Stephen King to narrate 'Hansel and Gretel' audiobook with Maurice Sendak's illustrations

NEW YORK – The audio edition of an upcoming re-telling of the Grimm fairy tale “Hansel and Gretel,” which combines the renowned sensibilities of Stephen King 's words and the late Maurice Sendak 's illustrations, will be narrated by an author who knows the material well.

Stephen King.

“Stephen King’s reading of ‘Hansel and Gretel’ is captivating and thrilling, bringing new depth to this classic tale,” Lynn Caponera, executive director of The Maurice Sendak Foundation, said in a statement Thursday.

“Everyone at HarperCollins and The Maurice Sendak Foundation shared the same dream and vision to have Stephen King narrate the audiobook," Nancy Inteli, vice president and publisher of HarperCollins Children’s Books, said in a statement. "Who wouldn’t want Stephen King reading them a fairy tale?!”

The audiobook comes out Sept. 2, the same day as the picture story. The new “Hansel and Gretel” is based on Sendak's sketches for the 1997 Humperdinck opera about two children lost in a forest.