Book Review: Snow White and the 77 Dwarfs by Davide Cali, Raphaelle Barbanegre

Snow White and the 77 Dwarfs is a picturebook retelling written by Davide Cali and illustrated by Raphaelle Barbanegre. Part of the story stays the same, Snow White is on the run from an evil witch when she comes across some dwarfs in the forest. The 77 dwarfs agree to take her in and keep her safe if she will help them with their chores. However, doing all the chores and caring for 77 dwarfs is more work that she was quite prepared for.  In time Snow White decides to take her chances with the witch. 
Snow White and the 77 Dwarfs is a funny book that will strike a chord with parents, maybe more so than the children they share the story with. Snow White is glad o be safe, but doing all the work for 77 little men is much more than she bargained for. Instead of falling into the clutches of the witch she has 77 breakfasts to make, 77 lunches to pack (don't forget the juice boxes!), 77 pairs of pants to mend and a whole lot of dishes with each task running until the next begins. Some days parenting feels like this, and there are days work might feel like this, and when you combine the two it can get overwhelming. Children might enjoy the story because of the wonderful artwork, or the story itself, which is wonderfully done. They might also relate to the feeling of being overwhelmed depending on age and activities they might be involved in. However, readers of all ages might enjoy Snow's decision to face the witch. I have days where I just might envy Snow her choice.

Snow White and the 77 Dwarfs is a delightfully funny retelling of the classic tale. The illustrations are bright and full of life. I think this book can appeal to a broad audience, and will make readers of all ages smile, and perhaps appreciate the effort others put into daily life a wee bit more. 

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