I picked this one up because it was on display in the bookstore and the cover art caught my eye. I flipped through it and loved the illustrations. Having now read it, I found the characters flat and the plot meandering and predictable. I probably won’t revisit the story, but it is a beautiful book. ( )

Sisters Snow and Rose go with their mother to live in a cottage in the forest after the disappearance of their father into the same woods. The sisters' personalities are quite different, but they understand each other well and are close. There is something dark and dangerous in the woods - but it isn't what others think. A marvelous fairytale retelling, full of mushrooms and bears and foxes, an unusual library, and a terrible secret.

Quotes

"To find out what a story's really about," the Librarian said, "you don't ask the writer. You ask the reader." (95)

157 ( )

This is a retelling of the short tale "Snow-White and Rose-Red" in the classic Grimm's Fairy Tales and as I happen to have a copy of it, I'm interested in comparing this with the original.

In the original Snow and Rose's roles are reversed, where Snow is shy and Rose brash. The mom is not unhappy and plays a much more direct role in everything. They don't descend from an aristocratic family or possess a mansion—they start out at the cottage in the woods, and their background is not elaborated upon.

The bear is a prince and the reward at the end is marriage with this prince. The bear can speak. The father, Ivo the mushroom boy, and the cat Earl Gray are never mentioned.

The original is also much more violent. For example, Rose and White "tugged his [the bear's] hair with their hands, put their feet upon his back and rolled him about, or they took a hazel-switch and beat him, and when he growled they laughed." I wasn't aware people whipped bears for fun.

And just a thought near the ending of this book: Since some of the animals in the forest are people, does this mean Ivo's uncle—the famed hunter—has killed hundreds of human beings? Seems a little dark. ( )

Very sweet little tale with lovely illustrations. ( )

A review I wrote in 2020:

Snow and Rose by Emily Winfield Martin (4 stars)

I seem to be drawn to fairy tales,
fairies and ethereal, otherworldly stories at the moment, so when I saw a review of Snow & Rose it
tickled my fancy and I ordered myself a copy straight away.

A reimagination of the fairytale Snow White and Rose Red. Rose and Snow, 11 and 9, grew up in
a large mansion with beautiful gardens, servants, a wonderful library, dolls and dresses, and
bountiful love from their two adoring parents.

Then their father disappears in the woods and their mother disappears inside her grief. Mother
and daughters are banished to a little cottage in the woods where they eke out a living from the
forest and the sisters spend their days learning forest ways. They stumble across bizarre
happenings and some interesting forest folk, and over-sized animals…. perhaps these woods are
as enchanted as people fear… can the enchantment ever be broken?

Not only is this beautifully told but is also brought out of the page by lovely colour illustrations
throughout by the author. Aimed at 8-12s but also a delightful read for all who love fairy tales. ( )