John Nickle

Kate Coombs, who made her debut with the middle-grade fantasy, The Runaway Princess, turns to the work of the Brothers Grimm in this new fairy-tale picture-book, offering a somewhat revisionist take on the story of Hans My Hedgehog (Hans mein Igel in the original German). Born to a prosperous farming couple, who had long wished for a child - the father declaring at one point: "I want a son even if he's half a hedgehog!" - Hans was human from the waist down, and hedgehog on top. Although show more raised in a loving home, Hans - who grew to be an excellent fiddler - was isolated by this difference, and terribly lonely, eventually withdrawing to the woods, where he tended to his flock of pigs. When two different kings become lost in his woods, and promise to give him whatever they first see, upon returning home, if he helps them on their way, our half-erinaceous hero embarks on an adventure that will bring him his heart's desire...

Although I found Hans My Hedgehog engaging enough - the story was appealing, in a somewhat surrealistic fairy-tale fashion; and the colorful acrylic artwork, done by John Nickle, although not destined to become a personal favorite, was very expressive - I was a little disappointed to see how many elements of the story had been changed in this telling. Hans plays a fiddle, rather than the bagpipes (I LOVE the idea of a bagpipe-playing hedgehog!); his family is supportive and loving, rather than cold and uncaring; and he doesn't really punish the first princess (who refuses to honor her father's promise) at all. While I can understand why the author might want to change an element or two, for contemporary readers, the result of all these changes, collectively, was a tale that felt rather watered down to me, with all of the strangeness, and the lurking sense of menace to be found in the original, carefully elided. Of course, I appreciated the author's afterword, in which she mentions all these changes, but I was left with the feeling, despite my moderate enjoyment, that it was an odd choice, to retell such an unusual fairy-tale - this is the first picture-book edition of this Grimm selection that I have run across, although a similar Latvian tale can be found in The Hedgehog Boy - but leave out many of the elements that make it, well... so prickly! show less

The original Hans My Hedgehog folktale is a more violent version of the familiar Beauty and the Beast, involving the familiar tropes of a transformed man and a woman who must prove loyal and loving. Hans, however, also takes his revenge on the nobility who trick and betray him.

In Kate Coomb's new retelling of this odd folktale, she emphasizes the themes of seeing beneath the surface and tones down the violence to create a tale that is faithful to the original story, but also appropriate for show more modern audiences and sensibilities.

A prosperous farmer is so desperate for a son that he says he wants one "even if he's half a hedgehog" and that's exactly what he gets, Hans My Hedgehog. Hans has a special skill with pigs and eventually discovers another talent - music. But even his beautiful fiddle playing doesn't win him a place with the village girls and boys, so he rides off on his rooster to live in the woods with his pigs. When a lost king appears, Hans promises to show him the way out of the magical forest, if he gives Hans the first thing he sees when he gets home. Of course, his daughter appears, but the king has no intention of keeping his promise, and his daughter certainly doesn't plan to either. A few months later, Hans shows another king the way out of the forest, but this king's daughter promises to honor her father's word.

Hans hears of his promised princesses from an old woman and sets off to claim them. When the first king and his daughter refuse to honor his promise, Han's pigs wreak havoc on the palace and then depart, taking "half the king's fortune." At the second place, Hans is honored by the king and his daughter and the wedding begins. Hans plays his fiddle until, overcome by the magic he falls to the floor...and is helped up by his new bride, no longer a hedgehog but a man.

Coombs explains the changes she made in an afterword to the tale, showing how she shifted characters and events to emphasize the enduring themes of the stories; being a misfit but wanting to be loved and accepted. The text is simple enough to be read to younger audiences, but includes the repetition and odd little details that make folktales intriguing. John Nickle's colorful acrylic paintings bristle with a motif of spines throughout each picture, with Hans My Hedgehog the central figure in bright clothing and with a cheerful, determined outlook. His plump and sturdy pigs trot after him and his brilliant rooster steed shines with stunning colors.

Verdict: This is an excellent retelling of an unusual folktale and will make a great addition to storytimes and library collections. Recommended.

ISBN: 9781416915331; Published January 2012 by Simon & Schuster; Review copy provided by publisher; Purchased for the library show less

Kate Coombs certainly chose to make Hans a more likable and less beastly character than he is in the original. She also chose to have him play the fiddle instead of the bagpipes. I think these choices certainly make this story more appealing to modern audiences, but I do wonder if sanding off the tale’s rough edges also sands off some of its human truths. In the original Hans is beastly, not because of his hedgehog half, but because his parents reject him and the scars of not being loved show more make him treat others viciously if they hurt him. Hopefully our modern sensibilities reflect a society that is growing more tolerant of differences and less tolerant of cruelty. show less

I was unfamiliar with this fairytale from the Grimms Brothers. Interestingly, the author chooses to remove some of the more gruesome and dark elements in the story and to amplify the role that his abilities as a musician play in making a happier ending with more moments of whimsy.