Snow White

Heins, P., Grimm, J., & Grimm, W.
(1974). Snow White. Boston:
Little, Brown, and Company.

Snow White
Originally published in German by Jacob & Wilhelm Grimm
Translated by Paul Heins
Illustrated by Trina Shcart Hyman 
Silver Anniversary Edition
Published by Little, Brown, and Company
Boston, Massachusetts 
1974
48 pages

The classic Snow White retold, this book is the story we all know and love. A young girl by the name of Snow White is forced to live in the woods when the executioner her stepmother ordered to kill Snow spared her life. She comes across a cottage and goes inside to rest - she is awoken in the morning by seven dwarves. They take her into their home and live together happily. When the dwarves go off to work, they warn her not to answer the door or let anyone inside. Meanwhile, Snow's stepmother has realized that Snow is still alive. When she asks her magical mirror who the fairest in the land is, he answers that the fairest in the land is Snow - her stepmother sets off to find and kill her. The stepmother disguises herself as a decrepit old woman selling things and twice Snow White lets her in. Both times, her stepmother tries, but fails, to kill her. The third time, Show White eats the poisonous apple the disguised woman offers her. The dwarves lay Snow to rest in a beautiful casket. The king's son comes by and sees her and requests that the dwarves give him the casket because he loves Snow White. They do so, and as the servants carry her away, she is jostled and the poisonous apple is dislodged from her throat. She opens her eyes, goes with the prince, and the two are married. Snow's evil stepmother attends the wedding, where she is forced to wear red hot iron slippers and dance until she dies. Purchase the book here.

This story might be slightly scary for some young children, but it is beautifully written and illustrated. The colors are dark, deep, and ominous, and Hyman uses light in her paintings subtly and brilliantly. 

The story is not what one might expect if they know only the Disney version many love. Snow White is not awoken from her sleep by the prince's true love kiss - instead, the apple is simply dislodged from her throat. The dwarves are not portrayed as cheerful little men who dance and sing, but instead as simply kind. 

Because there are so many differences, consider reading the Disney version of Snow White. Then, compare and contrast the two stories. 

You might also watch the Disney movie: