A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz

"As for this next story, it is really dark. Frightening things happen. You may feel upset..."

The inspiration for this book came from the folktales collected and published by the Brothers Grimm. Brothers Grimm were two brothers from Germany who were the first ones who collected and published two volumes of stories they heard from people. In this way they not only saved the stories from being forgoten, but helped make them globally well known and circulated even today (as plays, movies, books, etc.).

The author combines several fairy tales finding and creating connections between them, all of them revolving around the story of Hansel and Gretel.

The interesting (and disgusting) bit in that the author decides to stays true to the original stories as heard and writen by Brothers Grimm. And these stories are pretty gory.

In order to counter the scary bits the author inserts his own voice throughout the book making humorous comments.

"there is a wisdom in children, a kind of knowing, a kind of believing, that we, as adults, do not have. There is a time when kingdom needs its children."

Warning for children, but for adults too

"Do someting that you will be able to tell your children, and your children's children! Join us and fight the dragon!"

Despite the violence and blodshed the author actually manages to make the stories very interesting and contemporary. By putting the children in the center of the story as main protagonists he gives actually says that children can be good leaders and sometimes the adults should trust and follow them in order to solve problems. Much like Greta Thunberg.