The Grimms were a couple of German brothers who went around collecting folktales in the early 19th century. Many of the folktales that they published became very popular children's stories, and we can see their influence in movies like Cinderella and Snow White and Every Disney Movie Ever Made.

In many ways, the folktales that the Grimms collected form the basis of modern children's literature: they're full of crazy plot twists, fantastic creatures, and of course, lots of happy endings. Their stories do tend to be gorier and, well, grimmer, than the versions of fairytales we hear today, but the Grimm brothers' stories laid the foundation for the classic stories we grew up reading.

Grimms' Fairytales (1812)

In this book we'll find all those wonderful stories we've all heard as children: the story of Cinderella and her wicked step-mother and step-sisters; the story of Little Red Riding Hood and the wolf; and the story of Snow White…among many, many more.

The fairytales exemplify all the characteristics of children's literature: young protagonists, themes of innocence, lots of fantasy, and a very clear distinction between good and evil.

Chew on This

"Snow White" is one of the most famous stories in the Grimms' Fairytales. And like many other fairytales in this book, it's a didactic story that emphasizes punishment of the wicked. Check out the evil queen's grisly ending in this story (Quote #5).

If only frogs turned into beautiful princes in real life. In the Grimms' "The Frog King, or Iron Heinrich," they do. This is just one of the many examples of fantastic transformation in the Grimms' Fairytales. Have a look at this scene (Quote #5) from the story.