Hansel & Gretel is King’s second children’s book, Charlie the Choo-Choo being the first. This time though it’s not an original story. What King has done is taken the Brothers Grimm’s story and turned it into his own version. The differences between his version and the original story are small though. The setting and the plot are the same as the original, but King has tweaked it a bit, and the biggest difference is that his version has that King feeling every King fan knows and loves.

Like Charlie the Choo-Choo, this one also contains illustrations. The illustrations in this one are originally costume designs for the Humperdinck opera done by Maurice Sendak, and they are quite special. I imagine that there will be just as many who like them as those who don’t.


The plot itself doesn’t need any closer description. Most of you have probably heard the story about Hansel and Gretel and their ordeal with the wicked witch. And if some of you haven’t, well, then you’re in for a treat, as it’s one of those stories about good and bad, innocence and evil. I would, however, recommend that you read both King’s version and the original. If nothing else, it’s interesting to compare the two and see how King changed a story created in 1812—over 200 years ago—into a more modern version.

While reading the book, I at one point found myself saying, “Yes, great work Steve!” and that was when he, in true King style, connected the story to his own world by revealing that the witch is actually Rhea of the Cöos from The Dark Tower. Of course, this raises some questions about the continuation of her story. We know she is alive in The Dark Tower 4, and that means the story in Hansel & Gretel probably takes place after the events in The Dark Tower 4, since Roland implies that he may have killed her. And don’t start yelling spoiler alert. As mentioned, the story of Hansel and Gretel is over 200 years old, and if you can’t spoil a story that old, then I don’t know what we can spoil.


The book also contains an introduction by King, where he explains why and how he came to write the book, which is interesting reading in itself.

And what about actually reading the book for children? I say go for it. It is a bit scary, but at the same time, it’s been told to children for over 200 years, and without knowing for sure, I think I dare to say that no one has turned out bad from having had Hansel & Gretel read to them as kids.