School Library Journal (Mon Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2014)

Gr 4 Up-In 1812, the Brothers Grimm published the story of "Hansel and Gretel," about a brother and sister who must survive abandonment by their parents and being captured by a hungry witch. In 2007, Mattotti created compelling black-and-white artwork for the fairy tale. This exhibit inspired Gaiman to write his own version, and Mattotti's images and Gaiman's text are combined in this book. While not in the traditional graphic novel format, this illustrated short story alternates between images and words, allowing for full spreads of the artist's drawings, punctuated by intermittent spreads of text. There is no question that Gaiman is an incredibly gifted wordsmith, and his retelling hearkens back to the Grimms's original narrative. The most inspirational part of this book is Mattotti's artwork. Pitch-black India ink is used to great effect, creating dark and terrifying landscapes that threaten to envelop the tiny figures of the children. An extensive note on the history of the tale's origins is included as back matter. Mattotti's amazing work will inspire a new generation of readers, and this volume will give chills. The oversize deluxe edition features a die-cut cover. Andrea Lipinski, New York Public Library

ALA Booklist (Mon Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2014)

The classic Grimm fairy tale gets a macabre makeover in this illustrated retelling. On simple, well-designed pages of just text, Gaiman tells a fairly standard version of Hansel and Gretel. And while the story is unsettling enough on its own, it's Mattotti's full-bleed india ink illustrations that dial up the creep factor. After each pair of pages of Gaiman's straightforward story comes a double-page illustration full of ominous, sweeping swaths of black brushstrokes with mere hints of figures and backgrounds. Hansel and Gretel become tiny silhouettes amid looming, streaky tree trunks, while on another spread, their father's frantic eye and upraised ax are all that's visible amid the shadows. Mattotti masterfully and subtly uses negative space so each image isn't immediately noticeable, like the most menacing game of hide-and-seek, and the abrupt oscillation between the clean, white pages of words and the silent, chilling dusky pictures is striking. While this isn't a graphic novel per se, Gaiman's fans and lovers of visual storytelling will devour this eerie version of a classic. Also available in an oversize deluxe edition. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: New York Times best-seller, award winner, cult favorite iman is the triple threat of the book world, and his many fans will want a taste of this one, too.

Horn Book (Wed Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2015)

Gaiman retells the classic Grimm tale to accompany a set of paintings by Italian graphic artist Mattotti. The narration is as dark as the India-ink art. Double-page spreads of text alternate with full-bleed paintings, in which the humans are dwarfed by menacing shadows. Older readers with a taste for the macabre will enjoy this version of the tale. Bib.