For parents seeking fresh bedtime stories, Stephen King offers an unexpected new option: a children`s book. While the acclaimed author is famously known for his horror novels, his latest work is a reimagined version of the classic Brothers Grimm fairy tale, Hansel and Gretel. Published by HarperCollins, this hardcover edition is now available, and King himself lends his voice to narrate the audiobook, providing a truly unique storytelling experience.
The book is enriched with previously unpublished illustrations by the late Maurice Sendak, a legendary figure in children`s literature who passed away in 2012. Sendak`s illustrious career saw him create and illustrate numerous bestselling children`s books, most notably Where the Wild Things Are, which is widely celebrated as one of the greatest picture books of all time. This new rendition of Hansel and Gretel was developed in collaboration with The Maurice Sendak Foundation, ensuring the preservation of his artistic legacy.
Recommended for children aged 6-8, this book offers young readers a unique opportunity to proudly share that they have read a work by Stephen King.
While picture books come in various forms, this edition maintains a fairly traditional aesthetic with its 10.5 x 9.5-inch pages. A distinctive feature is that the text and illustrations are presented separately; the captivating artwork fills the majority of the page, while King`s narrative is formatted on the right side, akin to a prose novel.
Hansel and Gretel was originally published in 1812 by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, collectively known as the Brothers Grimm. This highly influential story is a cornerstone of Grimms` Fairy Tales and proves to be a remarkably fitting subject for Stephen King`s creative touch. The narrative follows two siblings who become lost in a forest, where they encounter a witch residing in a house made of delicious sweets – a premise that inherently carries the dark, psychological undertones often explored in King`s own works.
This is not Stephen King`s first foray into children`s literature. In 2016, he published Charlie the Choo-Choo under the pseudonym Beryl Evans. That story originally appeared without illustrations in King`s 1991 novel, The Dark Tower III: The Waste Lands. The standalone, illustrated version of Charlie the Choo-Choo is specifically aimed at toddlers and preschoolers.