Tales from Grimm

Tales from Grimm. ISBN: 0-8166-4936-7. Wanda Gag. 1936. Newbery Honor and Lewis Carroll Shelf Award for Millions of Cats. Folktale. Ages 9-12. German background.

This book is a compilation of translated folklore that Wanda Gag put together in the 1930s. It includes variations of well known fairy tales such as Hansel and Gretel, Cinderella, The Musicians of Bremen, Rapunzel, and The Frog Prince. Wanda includes humor in her telling of the tales, but they are also very "grim," for example, in Cinderella the step sisters cut off parts of their feet so that their feet will fit into the magic slipper. Her story also varies from the tales that I am familiar with in that there is no fairy godmother, just a magic tree that she had grown from her father (a humble gift), there is no pumpkin stagecoach and also no mice. Even though Cinderella does have a happy ending, some of the tales end in a grim way. For example, in Cat and Mouse Keep House, it ends with the cat eating the mouse. The book is a bit whimsical because you cannot predict the end of the stories. Some of the stories you would expect to end in a bad way, actually have a happy and peaceful ending (for example, The Three Brothers). Other stories such as Lazy Heinz and Lean Liesl and Lanky Lenz almost seem pointless, and sort of run together.

If I were working in a Christian school, (as I would not want to cross the line of mixing school and religion), I would share the story of the Fisherman and his Wife with the children, and remind them to be careful what they wish for. In this case, the wife probably forgot that God is a humble being in most cultures, therefore she was again put back into an humble position in life when she wished to be like god. You could plan a life lesson on greed and have the kids write some of the cons of things that typical kids may wish for if given the opportunity. For example, have a worksheet with some wishes that seem very good, but have the children fill in and share the draw backs. (For example a pro hockey player seems like a good thing to be, but you have to travel all of the time and do not get to spend time with your family).

I would personally be hesitant to bring this into the classroom because it would open up a lot of discussion in regards to phrases and words used. The word "gay" is used quite frequently, and when I was reading this with my 10 year old, he chuckled every time. However, it did open up discussion on this topic and I was able to teach him all of the meanings of the word. Before we read this story, it was just a word he had heard on the playground. Also, in Snow White and Rose Red one of the gnomes calls out, "boobies." In the Frog Prince, the Princess and the frog are supposed to be playmates, and the word "playmates" with male and female also brought on some giggles for what it could imply to kids in this age group. I would definitely be cautious as to the maturity level of the children before introducing this book. A mature group would discuss these phrases, but in certain classrooms, it may just be asking for disruption.

I would use this book to test comprehension. I would do an exercise and have the kids compare the fairy tales in this book to the fairy tales that they had been told, or to movies that they have seen. I would also have them think about the lesson that they were supposed to have learned from reading each story, and I would have them discuss it in class in small groups. Depending on backgrounds, different children may pick out different lessons learned, and it would be interesting to hear their take. It would help them to think more about what they are reading.