YOU CAN'T KILL SNOW WHITE

What was Snow White’s stepmother really thinking?

A retelling of “Snow White” from the queen’s perspective, this picture-book for young adults more closely follows the plot of the original Brothers Grimm story than the sanitized Disney version. It asks readers to understand and sympathize with the desperation and desire that drive villainy. The layered paintings capture emotions in ways that go beyond what is evoked by the text, making the more violent and dark aspects of the tale hit home. Immediately recognizable while reflecting things beyond our world, this fairy-tale universe contains figures, objects, and landscapes that push at the bounds of the familiar. The queen’s anguish is depicted through close-up images of her stricken face that dare readers to look directly at her. The book’s greatest strength lies in its portrayal of the queen’s fear and rage and the disproportionate cruelty of her punishment. Her treatment by the characters usually considered sympathetic is called into question without attempting to soften or excuse her own behavior. The art captivates: The beauty depicted in the story is almost sinister, and jewel tones are mixed with sickly greens and blacks. Collage and comic-style sequences enhance and add variety to the illustrations. The characters are depicted in a somewhat abstract manner and appear racially ambiguous.

Visceral and surreal.