Sarah Gibb (1)

Gorgeous, intricate illustrations and a beautifully simplified story. Gibb neatly sidesteps some of the harder-to-explain bits of the original tale without entirely eliminating its darker aspects: no mention is made of Rapunzel's pregnancy, but the prince is still pushed from the tower into a thorn bush, becoming "so badly hurt that he could no longer see." This is the way you retell a faery tale for children.

Not technically nonfiction, but usually shelved in the 398s so...While Dorothee Duntze's and Trina Schart Hyman's Rapunzel versions remain my favorites, this one is so gorgeously pretty that it simply must be mentioned. The text is quite lengthy and most of the main points of the original text have been retained; the craving for salad, deal with the wicked witch, locking Rapunzel in a tower, secret meetings with the prince, discovery, separation, the prince's blindness and eventual healing show more with Rapunzel's tears.

There are some major differences in the story. Several plot elements have been "sanitized"; the prince "was so badly hurt that he could no longer see" instead of having his eyes pierced with thorns and when he eventually finds Rapunzel, she is not living in a wasteland with twins, but safe with the woodland creatures and there's a noticeably lack of the patter of tiny feet. Which leads to several of the additions to the story, mainly "the woodland creatures." I would guess the author is a fan of the Disneyfied Snow White, since that's the only fairy tale version I can think of with such...helpful little animals. Rapunzel plays with them, they cheer her loneliness, and eventually lead the prince back to her. At the end of the story, Rapunzel at her wedding is reunited with her peasant parents, and there's a happy ending for everyone but the witch, who retires into a hermit-like existence.

Although I can't resist being a bit snarky about some of the too-too sweet parts of the story, it is mostly a good retelling, pleasantly written and parents who are reluctant to introduce their princess-loving little girls to the dark side of life yet will be perfectly happy with this version.

Which brings us to the illustrations. Now, I am not a pink fan and these illustrations are very pink, but I loved them anyhow. They have a delightful and intricate delicacy that reminds me of Kay Nielsen's delicate traceries and silhouettes. Gibbs' illustrations are imaginative and lovely, ranging from elaborate silhouettes with pastel backgrounds to double page spreads full of color and tiny flowers and vines.

I would totally want wallpaper of this for my little girl's bedroom. If I, you know, had kids. Or, come to think of it, I would absolutely buy fabric with her trees to make curtains for my four poster bed...ahem.

Verdict: Absolutely buy this for your fairy tale section. I really wish I had bought this one and not John Cech's version, which wasn't as pretty as I had expected....I simply must reorganize the budget so I can get this!

ISBN: 9780807568040; Published March 1, 2011; Borrowed from another library; Will definitely buy at some point, once I've updated the sports and biographies sections fairy tales can maybe come next... show less

This book is all about the illustrations. I was dreading reading another Rapunzel story to my three year old (she picked it out at the library) but the illustrations were some detailed and fun. The story its simple and the details are found in the art on each page. I won't mind rereading this version.

In this picture book, Sarah Gibb makes excellent use of both the original Grimm manuscript and her unique style of illustration. She retells the classic story of Rapunzel, who is locked in a tower by an evil witch, the result of a deal the witch made with Rapunzel's parents when they were expecting her. Rapunzel grows into a lovely young woman, and the only way to get to the top of the tower is by climbing her lovely golden hair. One day, a handsome prince rides by and hears Rapunzel show more singing. He follows the sound of her voice and watches the witch climb her hair to the top of the tower. He waits until she leaves, and then he tries. They quickly fall in love and plot Rapunzel's escape. But Rapunzel messes up by thoughtlessly mentioning the prince to the witch. The witch casts Rapunzel out of the tower and cuts off her hair. When the prince comes to rescue Rapunzel, the witch lowers the hair, and then pushes the prince out the window. He crashes to the ground, blinding his eyes on the brambles at the base of the tower. Both lovers wander through the wilderness, until Rapunzel's animal friends bring them together, and they live happily ever after.

Gibb doesn't shy away from the more violent details in the story, such as the prince's blinding, though she does skip over the part where Rapunzel gets pregnant and gives birth to twins. She manages to both engage and menace the reader with her highly detailed illustrations, which alternate between silhouettes and full color illustrations. Girls in particular will love the beautiful (and quite pink) artwork.

For ages 5 - 10, but I could see even older girls paging through for the illustrations. show less