Rapunzel

1.      BIBLIOGRAPHY

Zelinsky, Paul O. 1997. RAPUNZEL. Ill. by Paul O. Zelinsky. New York: Dutton Children’s Books. ISBN 0-525-45607-4

2.      PLOT SUMMARY

 RAPUNZEL is the retelling of the classic fairy tale by the brothers Grimm in which a young maiden with exceptionally long hair puts her locks to extraordinary good use.

3.      CRITCAL ANALYSIS

RAPUNZEL is a far-fetched story that I have a hard time swallowing, but then it wouldn’t be a fairy tale if it had any roots in reality. Case in point: the parents that tried for so long to conceive give their baby up because the mother has a craving for rapunzel the herb which apparently can only be gotten from a sorceress’ forbidden garden. But putting my disbelief aside, the writing is very good. The brothers Grimm are known for their darker folktales and Zelinsky does a wonderful job of adapting the story for younger children.

The artwork that accompanies the story is my favorite part of the book. Zelinsky uses stunning Renaissance style oil paintings to bring life to the characters and showcase the tale’s French/Italian background.

4.      REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Winner of 1998 Caldecott Medal

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.”

Review in PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY: "A breathtaking interpretation gives the fairy tale new art-historical roots, with illustrations that daringly-and effectively-mimic the masters of Italian Renaissance painting."

5.      CONNECTIONS

* Lead children in a discussion about good decision-making: what are some things they would do differently to avoid negative outcomes?

*Check out other works written and illustrated by this author, including these two Caldecott Honor-winning books:

Zelinsky, Paul O. HANSEL AND GRETEL. ISBN 0698114078

            Zelinsky, Paul O. RUMPELSTILTSKIN. ISBN 0525442650