Once upon a time!: A story of the Brothers Grimm - Hardcover

Grade 2-4 There is not a great deal of information about the Grimm brothers in Quackenbush's humorous picture biography, although there is more than one finds in the typical children's encyclopedia. The simplification of information may be misleading, and Quackenbush does not cite sources, even for curious statements like the brothers worked at the same desk. The writing is sometimes bland and at other times seems off-hand. The explanation of the differences between folk and fairy tales seems to refer to the way the Grimms used the terms (differently than they are generally used today), but this is not made clear and is therefore misleading. The cartoonish illustrations, done in a reddish shade and black, include dialogue balloons in an attempt to add humor, but what they add is sometimes anachronistic. The style and humor are too difficult for the intended grade level, and older children would benefit from a more thorough presentation. Ronald A. Van de Voorde, Graduate Library School, Univ. of Ariz.
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