Personalise ‘Hansel and Gretel’ Storybook

Gretel's caring, resourceful brother, who marks the forest path and later uses quick thinking to delay the witch.

Why: Hansel is a central child protagonist whose resourcefulness, courage and care for his sister make him an excellent candidate for replacement with a real person.

Hansel's brave, observant sister, who stays beside him, recognises the witch's trick, and leads their escape.

Why: Gretel is a central child protagonist whose courage, kindness and clever actions ultimately help both children escape, making her an excellent candidate for replacement with a real person.

Hansel and Gretel's loving woodcutter father, who is overwhelmed by scarcity and deeply regrets allowing the children to be left in the forest.

Why: The child-safe adaptation portrays Father as a loving but worried parent who makes a misguided decision during hardship, deeply regrets it, welcomes the children home, and commits to keeping the family safe, so the role can support careful adult replacement.

Hansel and Gretel's anxious stepmother, whose fear about the family's lack of food drives a harmful decision.

Why: Her decision to deliberately leave Hansel and Gretel in the forest makes the role unsuitable for replacement with a real person.

A magical old woman who uses an edible cottage and false kindness to capture wandering children.

Why: The witch deceives and confines the children and is the story's antagonist, so replacing her with a real person would portray that person negatively.

A beautiful white songbird whose bright song leads the lost children through the forest to the unusual cottage.

Why: The white bird is an animal guide whose physical form and story function are important to the original fairy-tale sequence, making it unsuitable for replacement with a real person.

A kind white duck that carries Hansel and Gretel safely across the wide water one at a time.

Why: The duck is an animal helper whose role carrying the children across the water depends on its animal form, making it unsuitable for replacement with a real person.