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Rapunzel (Classic Tales for the Cellphone Generation)

4.15 of 5 stars 4.15 · rating details · 6,660 ratings · 447 reviews

Surely among the most original and gifted of children's book illustrators, Paul O. Zelinsky has once again with unmatched emotional authority, control of space, and narrative capability brought forth a unique vision for an age-old tale. Few artists at work today can touch the level at which his paintings tell a story and exert their hold. Zelinsky's retelling of Rapunzel r...more

Hardcover, 48 pages

Published October 1st 1997 by Dutton Juvenile (first published 1997)

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Apr 19, 2011 Ceridwen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Ceridwen by: Chandra

So, this is one I've checked out of the library several times since Chandra turned me onto this book, and Zelinsky in general. The last time was after taking the kids to see Tangled, which, for me anyway, was the typical Disney experience: I loved the animal sidekicks, thought the music was uneven, and winced at much of the latent Freud-called stuff that they spent so much time trying to ignore or cover up. The fairy tale of Rapunzel is absolutely shot-through with sexuality, procreation, Oedipa...more So, this is one I've checked out of the library several times since Chandra turned me onto this book, and Zelinsky in general. The last time was after taking the kids to see Tangled, which, for me anyway, was the typical Disney experience: I loved the animal sidekicks, thought the music was uneven, and winced at much of the latent Freud-called stuff that they spent so much time trying to ignore or cover up. The fairy tale of Rapunzel is absolutely shot-through with sexuality, procreation, Oedipal crisis, etc etc, and even if you try to strip that stuff out, it's nigh on impossible, and then makes it weird that you even tried. This story is about those uncomfortable and necessary things.

I want to eat this book. I want to roll around in its pages so their beauty rubs off on my skin. Zelinsky paints amazing, Renaissance-inflected art, which works well just as itself, and also with the Italian version of this tale that he rewrites. The last pages are Zelinsky's explanations of how he came about this version of Rapunzel, the history of the folklore, the varying motifs and images. The folklorist in me wants to kiss him breathless for the respect he shows to the wide and changing river of the folk story.

It's possible that this kind of diligence could be the death of fun - yet another story that I try to foist on the kids when all they want is a singing animal sidekick and a few jokes - but Zelinsky's art caught them too - the way he hides animals in the images, so we would hunt for the cat that can be found in almost every panel, or all of the odd details that had the boy pointing - Oh! look at that! And beautiful, beautiful.

There were some hard questions, but not the ones I expected. Rapunzel gets pregnant in her secret meetings with the prince, although this is dealt with metonymously - her dress gets tight. (If you're the kind of parent who doesn't want even the possibility of talking about where babies come from at bedtime, then this is not the book for you. Fair warning.) My kids didn't ask me this question though, because mostly my kids don't care where babies come from. They were curious about why Rapunzel is never reunited with her parents, because she isn't. The happy ending is her reunion with her prince husband. I can't really answer that one, but I hugged them pretty tight when they asked. Not ever finding her parents is the way the story was told this one time. We can tell it other ways, and those can be good too. That's what I love about folktales. (less)

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Jun 21, 2010 Chandra rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fairy-and-folk-tales, great-illustration, picture-books, tsh

It's starting to get a little taxing to think of more adjectives to describe the fabulous work of illustrator Trina Schart Hyman. I think the best thing I can say here is that her work on fairy tales (Little Red Riding Hood, The Sleeping Beauty ) is distinctly NOT cutesy - something that I think is hugely important. There are a handful of contemporary illustrators who 'get' this - Kinuko Craft and Gennady Spirin come right to mind. I've got nothing against cuteness – in fact I enjoy it in its pl...more It's starting to get a little taxing to think of more adjectives to describe the fabulous work of illustrator Trina Schart Hyman. I think the best thing I can say here is that her work on fairy tales (Little Red Riding Hood, The Sleeping Beauty ) is distinctly NOT cutesy - something that I think is hugely important. There are a handful of contemporary illustrators who 'get' this - Kinuko Craft and Gennady Spirin come right to mind. I've got nothing against cuteness – in fact I enjoy it in its place. But these are epic, sweeping tales full of archetypes and weighty themes. It blunts and diminishes them somehow to pair them with silly and benign illustrations.

