Funny Fairytales (Tim Harris, illus Christopher Nielsen, Penguin)

Funny Fairytales by Tim Harris, illustrated by Christopher Nielsen, sees the creator of the Mr Bambuckle’s Remarkables series turn his trademark humour to fractured fairytales. He reworks 5 familiar stories into what he presents as their “original” forms, rather than the “happy ever after” versions most readers know.

Jack climbs the beanstalk to escape a horrible mother and befriends kind giants; Goldilocks is driven by a quest for popularity and social media likes; Hansel and Gretel are mean-spirited children who attempt to lose their parents in the forest; the obnoxious Three Billy Goats are taught a lesson by a bridge troll; and Little Red Riding Hood’s grandmother commits real estate fraud.

Children aged 8 and up will have fun making connections to the original stories and will have opportunities to compare the two versions. Nielsen’s line-drawn illustrations add an extra layer of humour and accessibility.

Fractured fairytales are a well-established form, and this collection could support classroom exploration of the genre. While Harris adopts a contemporary tone, it often veers into silliness rather than wit, creating a jarring reading experience at times. The deliberate absence of likeable characters – along with the inversion of traditional heroes into antagonists – removes the moral grounding that underpins many of the original tales. The result is a highly accessible book that will likely appeal to readers who enjoy Andy Griffiths’s humour or the Nanny Piggins series.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Erin Wamala is a teacher librarian and owner of The Kids' Bookshop. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

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