The Bearskinner: A Tale of the Brothers Grimm

A penniless traveling soldier meets the devil on the road and agrees to wear a bearskin for seven years in exchange for his happily ever after. If the soldier goes back on his agreement, the devil gets his soul, and thus begins one man's transformation. 'The Bearskinner' is a great tale that teaches the importance of perseverance, giving to others and that appearances can be deceiving.

This version feels like Grimm, gory details and all. Grafe's illustrations are beautiful and create the perfect atmosphere for the story. Highly recommended for older kids and anyone who enjoys folklore. ( )

This is a story of the devils persuasive powers and that of a young soldier. The illustrations are dark and messy, yet beautiful in a grim way. They look to be done almost from sponge painting of sort. I enjoyed this tale immensely. The devil is presented in such a strong and beautiful manner, while the young soldier is portrayed as dark, scary, and gross. When the soldier ends up winning out over the devil by the end of the story, it turns out that the soldier is brave and beautiful and the devil runs away in rags. Theme: Morals and Values

The text is polished and excellent for reading aloud. The illustrations are dark with rare flashes of color and indistinct faces, but they set the mood perfectly. However, there is no source note and several reviewers mention that Schlitz has changed the ending slightly so a source note should have been included. ( )

Despite the eerie cover and tone of this fairytale, it has a great message. It takes a lot of strength and courage to undergo what the soldier suffered through. Also, many people in his position would have remained pessimistic and kept the money to themselves out of spite. I really liked how the bear skinner thrived after finding a purpose that was selfless and genuine. The story portrays a strong female character as well. Most women would not marry a man their father randomly brought home, especially not one who was disgusting. Her strength and loyalty add to the plot nicely, and provides a perfect ending when the soldier returns after defeating the devil with a heart as kind as hers.

This book was very good. The illustrations are beautiful and dark. The story is dark but not too scary for children. It keeps to the original story as told by the Brothers Grimm, but it is written in a way that children as young as 7 could hear or read the story.