Rapunzel is probably one of the most uncomfortable fairy tales a parent (especially a mother) can share with a child. (Donkeyskin is the father equivalent, but its premise is really so abhorrent that I don’t imagine it will ever be fully adapted for a picture book) Anyway, Rapunzel’s birth mother trades her only daughter to sate an impulsive craving. Next the adoptive mother is a controlling hag intent upon suppressing and hiding her daughter's emerging sexuality from the world. But 'it' will tumble out of tower windows and make itself attractive and accessible to any old prince who happens to wander by!

Which leads me to a teeny quibble about this version - there are two typical ways in which Rapunzel reveals her secret to Mother Gothel. In this (and most other children's adaptations) she slips and mentions her prince in passing. In others, however, Rapunzel innocently mentions one day that her dress is getting tight. Well, what did you think they were doing up in that tower room day after day? Or, perhaps he was bringing her chocolates. But seriously, I do get why some might want to gloss over this little moment, but then one has to wonder how on earth Rapunzel ends up with twin babies at the end of the story. Perhaps you could say the stork brings babies to fat ladies as a consolation for outgrowing their clothes. No matter, I’ve only seen one picture book version so far which had the cojones to go the tight dress route and it’s awesome.

But, back to the art here… in this story it’s all about the hair and boy does Hyman deliver. It’s portrayed as a swirling, tangled mess with a mind of its own – beautiful, but also no small burden. How apt is that? I just love how Hyman’s super detailed style captures both the mundane and the fantastical all at once. She also somehow really imbues her characters with personalities. One that really stands out to me is how she portrayed the mother in The Sleeping Beauty – a character so often overlooked rendered immediately and intimately relatable. Here, Rapunzel has the childish, awkward, almost daft look of a young lady who’s been sheltered and locked up in a tower her entire life. If I had to pick only one version to share with a child (and thankfully I don't) this might be the one I'd pick.
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Mar 15, 2009 Chandra rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: great-illustration, fairy-and-folk-tales, picture-books-advanced, caldecott

In his author's note Zelinksky explains that he chose an Italian Renaissance backdrop to honor the one of the earliest known origins of the story - a 17th century Neapolitan folktale. Authors who are retelling a story get major bonus points from me for including information about the source material.

Zelinksy's retelling is very nice and it's an appealing and easy book to read aloud - not too long, not too short. This was the 1998 Caldecott winner and deservedly so as Zelinsky not only created g...more

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Apr 10, 2012 Heidi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: award-winners, children-0-12, fiction, picture-books

I loved the illustrations in this book, particularly the use of color. (Caldecott Honor book, too.) Great details that could easily be overlooked, too. I also liked reading the history of the fairy tale. I did not know it dated as far back, or know of the many changes that had occurred. In fact, only vaguely do I remember ever hearing a version where Rapunzel was pregnant, and that's why the witch cast her out.

This is also one of those fairy tales that, though I love the aspect of long, gorgeou...more

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Feb 16, 2009 Krysten rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: children-s-lit-books

Evaluation: A gardener feeds his pregnant wife rapunzel from a witch's garden, but gets caught and promises his child to the witch. The witch raises the beautiful girl, named Rapunzel, and locks her in a tower where only she can visit by climbing Rapunzel's hair. One day, a prince hears Rapunzel singing, and figures out that to climb, he must call for her hair to be let down. He does call, and when he climbs up the tower, Rapunzel and the prince soon fall in love and are wed in a secret ceremony...more

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Apr 16, 2013 Amalie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: picture-books, rapunzel-research, folklore-fairytale, legands-myths

This is an amazing tale! Please note anyone who sees this review, I'm not reviewing this particular edition but the early version of the story "Persinette" by Charlotte-Rose de Caumont de La Force, that became an influence to the Grimm's Fairy tale. (Still, I'd love to check out the paintings in this book!!!)

