Grimm’s Fairy Tales by the Brothers Grimm, Audio Book Collection by Listening Library

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Grimm's Fairy Tales

Grimm’s Fairy Tales
Author: The Brothers Grimm;
Narrators: Award Winning Cast (Various)
Published: May 10, 2016 by Listening Library

Goodreads Summary: Read by a cast of award-winning narrators, this collection contains some of the most timeless and enchanting folk and fairy tales collected by the Brothers Grimm.

The Brothers Grimm collected the original fairy tales that Americans are most familiar with today. Lyrically translated and beautifully narrated by an all-star cast, these 21 tales are selected from The Complete Grimm’s Fairy Tales and presented just as Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm originally set them down: bold, primal, just frightening enough, and endlessly engaging.

Stories include:
Rapunzel, read by Katherine Kellgren
Cinderella, read by January LaVoy
Little Red-Cap, read by Simon Vance
Little Briar-Rose, read by Grover Gardner
Little Snow-White, read by Kate Rudd
Rumpelstiltskin, read by Jim Dale
The Shoes That Were Danced to Pieces, read by Alfred Molina
A Riddling Tale, read by Janis Ian
The Twelve Brothers, read by Graeme Malcolm
The White Snake, read by Scott Brick
The Elves, read by Bahni Turpin
The Six Swans, read by Davina Porter
The Twelve Huntsmen, read by Dion Graham
The Goose-Girl, read by Edoardo Ballerini
Sweet Porridge, read by Jayne Entwistle
The Golden Goose, read by Luke Daniels
Eve’s Various Children, read by Roy Dotrice
Snow-White and Rose-Red, read by Julia Whelan
The Frog-King, or Iron Henry, read by Kirby Heyborne
The Sea-Hare, read by Mark Bramhall
Hansel and Gretel, read by Robin Miles

Ricki’s Review: I particularly loved the variety in this collection. The narrators provide their own personal touches to each fairy tale, and I found every story to be captivating. The audio format enhances the ways the stories are told. The collection contains the more popular fairy tales along with the more lesser known, and I loved listening to the stories that I had never read before. Grimm’s Fairy Tales are a staple of my childhood, and I feel lucky to share these stories with my son. I think he will really enjoy the audio form, and I hope to play them in long car rides. It will be great to stop after each fairy tale to discuss the characters and themes. I will wait until he is a bit older because the fairy tales are a bit more gruesome than the popular renditions. I appreciate the fact that Listening Library didn’t go with the typical, clean, popularized versions of the stories. It gives readers a stronger sense of the true, original works.

Kellee’s Review: I really enjoy fairy tales of all kinds and have read Grimms collections of various types over the years, but this collection is the first time that I found myself completely enthralled in the stories even though I already knew them like they were new to me. The narrators that Listening Library chose are the best in the business. I can’t even pick a favorite because they all make each story shine.  

While listening, I found so many opportunities to have discussions. From theme to similarities/differences to changes in popular versions to repetition within and through tales. I think these stories will make wonderful read alouds within my house or in my classroom.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: This collection provides excellent opportunities for teachers to ask students to compare and contrast elements across the fairy tales. The could listen to a different story each day (they are brief enough that this would be a great listen-aloud). Alternatively, it might be neat to have students work in groups, select stories of their choice, and share out what they learned. Then the entire class could discuss what they are hearing across stories. It would also be fun to discuss the lesser known fairy tales and why these tales may not have become as popular as the others. Lastly, students might discuss the cleansing of the works of The Brothers Grimm. Robin Kirk’s article “Painted on the Surface: The Marbury Lens and Gore in Young Adult Fiction” in the Fall 2015 issue of The ALAN Review is a great resources for teachers to consider gore in fiction, and it discusses the cleansing of The Brothers Grimm’s Fairy Tales.

Discussion Questions: Which fairy tales did you find most captivating? Why?; Which common themes across any of the fairy tales? Which themes seem to be unique to specific fairy tales?; Some of these fairy tales are more popular than others. Why do you think that is? Do you wish any of the lesser known fairy tales were more popular?

Book Trailer:

Read This If You Loved: Grimm’s Fairy Tales by The Brothers Grimm, Fairy Tale Comics by Chris Duffy, Any Fairy Tales

Recommended For: 

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**Thank you to Katie at Penguin Random House for providing copies for review!**

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