Rapunzel

A hunger for forbidden salad greens cost a wife and husband their baby daughter. In the dead of night, the husband raids the garden of the witch next door. When he’s discovered the witch demands their daughter in return. She snatches her away from them, and then imprisons her in a high tower surrounded by thorns in the depths of the forest.

Rogasky’s retelling is lively and Hyman’s illustrations are glorious.

Rogasky, B., Grimm, J., Grimm, W., & Hyman, T. S. (1982). Rapunzel. New York: Holiday House.
Grades 1 through 3

A husband and wife have yearned for a baby for many years. When the wife is finally pregnant, the two are overjoyed. The wife, however, develops an obsession for her neighbor’s garden and the rampion that grows there. The neighbor, Mother Gothel is an old and powerful witch, and no one would ever dare trespassing. The wife stops eating, jeopardizing their baby’s life. The loving husband decides to take his chances and breaks into the witch’s garden. He brings home a bunch of rampion, and his wife eats the greens with delight. Soon, she feels the need for more rampion. This time, the husband is not so lucky: the witch show more catches his and forces out of him a promise to keep her his baby if she is a girl. When the baby girl is born, the witch snatches her away from her parents to raise her as her own. Rapunzel grows to be beautiful. The witch, afraid to lose her, locks her up a tower only accessible by climbing Rapunzel’s braids. A prince lost in the woods finds Rapunzel, falls in love with her, and marries her while they plan a way to free her. The witch finds out about their encounters, drags Rapunzel to a desolate spot, and causes the prince to go blind. For a year, he roams the forest in search of his beloved. When he finally finds her, he learns that their love produced twins. Rapunzel’s tears bring back the prince’s vision, and they head to the kingdom for a lifetime of happiness.

Rapunzel is a very faithful retelling of the German fairy tale. The story is one of transgression and punishment. Rapunzel’s parents pay for their transgression with their baby daughter; Rapunzel hers with isolation; the prince pays for his with his eyesight. The characters are quite flawed. Rapunzel’s mother endangers her husband for some greens. Rapunzel’s father agrees to give away his baby girl. Even though Mother Gothel is kind to her protégé, she locks Rapunzel up so that she will never lose the lovely girl. Rapunzel chooses the prince over the witch because he is better looking. In order to find a happy ending, both lovers must suffer until their reunion washes away all pain. The very dark illustrations add a touch of despair to the tale. The brown borders make the pages too heavy, almost as if to imprison the images on the page. The book makes no great contributions to the story. show less

This is the classic story of Rapunzel, a girl who is raised by a witch and locked up in a tall tower before being rescued by a handsome prince. This book is cute, especially when you teach about folktales, fairy tales or fable. Grades 1-3 would be best for this book.

Average. Illustrations on the fey side.