I picked up Grimmer Revisionist Fairytales, Fables, and Nursery Rhymes by Marissa Carter with high hopes, perhaps unfairly influenced by fond memories of The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales by Jon Scieszka. Unfortunately, this comparison set me up for a significant letdown. While Carter’s book aims to offer a fresh and humorous take on classic fairytales and nursery rhymes, it falls short of delivering the same level of wit and laughter.

Carter’s collection includes retellings of well-known stories such as Goldilocks, Chicken Little, The Three Little Pigs, There Was an Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe, The Little Red Hen, Rapunzel, Snow White, The Gingerbread Man, Jack and the Beanstalk, Tom the Piper’s Son, and Jack and Jill. Despite the potential for clever reinterpretation, I found that the humor often missed the mark. Unlike Scieszka’s tales, which had me laughing out loud, Carter’s versions elicited little more than a few mild chuckles.

The modern twists on these classics, intended to be more politically correct and relevant to contemporary readers, instead highlighted how some of these stories have not aged well. For instance, the old woman who lived in a shoe is depicted in a way that would raise serious child welfare concerns today. Meanwhile, the little red hen drives off in a limousine, a twist that feels more jarring than amusing. Jack, a recurring character in several tales, consistently ends up in unfortunate situations, leaving a sense of bleakness rather than humor.

Ultimately, Grimmer Revisionist Fairytales, Fables, and Nursery Rhymes may appeal to those looking for a light, politically updated take on classic tales, but it lacks the charm and genuine humor of other similar works. If you’re hankering for a truly amusing and clever revisionist fairytale collection, you might want to revisit The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales instead.