Rapunzel
- BIBLIOGRAPHY
Zelinsky,
Paul. 1997. Rapunzel. Ill. by Paul Zelinsky, Amy Berniker, & John
Stevens. New York, NY: Dutton. ISBN 9780525456070
- PLOT SUMMARY
In this
retelling of a classic folktale, A young couple struggling to have a child end
up conceiving. When the wife craves the rapunzel grown in the garden of a sorceress,
they are forced to give up their daughter after the husband is caught stealing
and trespassing. The sorceress named the girl Rapunzel and raised her in isolation.
When she turned twelve, she took her up to a tower that could only be entered
from the widow at the top. When the sorceress wished to enter, she would call, “Rapunzel,
Rapunzel, let down your hair.” One day a prince was enchanted by Rapunzel’s beautiful
voice, so he found out how to enter the tower and after several visits they fell
in love and eloped. When the sorceress found out that Rapunzel was pregnant,
she cut off her hair and sent her into the wilderness. The prince was so upset
by the idea of never seeing her again that he fell from the tower and went
blind. They were reunited, after years apart, when the prince recognized Rapunzel’s
voice. Her tears of joy recover his sight and they live together happily ever
after.
- CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This European folktale takes from elements of
many different countries’ versions of the tale. There is a representation of
good and evil, but it isn’t always so clear. Rapunzel is good and the sorceress
is evil, but her parents seem to be good people that justify something evil and
pay a heavy price. The plot is fast paced and there is a satisfying triumph
over evil when the family is reunited and the prince is healed. The setting seems
to be representing an Italian landscape, but it really could be anywhere. Some
clear themes expressed are the importance of honesty and love or goodness triumphing
over evil.
The
illustrations really stand out. They are done in the style of Renaissance paintings
and include so much detail. The characters and setting are presented realistically
and with a lot of expression. It’s all beautiful and soft but rich in color and
movement. Every page looks like it can be framed in a museum.
- REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
ALA
Notable Children's Book
Caldecott
Medal Award
Reviewed
in Book Links
Starred
review in Booklist
Starred
Review in Horn Book Magazine: “It takes a scholar's mind and an artist's
insight to endow the familiar with unexpected nuances--which Zelinsky does with
passion and dazzling technique.”
Reviewed in
Kirkus Reviews: “Suffused with golden light, Zelinsky's landscapes and
indoor scenes are grandly evocative, composed and executed with superb
technical and emotional command.”
Starred
review in Publishers Weekly: “Zelinsky (Swamp Angel) does a star turn
with this breathtaking interpretation of a favorite fairy tale.”
Starred review
in School Library Journal: “An elegant and sophisticated retelling that
draws on early French and Italian versions of the tale. Masterful oil paintings
capture the Renaissance setting and flesh out the tragic figures.”
- CONNECTIONS
*This story
could start conversations about greed, loneliness, and good triumphing over
evil.
*This story
has a predictable sequence that could be easily memorized or read as a part of
a reader’s theatre. The small number of parts would be easy to break into
groups.
*This story
could lead to a makerspace project exploring the easiest way to get someone or
something up the tower. Students could explore different simple machines that
could make the process easier.
*Other
versions of Rapunzel:
Hale,
Shannon. Rapunzel's revenge. ISBN 9781599902883
Morrison,
Megan. Grounded: The adventures of Rapunzel. ISBN 9780545638265
Woollvin,
Bethan. Rapunzel. ISBN 9781682632796
Roberts,
Lynn. Rapunzel: A groovy 1970s fairy tale. ISBN 9781843653189
Wilcox,
Leah. Falling for Rapunzel. ISBN 9780142403990
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