5 picture books inspired by fairy tales

As some of the first stories we come across, I think fairy tales must be burned into our subconscious. So much so that when I had the earliest idea for my picture book The Bear Out There, I didn’t even realise it so closely resembled The 3 Bears until much later. The best part of fairy tales, and folk tales too, is the way they might recall them slightly differently than somebody else might. Maybe the way your mum tells it, the big bad wolf actually seemed like a pretty cool guy that just got caught up in a conspiracy against wolves. 

I believe a classic tale begs to be messed with. They’re so ripe for jokes that everyone gets to be in on, kids and adults both, because everybody knows these stories and characters so well. They’re one of the great places to meet kids on an even playing field. 

Here is a list of some of my favourite fairy tale picture books. Some are short and delicious, more direct interpretations, some are completely turning the story on its head, and some are so subtle in their injection of genius that you might miss it if you blink. 

The Three Bears by Byron Barton 

This one is a board book, and basically just the direct, basic story of Goldilocks, but it’s just so scrumptious I had to share it. If you’re familiar with Barton’s work at all, you’ll know how juicy the colour and design on his books are. This one is no different, and it totally saturated in flat primary colours. I love that each spread uses a new bright colour as the background, and the chunky sans-serif font that matches his chunky drawings. It lacks any kind of real technical perspective, flat trees, houses and tables, with such iconic silhouettes. Yum! 

The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs by Jon Sciezska and Lane Smith 

This book is an incredible ​“inspired by fairy tales” book, and a total riot. It follows the Big Bad Wolf (yes, that one) as he begs the reader to understand his point of view from the events of the original fairy tale. He recounts what REALLY happened to all those houses and pigs, and that the whole thing was a total misunderstanding. It’s so fun because it’s playing with a story everybody knows, even the youngest kid, so everybody can be in on the joke together. The narrative voices Scieszka writes with gives old characters a new injection of personality and paired with the art it almost gives it kind of a noir-vibe. 

The Three Billy Goats Gruff by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen 

This is a newer one, from 2022, but it has very classic magic to it. I love how the book starts by introducing the troll, who is sooo hungry, his recent meals only being belly button goop and an old leather boot. I LOVE this troll. He sits under his bridge, thinking to himself, ​“I’m so smart. And fun and handsome.” He’s more of a fool than a villain, and his trip down 3 waterfalls, which increase in size and peril as they go, feels like a gag from a movie. Love it. 

Little Red Riding Hood by James Marshall 

I had to include at least one James Marshall fairy tale retelling, and he has so many, all of them perfect. It’s so snappy and utterly charming, and the illustrations are loaded with simple but funny details. Little Red and her mom have like 7 cats. She very sweetly holds hands with the wolf as they head to grandma’s house together. She dangles off of a huge sunflower as a way of trying to pick it. Every one, and the perfectly Marshall dialogue, has so much to give. 

The Amazing Bone by William Steig 

This book is not actually based on a fairy tale, but it FEELS like it has to be a fairy tale from an old Grimm or Andersen story. A little pig girl finds a bone in the woods that can speak, and was previously living with a witch, that ends up saving her from being eaten. It’s dark, actually pretty scary. The pig girl says to the bone, ​“I’m only just beginning to live, I don’t want it to end” as she’s waiting to be eaten by a fox. Equal parts magic and horror, it has all the best traits of a good fairy tale! 

The Bear Out There by Jess Hannigan is out now.