First of all, this is a warning to parents: This is not for your 5 year old! Rapunzel innocently says that her dress is getting tight around her belly (yep, she's pregnant! try reading that...more

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Mar 06, 2013 Leah Robinson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: traditional

Rapunzel is a tale told in many different ways. Never hearing this version before, I found it different but good. It is an enchanting tale of how Rapunzel’s mothers cravings effect many people. No need to worry though, because like many tales there is a happily ever after, as Rapunzel goes to live with her prince and their twins in his kingdom. I liked this book and may have it in a classroom for older readers because of content, but I would probably not use it as a read aloud unless we were lea...more

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Feb 16, 2013 Julia Jasztal rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Mommy's review from 10/12/11 -

Julia and I both really liked this Rapunzel version. Rapunzel is one of our fairy-tales so when I noticed this on a library shelf at my local library I brought it home. We spend so much time at our library that we almost read the entire thing there but we ended up having to lave before we finished.
By the time we were able to pick it back up a day or so later at home we both wanted to start from the beginning again. :)
The illustrations are rather bland IMO and Julia...more Mommy's review from 10/12/11 -

Julia and I both really liked this Rapunzel version. Rapunzel is one of our fairy-tales so when I noticed this on a library shelf at my local library I brought it home. We spend so much time at our library that we almost read the entire thing there but we ended up having to lave before we finished.
By the time we were able to pick it back up a day or so later at home we both wanted to start from the beginning again. :)
The illustrations are rather bland IMO and Julia wasn't impressed either. The story is where it's at.
Most people who are used to the Rapunzel I grew up with, or even more recently, the Tangled version, won't be familiar with this one. I wasn't. Julia definitely wasn't. So this was new for both of us.
Basically, a husband and wife lived next door to a witch. This witch had a garden full of lettuce, or Rapunzel's, which the man's wife yearned for. Finally the man stole into the garden at night to get some of these delicious Rapunzel's for his wife. The man gets caught by the witch on his second journey to the garden and after explaining his actions the witch lets him take all her wants.... with the rule that he can't come back again. If the witch finds the man again she gets his unborn child.
Well, we can all guess what the selfish wife does. She continues begging her husband for more of the lettuce and again he goes to get it for her. Instead of making it back he gets caught by the witch. She waited for the man and woman's baby to be born, arrived to take the child, and raised Rapunzel as her own.
Rapunzel's sweet singing gets the attention of a prince walking through the woods. Of course, in short time the witch finds out about Rapunzel's escapades and chops off her beautiful hair. The witch tricks the prince and while he's climbing up the braid of hair (that which is no longer attached to his loves head) the witch cuts it and he falls to the hard ground below.
The prince's eyes were both pricked by thorns blinding him. Rapunzel was so distraught when she saw this she leaped out of the window after him. (Rapunzel didn't get hurt of course. She made the 20-off-foot-or-higher fall just fine thank you very much.)
As she held her poor, bloody prince (he's not really bloody in the book - that's just my addition) her tears hit his mangled eyes and they became whole again and he's able to see!
The prince and his magic chica live happily ever after and the wicked old witch is taken away by a big old bird and fed to it's babies like a snack. (Again, not actually shown or anything. My imaginative take on it.) She is shown in the birds beak being carried through the sky but that's it.
Some of the wording is a bit old-timey but Julia didn't seem to mind that, probably because it fit with the story.
I'd have liked to have seen better (IMO) illustrations but the story alone if worth your time.(less)

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Dec 10, 2012 Ashley Adams rated it 5 of 5 stars

1. Picture Book: Traditional Literature
2. This is the retelling of Rapunzel, the story of a young girl who is forced to grow up in isolation and confinement because a sorceress is hiding her from the king, when she meets a prince who is enchanted by her voice and her long, lustrous hair. She then has to learn how to live on her own after many years of confinement, and is reunited with her prince.
3. Critique:
a. Zelinsky brings the age-old tale of Rapunzel to life with his beautiful illustrations...more

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Nov 27, 2012 Monique Swafford rated it 3 of 5 stars

As a child, I grew up reading the story of Rapunzel quite often with my mother. I loved how beautiful her long, long hair always appeared in books (and my imagination), and I also felt really sad for her because she had to live alone without her parents. I always enjoyed fairy tales about princesses, far away lands, magical miracles, and happy endings that are associated with this type of literature. The illustrations are captivating and very realistic that you can almost see Rapunzel's world al...more

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Nov 08, 2012 Gladys rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: child-reads, school-reads

When I was small, I use to judge books by their covers. So looking at the cover for this one, it would have caught my attention right away if I was just looking for a book to read. This one was one of my favorites from all of them. I thought the art was simply amazing. I do know the story about Rapunzel but as with all fairy tales, they all seem to change depending on the author. So you are assured you have a different, yet similar reading to another version. The main reason I loved this book wa...more

