Rapunzel

Zelinsky’s Rapunzel adaptation takes elements from the French, Italian, and German versions of the fairy tale. His illustrations are amazing – in the style of Italian Renaissance art – with realistically rendered people, gorgeous landscapes, and lots of tiny details. The story, however, is just one that doesn’t appeal to me because it is just too fantastical. I don’t mind reading fantasy; on the contrary, I enjoy it when it’s well done. But Rapunzel is just full of things that don’t make sense – like a woman dying for want of parsley or a sorceress who without reason decides to lock her 12-year-old adopted daughter in a tall tower in the forest. In addition, at least some of it seems to be over the heads of its intended show more audience – for instance, the sorceress getting mad at Rapunzel when her dress is too tight around the waist (aka, she is pregnant). If I had to grade this book, I would say A+ for the illustrations and maybe a C+ for the narrative. show less

"Rapunzel" is one of my favorite fairy tales. Its themes of love, obsession, betrayal, and the healing power of compassion are both timeless and compelling. Paul O. Zelinsky's picture book is probably the best version I know, and though it came out when I was only seven, I can still remember the excitement surrounding its release and the subsequent announcement that it had won the Caldecott. At that age I was surprised to find that the heroine lived not in a gray, run-down tower in the middle of a scary Germanic wood but in a luxurious one, with a more Italianate setting; Zelinsky, however, has good reasons for these changes, as I will demonstrate later.

The illustrations, of course, are of primary interest. These oil paintings are show more sumptuous, and seem to present a higher, more romanticized form of reality, not dissimilar to those of Zelinsky's Renaissance era predecessors. As another reviewer mentioned, the attention to detail is astounding—I spent one whole reading just noting where the witch's cat showed up.

But this book is important from a textual standpoint as well. In his afterword, Zelinsky traces the history of the tale, outlining the various forms it took before the Brothers Grimm heard it, as well as the changes they made to it. This makes for fascinating reading, and the research enhances his retelling. Since the first appearance of the Rapunzel myth was in Italy, he incorporates many regional features in his illustrations; he also restores elements from the pre-Grimm versions, such as the marriage ceremony in the tower. I for one had never seen the inclusion of a window-hook before reading this—a fascinating solution to the age-old hair vs. physics problem!

Highly recommended to both fairy tale enthusiasts and those simply looking for a beautiful, well-written picture book. show less

Top 100 Pick because:
The story of Rapunzel, as retold by Paul O. Zelinsky, is a magnificent ode to Renaissance era art, the Brothers Grimm, and the beautifully depicted visual narrative that complex relationships between characters and a coming-of-age story of a young girl. The narrative of this retelling is captured masterfully through the detailed oil paintings Zelinsky creates to portray his ideal version of the age-old tale. Visually, this has to be my favorite retelling of Rapunzel and my favorite children's version. Zelinsky continues to intrigue me and is one of the few oil painters that stands out and reminds me of the greatness of the old artists.

This version of Rapunzel is different than the one most kids know. In this story, Rapunzel is given to a sorceress in exchange for forgiving her parents for stealing from the sorceress's garden. Like in other versions, Rapunzel is locked in a tower that is only accessible by climbing up the tower wall using Rapunzel's extremely long hair. Eventually she meets her prince and falls in love. Of course the sorceress finds out and Rapunzel and her prince suffer the consequences. Overall it's a typical fairy tale with a happily ever after ending. The thing that really made this book stand out are the illustrations. Paul O. Zelinsky does a wonderful job using oil paint to create realistic images that really make you feel like you are in a far show more off land from long ago. Every page is full of beautiful detail and colorful depth. A well deserved Caldecott winner. show less

This children's adaptation of the fairy tale, Rapunzel includes stunning imagery throughout the whole book that will capture the attention of any listener or reader.

The story follows Rapunzel from the time of her birth when a witch took her away from her mother (because the mother had stolen Rapunzel from her garden) till the time that she escapes from the tower she has been locked in.

The author uses the plant rapunzel in the story to symbolize greed and the consequences that can come from it.

This beautifully illustrated classic fairy tale follows the life of an innocent young woman imprisoned in a tower and the handsome prince she risks everything to be with. Minimally adapted from the traditional earthy Brothers Grimm text, the real focus on this retelling is the faux-Renaissance art. The artist uses Italian Renaissance techniques to show perspective and create decoration, sometimes reproducing famous tableaux, such as Da Vinci's Madonna and Child with Saint John the Baptist. The bright, saturated colors, expressive faces and meticulous attention to detail make this picture book visually fascinating. Zelinsky uses repetition of key words and phrases to tie the story together. He lyrically signals a pregnancy by telling us show more that the expectant mother " felt her dress grow tight around her waist", and describes the labors of a man on behalf of the woman he loves by saying, "he circled the tower/wall ten times, twenty times but found no entrance". Other take-offs on famous works of art include Sir Francis Dicksee's Romeo and Juliet and Boticelli's Zephyr and Cloris from the Birth of Venus. Perhaps the most beautiful painting in the book is double-page spread where Rapunzel and the Prince reunite in the wilderness.

Zelinsky stays away from the Disneyfication of this classic tale, but addresses issues of sex and pregnancy with the utmost delicacy. The sparse but emotive dialogue collapses complex relationships into a few carefully-chosen lines and the entire story--fantastic though it is--contains a gentle humanity. Recommended for grades 1 through 4. show less

In this adaption of the story of Rapunzel, Rapunzel is hidden away in a tower by a witch then, eventually marries and impregnated by a prince. The witch finds out and kicks her out in to the woods. Later, the prince finds her and they live happily ever after. The story is not set in modern time but the language used was more modern than traditional. The story is told in third person, as most folktales are. For me, I believe the theme of the story is, “We may go through hardships, like being abandoned by our parents or being locked in a tower, but things do get better.” What surprised me about this book is the subtlety in which the author announced Rapunzel’s pregnancy. I wonder if a child reading the book would catch it.