"Mr Sendak has produced a full-page pen-drawing for each of the tales, suggesting through rich texture and packed detail not only the craftsmen-illustrators of the past, but, more specifically, that lesser-known Brother Grimm - Ludwig Emil - who was an engraver and who provided the first illustrations for the tales.
Above all, though, these pictures are notable for their composition. Maurice Sendak seems physically to work his way into each story, so that every line of his drawing is dictated by the demands of the narrative itself. There can be no higher praise than to say that this Mrs Gertrude, or this fisherman's wife are not really Mr Sendak's at all but are part of the tradition they illuminate." Brian Alderson, The Times
"The best work Sendak has ever done. The drawings are monumental, hypnotic in their stillness, their power to draw us into his world of thick-calved peasants, sturdy princesses, and enchanted animals . .. Suitable for kids? I only wish the Segal/Sendak Grimm had existed when I was young. Selfish adults who would keep this wonderful book to themselves deserve to dance in red-hot shoes or roll downhill in barrels of nails." Walter Clemons, Newsweek
