Gretel and Hansel

Waeland’s candy-hued imagery turns the tables in this wordless retelling of the Brothers Grimm–collected tale. When young Hansel and Gretel, portrayed with brown skin, happen by the gingerbread abode of a kindly citron-hued witch with a flair for baking and confectionary, the home proves irresistible. But after the witch invites them inside, the siblings make a mess as they gobble everything in sight. Pushed to the brink, the witch and a trusty black cat companion employ a magic wand to teach a transformative lesson. Readers unfamiliar with the source material may have to puzzle out the story, but fans will enjoy decoding the bold, color-block images of sweets, and spotting humorous details, including a lollipop stuck in Gretel’s hair, in this fractured escapade involving just des(s)erts. Ages 3–5. (May)