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Nov 05, 2012 Samantha Duncan rated it 5 of 5 stars

1. The genre this book falls under is picture book: Contemporary.

2. This story is about a baby girl born to a family who's promised their unborn child to a sorceress. She raised the baby girl in this really tall tower. Rapunzel has beautiful hair that she lowers down for the sorceress to climb up. One day a young man climbs up Rapunzel's hair after hearing her beautiful voice and eventually she has twin boys from the young man. Rapunzel is eventually let go because the sorceress feels betrayed....more

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Oct 24, 2012 Christina Mathers rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: caldecott-choice, traditional-literature

Rapunzel was retold and illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky. It is about a woman who became pregnant and sat looking out her window at an herb called rapunzel. This herb was located in the sorceress’ garden. One day the wife couldn’t go on living without the rapunzel and told her husband that she was going to die without it. The husband got caught taking the herb. The sorceress told the husband that he must give up his child if he is going to take the herb. The husband makes the deal with the sorcer...more

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Oct 17, 2012 Jenna Cohen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is an additional book that I read for the Fairy Tale assignment.

This book is a fairly traditional telling of Rapunzel. I believe this book was intended for children, although the story is a bit disturbing for children at the end. I'm sure if you held a discussion with your class about how dark some of the Grimm Fairy Tales really were, it may be okay for upper elementary/middle school students to view. This book is copyrighted in 1975. The author/illustrator uses a lot of reds, oranges, an...more

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Oct 17, 2012 Jenna Cohen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: picture-books

This was my first Fairy Tale story.

I enjoyed this one the most! It is the traditional tale and the pictures are BREATHTAKING! It won the Caldecott Medal and I can see why. I could easily frame some of these pages as art! The artwork is truly exceptiona work. Zelinsky wrote a long author's note at the end, telling the history of the story of Rapunzel and explaining his choices in his work. He chose "formal Italian Renaissance art" and wrote about how challenging it was. Worth the effort!

The story...more This was my first Fairy Tale story.

I enjoyed this one the most! It is the traditional tale and the pictures are BREATHTAKING! It won the Caldecott Medal and I can see why. I could easily frame some of these pages as art! The artwork is truly exceptiona work. Zelinsky wrote a long author's note at the end, telling the history of the story of Rapunzel and explaining his choices in his work. He chose "formal Italian Renaissance art" and wrote about how challenging it was. Worth the effort!

The story starts with a couple who have finally conceived a child. The mother looks longingly out her window and can't stop thinking about the bed of rapunzel she sees. Her cravings grow so great that her husband goes to steal some. Of course, he is caught by the sorceress and she takes Rapunzel after she was born. I found that page particularly moving. There are no words- it is just a full page spread of Rapunzel's mom in bed, looking ill after labor, and her father in a chair holding his chest in pain. The sorceress is walking out the door with Rapunzel and looking at her lovingly. In the other corner lies Rapunzel's would-be basinet, ready for her to use, but she never will.

I found it interesting that the sorceress actually cared for Rapunzel, and locked her up at her 12th birthday. The picture of the old sorceress climbing up Rapunzel's hair is so interesting. The sorceress is in motion; her face shows struggle as she climbs up. Rapunzel is just sitting by the window, lifelessly staring out. It is a nice contrast between the characters. A prince finds the tower and the two fall in love and wed. The sorceress knows there has been a visitor because Rapunzel's dress won't fit (pretty racy for a children's book :) I can see that leading to a few questions!!)

The sorceress cuts off Rapunzel's hair, tricks the prince, which eventually leads to losing his vision. He wanders through the forest for a year, blind, thinking only of his wife. He finds her and her tears of joy cure his blindness. They live happily ever after with their twins...

