Dorothée Duntze

(Included in the Yellow Fairy Book)

It's a somewhat weird story - what the heck is it with evil stepmoms - but at least the princess isn't some helpless creature. She goes forth to save her brothers, enduring hardships along the way - not just for a day, or a week, or a month. She deals with this shit for years, not saying a word, her hands getting blistered raw because of the rough plants she had to pound and spin into thread to make the clothes that would free her brothers of the evil spell.

The text is very close to the original Grimms' text, but the inventive illustrations are what make this story. From the little frog that rides on the witch's dress made of lettuce leaves to the snail shaped bed in Rapunzel's tower room to the expressive stuffed animals, there's much fun to be had from close examination. Bell and Duntze don't shy away from including the harder parts of the tale including Rapunzel's unplanned pregnancy.

I thought this story was very interesting but did not have a moral or lesson in it. It was a traditional story that was engaging to children but it was did not teach them any morals. It almost taught children to go with the first man they meet and that is they way to get a 'good' life. I also didn't really enjoy the illustrations of this book. They were colorful but they did not add anything to the story or the plot.
Overall, I felt that this story was a good traditional story but the lessons show more and the illustrations could use some work in order to make them better stories. show less

Wonderful retelling of the Bible stories involving Jesus for children. Excellent illustrations.