Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Snow White, a classic Brothers Grimm fairytale translated from the German with a twist, American author Wanda Gag’s version, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1938), is beautifully illustrated with her black and white line drawings. Gag’s version was written in response to the film adaptation produced by Walt Disney. In 1939, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was named a Caldecott Medal Honor Book. Republished many times, including in 1999, 2004, and 2013, Publishers Weekly called the picture book a “stunning version of the Grimms’ classic story”; Book Links opined, "The pen-and-ink drawings are treasures, loaded with details."

Narrated in the omniscient third-person perspective, the story begins during winter in a faraway castle. A queen peers out of the window while sewing. Piercing her finger with the needle, three drops of blood fall atop white snow on the sill. The queen wishes she had a daughter with skin as white as snow and lips as red as blood. Later, the queen gives birth to a princess whom she names Snow White. Suffering complications during childbirth, the Queen dies. A year later, Snow White’s father, the King, remarries. Though very beautiful, his new wife is vain and wicked. Her most valuable possession is a magic mirror. Every day, The Queen asks, “Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?” The mirror always responds that the Queen is the fairest of all. However, as years pass and Snow White grows into a beautiful young girl, the Queen becomes jealous. One day, when the Queen asks the magic mirror, the mirror replies that Snow White is the fairest of all.

Outraged and filled with envy, the Queen commands a huntsman to take Snow White into the woods to kill her and to return with Snow White’s heart as proof of her death. The Queen plans to eat Snow White’s heart to become immortal. The huntsman takes Snow White into the woods, but just as he lifts his knife, Snow White pleads for her life. When the huntsman learns the Queen’s wicked plan, he takes mercy on Snow White and sets her free. Afterward, the huntsman returns to the Queen, giving her a wild boar heart as a sign of Snow White’s death.



Meanwhile, Snow White dashes through the woods until she finds a tiny wooden hut. She sneaks inside the empty cottage and finds miniature items laying around in septuplicate. Snow White samples the small meals, tries the wine and tests out all seven beds. The final bed is comfortable, and Snow White falls asleep. Upon returning, the dwarfs sense the presence of an intruder when they see their belongings strewn about. The dwarfs scurry upstairs and find Snow White sleeping. Snow White wakes up and explains her situation to the dwarfs. Sympathizing with Snow White, the dwarfs allow her to stay with them, if she will serve as a house cleaner. The dwarfs warn Snow White to be cautious when left alone and to never allow anyone inside they hut when the dwarfs are at work.

Back at the castle, the Queen believes Snow White is dead. However, when she asks her magic mirror who is the fairest of all, the mirror says, "Thou art very fair, Oh Queen, but the fairest ever seen dwells within the wooded glen with the seven little men." Furious, the Queen decides to kill Snow White herself. Disguising herself in rags and painting her face to appear as an old peddler, she travels to the glen. When the Queen arrives at the cabin, she offers Snow White a poisoned apple. At first, Snow White hesitates to accept the apple, so the Queen cuts the apple in half and eats the non-poisonous part of the apple, giving the other half to Snow White. Snow White eagerly bites into the apple but soon becomes deathly ill. The Queen feels victorious. Unable to revive Snow White, the seven dwarfs assume the princess is dead and place her in a glass casket.

Later, a prince discovers Snow White’s glass casket in the woods during a hunting expedition. When the dwarfs tell him Snow White’s story, the prince begs the dwarfs to let him take Snow White back to the castle. Eventually, the dwarfs allow the prince to transport Snow White to a safe place.



While transporting Snow White in her casket, one of the prince’s servants accidentally trips, rocking the casket back and forth, and dislodging a piece of the apple from Snow White’s throat, resuscitating her in the process. Elated, the prince declares his love for Snow White, asking her to be his bride. Snow White accepts the prince’s proposal, inviting everyone in the village to attend their wedding, including the Queen.

The Queen believes Snow White is dead. Asking her magic mirror who is the fairest of all, the mirror replies the Prince’s bride is the fairest of all. Sneaking into the wedding, the Queen discovers that the Prince’s bride is Snow White. Stunned with fury, the Queen is about to cause a scene. Recognizing her as a threat, the Prince demands the Queen wear a pair of red-hot slippers and dance until death as punishment. In the end, Snow White, the Prince, and the seven dwarfs live happily ever after.

In addition to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Gag also translated three other Brothers Grimm stories. They include Tales from Grimm, Three Gray Tales from Grimm, and More Tales from Grimm. Gag is best known for books she wrote and illustrated, including Millions of Cats and The ABC Bunny.