I might use this book in the classroom as an author/illustrator study, because Paul Zelinsky does such wonderful work. It would be nice to see all of his books together. (less)

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Oct 12, 2012 Barbara rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: abusive-relationships, caldecott, bullies, fairy-tales, families, picture-book, pregnancy

The story of Rapunzel was always one of my favorite fairy tales growing up. I was intrigued by the idea of a girl kept hidden in a tower, letting her hair down to let the world in, but never being able to leave that tower. With sumptuous oil paintings that allow the beauty of the tower and Rapunzel with her amazingly-long tresses to be highlighted, the author/illustrator takes readers to a different place and time than their current surroundings. Echoing as he does the style of Italian Renaissan...more

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Sep 27, 2012 Mae rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s-lit-642

Mark as A, B, and C
A = In this re-telling of a classic tail, Paul Zelinsky blends the more modern Grimm tale with an older Neapolitan story "Petronsinella". A new husband and soon to be father tries to satisfy his wife's craving for the rapunzel growing in the sorceress's garden next door. Caught stealing, he agree to give his new baby to the sorceress in return. The sorceress raises the child and then places her in the woods in a high tower with no entrance except a high window. The only access...more

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Sep 17, 2012 Megan added it

"Rapunzel" starts off with a man and woman who have reason to believe that the woman is pregnant,and to fulfill one of her many cravings, her husband takes some herb named rapunzel from the witches house next door. The witch catches him in the act of stealing from her garden and in return for sparing his life (and the rapunzel he holds), she demands that the husband promise her the newborn child, whom she will name Rapunzel. When Rapunzel is 12 years old, the witch locks her in a tower and uses...more "Rapunzel" starts off with a man and woman who have reason to believe that the woman is pregnant,and to fulfill one of her many cravings, her husband takes some herb named rapunzel from the witches house next door. The witch catches him in the act of stealing from her garden and in return for sparing his life (and the rapunzel he holds), she demands that the husband promise her the newborn child, whom she will name Rapunzel. When Rapunzel is 12 years old, the witch locks her in a tower and uses her long hair as a means of getting in and out of the castle by stating "Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair". One day a prince rides by the castle and hears Rapunzel playing beautiful music so he comes by each day to hear the sound. One day he witnesses the witch climbing back into the castle by Rapunzel's hair and decides that he will attempt the same thing that night. He comes back at night and Rapunzel lets down her hair for him. The prince confesses his love and asks Rapunzel to be his wife to which she promptly accepts. The prince continues to visit Rapunzel every night in secret. However, when the witch finds out the Rapunzel is pregnant she gets so angry that she cuts off Rapunzel's hair and banishes her to the wilderness where Rapunzel gives birth to twins. When the prince comes back at night the witch tells him he will never see Rapunzel again and causes him to go blind. A year later, the prince is wandering blindly through the wilderness and hears Rapunzel's music. When Rapunzel see's him, her tears fall onto his face and cure him of his blindness and they return to the kingdom where they live happily ever after.

Exquisite paintings in late Italian Renaissance style done by Paul Zelinsky, really make this book come to life. Unlike most children's books, the artwork is very realistic and detailed. The illustrations add a deeper connection to the classic fairytale of Rapunzel. Although the book has many unhappy and dark moments, the ending is as happy as any fairytale, and it brings hope that people can recover from the darkest of times. I would recommend this book to early readers, grades 1-5. As a lesson, a teacher may go over elements of fairy tales and vocabulary words from the book before the book is read, and then go over discussion questions after the book is read.
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Jul 07, 2012 Widad Hussein added it

Rapunzel is definitely a classic. The lexile level is 700 so it would be for 4th graders. The main character is Rapunzel and it's from 3rd point of view, the narrator's perspective. This takes place in the late 17th century and most of the story is in a tower. The book starts off with this married couple who is expecting a baby. The mother craves for rapunzel herbs and when the father gives her some, she being to want it more and more. Eventually the sorceress catches him and told him in exchang...more

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Mar 12, 2012 Nancy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Rapunzel retold and illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky (1997) is a based on a Grimm a tale of a girl taken from her parents at birth, because her pregnant mother craved the herb, rapunzel, which grew in the walled garden of a sorceress. The husband stole the rapunzel and when he was caught by the sorceress, he agreed to give her their child at birth, who the sorceress named Rapunzel. When she was twelve, the sorceress locked her in a high tower without a door in the middle of the forest. To enter t...more

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Nov 09, 2011 Nicole rated it 4 of 5 stars

Paul Zelinsky’s Rapunzel is a beautiful and richly woven homage to Italian Renaissance art and the pure local folktale that originated in Naples. His retelling of this famous fairytale won a Caldecott Medal and deservedly so. The oil painting illustrations that tell this story of human frailty and strength could easily be hanging next to a Rapheal or Botticellli in the Metropolitan Museum. The clothes, the colors and hues, the landscape all evoke the feeling of grandeur reminiscent of this perio...more

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Nov 08, 2011 Meghan Porter rated it 5 of 5 stars

Rapunzel by Paul O. Zelinsky is an absolutely beautifully illustrated book! The details of the illustrations are wonderfully done and really pull you into the story. Zelinsky painted all of the images in this telling of Rapunzel with oil paints and they look almost real. You can feel all of the emotions of the characters that it really makes you like you are in the story. His Italian Renaissance take on the paintings really make this story unique.

