I have always enjoyed when authors take familiar stories and poems and put their own spin on it. One of my favorite stories growing up was a twist on the story of the 3 Little Pigs. Since my daughter is already familiar with lots of stories and fairy tales, we have a lot of fun reading different versions of the same stories. Today’s book takes the story of Hansel and Gretel and turns it completely on it’s head. With current jokes, a blast of imagination, and even a stab at sexism in fairy tales, this is a twisted fairy tale that everyone can laugh along with!

Standard Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. I may receive a commission from purchases you make through the links in this post. I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

It’s Not Hansel and Gretel was written by Josh Funk and illustrated by Edwardian Taylor. This fun story takes the the tale of Hansel and Gretel and gives it a complete makeover. From the very beginning, the characters argue with the narrator and take the story into their own hands. From disputing whether the old woman in the candy house is a witch or not, to arguing about the realistic idea of leaving bread crumbs during a famine, the text is full of funny asides and current references that will keep both kids and adults laughing.

The illustrations are vibrant and hilarious, becoming more crazy and out of control as the story continues on. Kids will get a kick out of all the details, especially the other fairy tales hidden throughout the last page. The illustrations really add to the over the top story, making this a book that kids will want to read over and over again.

Not-Gingerbread Houses

In the book, the witch lives in a candy covered gingerbread house. However, since this is the story of Not Hansel and Gretel, we were encouraged to make Not-Gingerbread houses. We used graham crackers and chocolate instead of gingerbread, and the results were delicious!

This became a fun STEM project as we worked together to build a standing structure. First, we broke graham crackers in half and used melted chocolate chips to stick 4 of them together and form a square. Next, we used more melted chocolate to stick two more crackers together in a roof shape. We propped the sides of the house up with boxes of rice while the chocolate dried. I checked on the structure a few times while it dried and added more chocolate to any weak spots.

Once everything was dried, I coated the sides in more melted chocolate and let her decorate with mini M&Ms and conversation heart candies. I recommend doing one wall at a time because the chocolate can dry quickly. The nice part about these is that they are easy to make, and since they are small, each kid can easily customize their own.

Related Post: Sweet Treats & Gingerbread Stories

Follow the Path

My daughter loves playing hide and seek, or following maps to find things. So we decided to bring the bread crumb trail idea to life. We took turns using pom poms to leave a trail and then hiding at the end of it. We had a lot of fun finding new places to hide and trying to trick one another with tricky paths.

Not My Fairy Tale

This book is the perfect chance to rewrite your favorite fairy tale. One of my favorite books in elementary school was a retelling of the 3 Little Pigs that turned the familiar story on it’s head. So I have always loved the idea of rewriting stories with a fun twist. To encourage kids to write their own stories, I created this free printable book to get them started. The cover gives them a space for writing their own “Not” title, and the story page includes space for both writing and illustrations. You can print as many story pages as needed for kids to tell their story, or let them write lots of different fairy tales and create their own anthology.

Related Post: Baking with Grandma

Own Your Own Bakery

We love to bake, so my daughter loved the idea that Hansel and Gretel would open a bakery with their parents. We decided to have some fun with this and create our own bakery. Since we have a play kitchen area set up, we used the various play foods and kitchen tools to create different bakery selections. There are so many fun ways that you can use this set up to work on different skills. You can work on manners, by play acting a customer service scenario. Purchasing different baked goods can also help kids to work on math and money concepts. You could also try making some real baked goods together and sell them at your own bake sale, or take them to neighbors!

Does your family enjoy reading fairy tales? Share your favorites in the comments below!

More Posts You May Enjoy: