I think a lot of things are at play when children enjoy a grisly old fairytale. I don't think many children take it literally, or rather it's quite clear to them that it's only a story, only make believe.

Historical atrocities have certainly shown that dehumanizing any group is the first step toward genocide.

I believe actual violence scars children much more than violence in storybooks.

In Japan, it's strange to openly take credit for giving to charity or even to donate publicly.

In medieval Europe, childbirth was a leading cause of death. So widowed fathers with children were quite common, meaning stepmothers were equally common.

People of different ethnicities are definitely not of differing species. Biologically speaking, people are people.

I believe young children in particular enjoy witnessing the survival of youthful protagonists against terrible odds. I think it's gratifying to the reader when you give young characters that kind of agency.