Reviews

Jane Ray's Hansel and Gretel is a straightforward retelling with her own exquisite illustrations... Ray's use of gold paint lights up the night time forest. Her gingerbread house is perfection in shades of pink, and her witch is a white faced grotesque with a very alarming smile.

Jane Ray's fine illustrations, with their Italian Renaissance colours, glorious costumes and tousle-haired characters, capture the drama and excitement of the story and will be admired by all who see them.

Ray's emotive and delicate illustrations, full of decorative pattern and gilded detail, borrow from ancient Sumerian artifacts, and the whole handsomely produced book is a valuable reminder that Iraqi civilisaton is much older than our own.

...Jane Ray's research into Sumerian culture has paid off. Her lavish illustrations in this beautifully made book, ranging from chapter stamps to bold yet intricate double-page spreads and including some delicious, misty silver-and-sepia washes on a mauve-ish background rank with best work.
Above all, I will take away from this book Ray's unblinking representations of dark, almond eyes - eyes innocent, watchful, appealing, laughing, threatening, thankful, loving, weeping - weeping over people at war in Sumer, which we now call Iraq.

Named as "Booksellers Choice", July 2006