This is a take on the original "Rapunzel" story...more

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Nov 07, 2011 Amy Keltner rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

1. Picture Book: Traditional
2. Making a deal with the evil witch Rapunzel was taken from her family. She was subjected to live in a tower alone with no way to escape. Until the one day she encounters a prince who will change her life.
3. a: The book stays true to the Brothers Grimm story of Rapunzel. It is the images that create this whimsical story.
b: This book stays true to the traditional story and is written in a font that is appealing to the eyes. The pictures are whimsical and add a frie...more

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Nov 07, 2011 Sara Hannon added it

1. Traditional, fairy tale

2. The story of Rapunzel is beautifully retold in Paul Zelinsky's book. It is the traditional story of stealing herbs and a girl with long, long hair, but it is told in a way that marries all the variations on the story told over the centuries.

3. The most impressive part of this story is the illustrations. The story is well written and well researched, but the illustrations take it to another level. The illustrations have the feel of paintings from the Italian Renaissa...more 1. Traditional, fairy tale

2. The story of Rapunzel is beautifully retold in Paul Zelinsky's book. It is the traditional story of stealing herbs and a girl with long, long hair, but it is told in a way that marries all the variations on the story told over the centuries.

3. The most impressive part of this story is the illustrations. The story is well written and well researched, but the illustrations take it to another level. The illustrations have the feel of paintings from the Italian Renaissance, particularly the Florentine school of Giotto and Botticelli and the soft sfumato (s-foo-moto) gives the paintings a realistic quality. It also has all the terra-cotta tile roofs and inlaid marble exteriors of important buildings that was so distinctive of Italy in the Renaissance owing to their closeness to Spain and other Muslim areas. The illustrations ground it. It doesn't feel like we are reading a fairy tale, it feels more like we are reading a historical story. It also gives our story provenance, which is a wonderful thing to have in a fairy tale. It also only adds to all the wonderful historical information found at the end of the book. The most sticking example of this is at the very end of the book. The position of Rapunzel and her daughter mirror the position of the Virgin and Child in a Raphael painting "The Virgin and Child with St. John the Baptist". And the little boy is crouched the same way as St. John, only facing a different direction and instead of holding the cross St. John holds, the boy holds a twig of some sort.

4. This is a great story to read to children to talk about fairy tales and reality. Especially with the melding of history and fiction. The depictions of architecture and characters are very accurate representations of reality, while the curing of the prince's blindness with Rapunzel's tears are clearly fantastical. It would also be a great story to use as an example of a creative writing project: take a real time in history and write their own fantasy story from that historical moment in time. (less)

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Oct 19, 2011 Leah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Leah Sherrod
Professor Holland
EDTR 115 EMA
20 October 2011
Folktale Book
Title: Rapunzel
Author: Paul O. Zelinsky

This book received the Cold Caldecott Medal. The story is about a man and a women who are about to have their first child. The mother enjoys watching out the window into a garden, owned by the sorceress that has a high wall around it with no way in. The mother to be has a craving for the Rapunzel she has been watching grow and tells her husband she will die if she doesn’t have a taste of i...more Leah Sherrod
Professor Holland
EDTR 115 EMA
20 October 2011
Folktale Book
Title: Rapunzel
Author: Paul O. Zelinsky

