The virtuosity of the much-awarded artist is evident in the variety of the plates. Papier mache and clay have been manipulated, scraped, sanded, painted, and styled into eloquent and respectful evocations of the tales' characters and incidents. In an interview with Michael Cathcart, Tan described the earthiness of the materials as essential to the elemental stories, to evoke 'compassion for the overlooked, weird characters'. Tan's trademark curves and points play marvelously with well-known stories like 'Little Red Cap' and 'The Wolf and the Seven Little Kids'. An acknowledged Inuit influence can be seen in 'The Robber Bridegroom', 'Faithful Johannes', and 'The Six Swans', but 'Gambling Hans' has a primary plasticine-like Death literally stumped and a heartbreaking child supplicant who swims up out of sand in 'The Little Shroud'. 'The Bremen Town Musicians' as terracotta totem pole epitomises the engaging gravitas of the tales that will resonate with readers of all ages. As Pullman says, 'In Shaun Tan's pictures there is no danger of being drowned in the bland unreal.'