truck. I was looking for the more traditional fairy tale feel.
Little Red Riding Hood: I really like the art style on this one. It was one of my favorites, if not my favorite from this book. It was so cute! The story was okay. I liked that they made the lumberjack a girl (or, at least I think it’s a girl).
The Prince and the Tortoise: I liked the art style on this one, because it really does look like a comic book. The story was interesting as well, and it was one that I had never heard of before. However, I do get the feeling that there was moe to the story that they cut out to simplify it and make it shorter.
Snow White: I don’t like the art style on this one because it’s really funky. Some of the people look like they are from the future and maybe live on another planet, like the mother and stepmother, but then the rest of the people look normal. The story was just kind of average.
The Boy Who Drew Cats: athe art style on this one was okay. The story was boring, and
I couldn’t wait for it to end. I have never heard this one before, but again I still feel like there is something missing, like they cut things out.
Rumplestiltskin: I liked the art style on this one. It reminds me more of a traditional picture book. The story on this one was good, and quite close to the versions that I remember reading.
Rabbit Will Not Help: The art style for this one is terrible. I absolutely hated it because it’s so ugly. It may work with cartoons that are in the newspaper or whatever, but for a fairy tale it does not work at all. The story was okay, but the art really detracts from it. It could have been a really beautiful story but it was so ugly that I didn’t even want to read it.
Rapunzel: I have mixed feelings about the way this was drawn. On the first page I didn’t really like it, but after seeing how Rapunzel was drawn I think I do like it. I actually really liked the story on this one, especially how Rapunzel doves out the window and used her hair to save them both. I especially like at the end how she told Gothel she didn’t know how to get her down and just left her there and how she said she had the whole world to explore. It reminds me of the song “Wind in My Hair” from Tangled: Before Ever After. It was really cute.
The Small Tooth Dog: I didn’t really like anything about this one. I didn’t like how it was drawn, it just seemed sort of cluttered. I found the story rather boring as well.
Goldilocks and the Three Bears: The style for this one was okay, I guess. Goldilocks looked fine but the vears were drawn weirdly. There was no dialogue at all in this, and everyone already knows the story so I’m not sure why they bothered to include it. It was just boring.
Baba Yaga: I feel like I may have heard this one before but at the same time I feel like I haven’t. The art style is really cute and pretty. The story is interesting, but I still feel like they left some things out. It was one of my favorites from this book, though.
Bremen Town: The style on this one isn’t that great. The story didn’t really make that much sense because not that much happened. I’m fairly certain that they did cut a lot out here.
Give Me the Shudders: The style was pretty okay on this one. The story was also olay, though they may have left some things out. I have heard of this one before but I am fairly certain it has a different title.
Azzolino’s Story Without End: This one was also sort of boring. Nothing really happened here wither, and I still think there is more to the story that they cut out. The art style is detailed but the page just looks a bit too messy and cluttered.