Reading Children’s Fairytales

Fairytales form a cornerstone of children’s and YA literature studies, and the tale of ‘Hansel and Gretel’ has been translated, adapted and retold across the years. Reading Children’s Fairytales: Inside the Gingerbread House brings together leading and emerging researchers and practitioners to showcase how interdisciplinary approaches enable diverse responses to texts. This edited collection opens up possibilities for cross-pollination between critical, multimodal and creative approaches. It celebrates multiple forms of knowledge and meaning-making within and beyond academic discourse, and engages young people in the conversation. The authors explore a wide range of retellings of ‘Hansel and Gretel’, from children’s picturebooks, graphic novels, poetry and young adult fiction to sculpture and Hip-Hop, to offer a comprehensive investigation of the tale. The volume also benefits from the voices of acclaimed creative writers who create and reflect on retellings that cross cultural and international boundaries. In engaging with such a range of popular retellings, the chapters bring a renewed attention to the need to disrupt hierarchical and canonical perspectives on children’s and YA literature.