This book received the Cold Caldecott Medal. The story is about a man and a women who are about to have their first child. The mother enjoys watching out the window into a garden, owned by the sorceress that has a high wall around it with no way in. The mother to be has a craving for the Rapunzel she has been watching grow and tells her husband she will die if she doesn’t have a taste of it. The husband gets caught stealing the Rapunzel and agrees to give up the unborn child to save his wife’s life. The sorceress keeps Rapunzel in a high tower in the forest. One day a prince was riding by and fell in love with Rapunzel’s voice. Rapunzel and the prince fall in love and secretly marry without the sorceress knowing. Rapunzel ends up pregnant the sorceress gets angry cuts off Rapunzel’s hair and sends Rapunzel to live in the wilderness. The prince comes home and finds the sorceress their struck with grief and falls to the ground winding up blind. The prince wonders around and one day hears the voice of his wife and rushes towards her. Her tears of joy heal the prince’s eyes and they live happy ever after.
The characters in this book had traits of cleverness because the sorceress coned the husband into giving her the baby once the wife delivered the baby. Another trait is determination because the prince never gave up living after the sorceress sent Rapunzel to live in the wilderness.
The conflict was identified early in the story so the reader could follow what may happen. The resolution was what you would expect for a folktale with Rapunzel and the prince living happily ever after. The themes expressed types of values people should have today; kindness, love, forgiving, and hopefulness for a happy ever after. The setting and the plot was fitting for the story. The language was direct and you could picture clear images of what was being read.
I enjoyed reading this story. I found the story to be entertaining because I never read this version of the story. I also liked how at the end the book had a section called “A Note About Rapunzel.” It described how the folk tales was passed down and form culture to culture.

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Oct 19, 2011 Ginta Harrigan rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: traditional-literature

“Rapunzel” is a Grimm fairytale complete with all the characteristics common in fairytales.

Character – In “Rapunzel” the hero is the prince who falls in love with and offers to rescue Rapunzel from the witch. The rival in the story is the witch. The witch is described as a mean, old woman who keeps Rapunzel locked in a tower away from the outside world.

Plot – The story is traditional fairytale – a damsel in distress finds love and happiness with a handsome prince.

Motif – In “Rapunzel” there is...more

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Oct 16, 2011 Ashley rated it 3 of 5 stars

1. Traditional; Fairy tale
2. A timeless classic of love, Rapunzel will capture the imaginations of today's young children just as quickly as it did when I was a little girl. Rapunzel, named after her mother's obsession, lives all alone, locked in a tower in the middle of a great forest. The tower has but one window at the tip top where she spends her days singing to the song birds. Her long hair the only entrance to the tower, how will she ever find true love?
3. Critique
a. True to the look of o...more

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Jun 30, 2011 Cindi rated it 5 of 5 stars

Each page of this book is a work of art. Zelinsky has perfectly captured the rich colors and ornate architecture of the Renaissance. The jewel-toned gowns of the women, the flowing curls in the style of Botticelli, it is all here. There are details in each picture, as well that add to the mood of the setting; a peacock in the sorceress' garden and the intricacies on Rapunzel's gown, for example.

The text is also superb. When read aloud, it sounds just like a fairy tale should. When the husband, (...more

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Sep 22, 2010 Rina Perez rated it 4 of 5 stars

Paul O. Zelinsky’s Rapunzel presents the timeless tale of Rapunzel, drawing on elements from early French and Italian sources, as well as from the Grimms, in masterful Italian Renaissance art. Staying true to the old tale, it begins with a childless young couple, who are thrilled when the wife finally becomes pregnant. The pregnant wife craves for rapunzel and therefore, the dutiful husband steals the herb (not just once, but a few times) from a witch’s garden. When caught, he is forced to give...more

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Sep 07, 2010 Christina Cinfio rated it 4 of 5 stars

A man was forced to give away his first child to a sorceress to save his wife. The sorceress named the girl Rapunzel, cared for her, then locked her in a tower at the age of 12. The sorceress would visit her in the day time and Rapuzel would let down her hair so the sorceress could enter the tower. One day a prince heard a girl singing and had to see what she looked like. He fell in love with her voice. He watched at the sorceress called to Rapunzel and called to her one day. They fell in love a...more

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About Paul O. Zelinsky

Born 1953

Paul O. Zelinsky grew up in Wilmette, Illinois, the son of a mathematics professor and a medical illustrator. He drew compulsively from an early age, but did not know until college that this would be his career. As a Sophomore in Yale College he enrolled in a course on the history and practice of the picture book, co-taught by an English professor and Maurice Sendak. This experience inspi...more

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Books by Paul O. Zelinsky

Knick Knack Paddywhack (New York Times Best Illustrated Books (Awards))

The Maid And The Mouse And The Odd Shaped House: A Story In Rhyme (A Puffin Unicorn)

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Rapunzel (Classic Tales for the Cellphone Generation)

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