The Sister Who Ate Her Brothers: And Other Gruesome Tales

(Hardback)

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

'Guaranteed to raise the hairs on the back of your neck' Neil Gaiman

Jen Campbell's collection of terrifyingly gruesome tales lends a modern edge to fairy tale collections for young readers. Drawing on her extensive knowledge of fairy tale history, Campbell's stories undo the censoring, gender stereotyping and twee endings of more modern children's fairy tales, to return both classic and little-known stories to their grim versions, whilst celebrating a diverse range of characters.

Featuring 14 short stories from around the globe, The Sister Who Ate Her Brothers is illustrated in a contemporary style by Canadian comic artist Adam de Souza. De Souza's brooding illustrations are a highly original blend of 19th-century Gothic engravings and moody film noir graphic novels. Beautifully produced in a hardback format with a rose gold ribbon marker, The Sister Who Ate Her Brothers is a truly thrilling gift.

With 86 illustrations, 30 in colour

Reviews

'Guaranteed to raise the hairs on the back of your neck. A wonderful addition to the bookshelf of any young reader who seeks to walk on the spookier side of the street' - Neil Gaiman
'Deliciously dark, provocative, modern and relevant...Think Grimms tales told with a splash of Roald Dahl from a world turned upside-down' - The School Reading List
'This collection ... intentionally avoids the Disney-fication of folklore ... These tales are disturbing - and satisfyingly so... Atmospheric illustrations pair effectively with the text, and Campbell departs from tradition to include overtly feminist stories as well as gay and lesbian romance without a hint of societal condemnation... Creepy and progressive' - Kirkus Reviews
'Smart, layered and full of beautiful storytelling ... The stories are dynamic and thrilling and the illustrations are just so incredibly vivid brilliant!' - Elle McNicoll, author of 'A Kind of Spark'
'Quietly revolutionary... fairy tales retold from a perspective feminist, queer, disabled that you don't often find in traditional tales. Beautifully done' - James Catchpole, author of 'What Happened to You'
'I loved this! Jen puts an unconventional twist on classic scary fairy tale tropes... I love how each is a peek into the culture of different countries all over the world' - Morgan Long, YouTube vlogger
'With its stunning illustrations and beautifully written stories, The Sister Who Ate Her Brothers is a deliciously dark and provocative subversion of traditional fairytales' - Louise O'Neill, author of 'Almost Love' and 'The Surface Breaks'
'A frighteningly good read-aloud' - The School Librarian

Author Bio

Jen Campbell is a bestselling author and award-winning poet. She's written ten books for both adults and children, spanning non-fiction, poetry, short stories and children's books. Her podcast BOOKS WITH JEN is an iTunes top 100 podcast. She reviews books on BBC Radio, runs a book club for TOAST, and has a Youtube channel where she talks about books, the history of fairy tales, and the representation of disfigurement and disability.

Adam de Souza is an illustrator based in Vancouver, Canada. His clients include Vice, The Globe and Mail, and Live Magazine.