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<< Hänsel and Grethel trick the wicked witch who has captured them. Published in Fairy Tales by the Brothers Grimm (Harry Altemus, 1898)

Revamp a classic fairy tale so that it takes place in today's world.

Buchenbruder Books (a wholly imagination-owned company) has a problem. For years, their best-seller in Germany was Grimms' Fairy Tales. But now every family in the country seems to own a copy, and sales have plunged. So they're trying something new—modern versions of the classic tales.

You have been hired to write the first of these modern adaptations. To make it compelling, you'll need to remind yourself that life has changed a lot since the Grimms published their tales in the 1800s. The more you can find out about modern Germany, the more convincing details you can add to your story. (If you'd prefer, try setting the tale in your own culture.)

To get started, pick a story from our interactive feature Grimms' Fairy Tales.

Younger Xpeditioners: Draw four or five pictures that tell the old version of one of the tales. Then draw the same scenes in a modern setting. What details did you change?

Older Xpeditioners: Make a comic book of one or several of the tales. You can create separate comics for old and new versions of the tales or mix things up. Perhaps a kid from today's world travels back in time, or a character from "once upon a time" lands in the year 2000. Be creative!

Parents: Read some of the tales with your children. Ask questions that get them thinking about what life might be like in another culture. You might ask younger kids if they would want to be children in the world portrayed by the Grimms' tales. Why or why not?

With older children, you might talk more explicitly about cultural differences. Issues to explore in comparing the Grimms' stories with modern life include how people make a living, parent-child relationships, and gender roles.