The Bearskinner: A Tale of the Brothers Grimm
In a somber tale of the devil more outlasted than outwitted, an ex-soldier accepts a hard bargain: he'll be rich for the rest of his life if, for seven years, he wears the skin of the bear he's just slain, without bathing, prayer, or explanation; but failure will mean eternal perdition. Schlitz narrates with clarity, grace, and sensitivity to the larger ideas her words suggest ("He had run away to war when he was a boy. Now that the war was over, he had nowhere to go. His childhood home was ashes, and all he loved were dead"). A few minor alterations actually strengthen the story: the soldier eventually lessens his misery in the increasingly noxious skin by using his wealth to help the needy; in turn, they pray for him. Also, the faithful woman he weds in the end is the middle sister, and her unkind siblings are spared the wretched end the Grimms allotted them. Except for the devil's coat of darkest green, Grafe's atmospheric full-page illustrations are almost monochromatic, entirely composed of deep grays and browns barely mitigated by an occasional wash of blue, gleam of gold, or sunset hue. A provocative edition that should set older children thinking about the meaning of endurance and heroism. J.R.L. --The Horn Book, November 1, 2007