Fairy Tale Comics, edited by Chris Duffy (First Second, 2013) collects a variety of drawing styles and author’s voices into this anthology of 17 different favorite fairy tales. Most of the tales are retellings that young children will be familiar with. A few are more unfamiliar, coming from traditions other than the Brothers Grimm. This volume of comics provides a new take on all of the stories by providing illustrations in a variety of styles.
Each story is illustrated by a different talented cartoonist. The artists most familiar to me included Raina Telgemeier and Brett Helquist, for example. The great part of a volume like this is that we can see such a variety of illustration styles. Even when the stories are familiar, the distinct styles make them stand out.
Sometimes I think my kids and I don’t go back to the classic fairy tales as often as I did. This volume is a nice tribute back to traditional tales. Kids are sure to find their favorite styles and stories by pouring through this volume of 17 tales. Then, they can see what other comics or graphic novels the artists they prefer have also written. Compiling a fairy tale anthology in comics just for kids is a great way to grab kids’ attention and encourage further reading exploration.
