Hansel and Greta /

"Hansel and Gretel" is reinvented for the modern age in this frolicsome retelling. This refreshed take on the Grimms' familiar story begins deep in the woods, like many a fairy tale might, only to diverge into a story of unusual resonance for today. Greta--whose name is an explicit homage to climate activist Greta Thunberg--lives with brother Hansel, their woodcutter father, and the horrifying, goblinlike Aunt GreedyGuts in a hut in the deep dark woods. However, the father tires of destroying the forest, and he and the children opt instead to make a life that seeks sustainability. Aunt GreedyGuts, whose unquenchable appetites are destructive, sets out to destroy not only this new way of life, but also the children themselves and the true-heartedness they represent. The children are banished to the woods as in the original tale, but instead of a wicked witch and her dangerous gingerbread house, they find a modern-day remedy to unsustainable consumption. It is possible that a children's book about sustainability would be pedantic and moralistic. But instead, this one is funny, with clever, subversive, "larger-than-life silliness," as Winterson explains in a concluding note. Fresh dialogue draws readers in, and the story's twists and turns yield discoveries, like a wander through the woods. Illustrations present characters as black silhouettes, Greta sporting her namesake's distinctive braids. There are treasures to be found deep in the woods--and in this jewel box of a book. (Picture book. 11-14) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.