Rapunzel (Picture Puffin Books)
by Brothers Grimm
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Book Summary Information
Author: Brothers GrimmBrand: Penguin Group USA
Adapter: Paul O. Zelinsky
Illustrator: Paul O. Zelinsky
Edition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2002-10-14
ISBN: 0142301930
Number of pages: 48
Publisher: Puffin
Product features:
- Delightful Fairytale story. Beautiful pages of art. There is a section at the end of the book which gives the history of the different rendentions of Rapunzel over the ages.
Book Reviews of Rapunzel (Picture Puffin Books)
Book Review: "Rapunzel, Rapunzel, Let Down Your Hair!"
Summary: 5 Stars
Children's picture books based on fairytales are a dime a dozen; from the simplistic "read-along" series with cartoonish pictures, to those that are so lavishly illustrated that you'd be a little reluctant to put them into the hands of children (anything and everything by K.Y. Craft). But rarely does a picture book come along that undoubtedly announces itself as the definitive version of an old familiar tale. Among such books are Trina Schart Hyman's Little Red Riding Hood, Ruth Sanderson's The Twelve Dancing Princesses, and this, Paul O. Zelinsky's "Rapunzel." Once you've got this, you've got all the Rapunzel you'll ever need.
A husband and wife eagerly await the birth of their first child; but when the woman acquires a craving for the rapunzel that grows in the garden over the wall, her husband steals some in order to satiate her appetite. However, he is caught in the act by the sorceress, who demands repayment for the theft. In exchange for the rapunzel, the sorceress takes the infant girl and names her Rapunzel.
The sorceress raises the girl-child, but at the age of twelve, locks her up in a high tower that is accessible only by climbing up Rapunzel's long red-gold hair. There she lives in isolation, until the day a wandering prince hears her sad, strange song and...well, you either know already, or you don't want the rest of the story ruined.
In researching for this project Zelinsky tracked the history of the Rapunzel fairytale, going beyond the version found in the Brothers Grimm's collection, past the variety of French versions, and finding its origins in a story first published in Naples called "Petrosinella." Inspired by this, Zelinsky sets the tale in Italy and bases his artwork on the Italian Renaissance art. As such, the reader is rewarded by a retelling that contains "the most moving aspects of the story with the most satisfying structure, to bring out its mysterious internal echoes." The result is a perfect melding of story and artwork, and a mature understanding of the meaning and depth of the tale.
So instead of a grim prison, the tower is a beautiful and luxurious campanile. Instead of a "witch," the sorceress embodies both the benevolent and malicious sides of womankind.* Zelinsky exchanges Rapunzel's foolish slip-of-the-tongue in which she tells her foster-mother: "you're much heavier than the prince," in favour of the earlier scenario in which Rapunzel's dress mysteriously tightens around her waist after a prolonged acquaintance with her suitor. Nothing is too dark or grim, and yet nothing is cutesy or overly sanitized either.
The paintings are stunning. I've had this book for years, and I'm still noticing new things each time I look over the warm, golden-hued landscapes of Italy. Details such as patterns on a rug, the carvings on a cradle, the delicate edifice of the tower exterior, the tiny nesting birds in the trees...it's almost wasted on kids! (But then, I'm sure they'll appreciate it when it's their turn to read this book to *their* children...it's the kind of book you want to keep on the shelf for the next generation).
In short, Zelinsky's "Rapunzel" has the Caldecott Medal for a reason: because it's the definitive version of the girl named after a salad green with the hair so long a man could climb up it.
*If this portrayal intrigues you, then I strongly recommend: Zel by Donna Jo Napoli, who presents a fascinating retelling of the story through the eyes of Rapunzel's possessive mother.
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