FAIRYTALES OF THE FIERCER SEX

Little Red Riding Hood, Beauty (who didn't back down from the Beast), and Gretel (the smarter sister of Hansel)--these are just a few of the brave, inventive, and independent young ladies who populate this fascinating collection of folktales. Series editor and narrator Alison Larkin reads the 20 tales in this collection with a traditional approach, capturing the time-honored "once-upon-a-time" rhythms and giving an extra cackle or two to the witches and trolls. Underneath there's a historic nuance and a tone of scholarship that aligns with the dark themes of greed, gluttony, entitlement, and, of course, children as snacks. These stories of wandering in dark woods and knocking on the doors of giants may be couched as children's fare, but keep the lights on just the same. B.P. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2017]