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201st out of 580 books
—
266 voters
Rapunzel: Based on the Original Story by the Brothers Grimm
Beautiful Rapunzel is locked away in a tall, tall tower, visited only by the little creatures of the forest and the witch who has imprisoned her. Until one day a handsome prince, passing by on his horse, is transfixed by the magical sound of Rapunzel singing to her animals friends and knows he must reach her... Can true love transform Rapunzel's life forever?
Hardcover, 32 pages
Published
March 1st 2011
by Albert Whitman & Company
(first published January 1st 2010)
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I almost gave this a miss because it is so so pink, but actually the illustrations are lovely. Gibb alternates between standard-style illustrations reminiscent of Jane Ray and Barbara Cooney and silhouettes a la Jan Pienlowski. The color pages are beautiful and detailed, and the silhouettes convey an impressive degree of emotion.
The text is not noteworthy, pretty standard from-the-Grimms adaptation, pregnancy elided.
... but I still could've used less pink.
The text is not noteworthy, pretty standard from-the-Grimms adaptation, pregnancy elided.
... but I still could've used less pink.
17 likes · like · see review
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Traditional Tales Book 2: This is the classic story of Rapunzel, based on the Grimm brothers' original tale. In this version, Rapunzel is the daughter of a young farmer and his wife. The wife was ill and her husband stole some magical lettuce from the garden of the evil witch next door. The witch allowed the farmer to take the lettuce only if he promised that when his baby was born it would be hers. When the baby was born, the witch came to claim her prize, and so Rapunzel was stolen away. Place...more
My first post in two months and it is about a picture book that my mother waited in line for an hour to get me at ALA. This is a very pink book, not exactly my usual but the art is just so gorgeous I couldn’t help but want it. A mix of silhouettes and textures that seem almost tactile make for an elegant impression. The illustrations are simple enough to draw in the very young but detailed enough to catch the eye of someone of any age. The style feels very modern but at the same time perfectly r...more
I must admit that I usually mentally shrug when new versions of classic fairy tales are released. There are so many versions out there, that it takes something special to get my attention. Well, Gibb’s new Rapunzel is special indeed. She takes the classic story and simplifies it without losing any of the romance or drama of the original. There are no parts of the story that will be missed, somehow she edited and simplified without any loss of plot points. That alone is rather brilliantly done.
Bu...more
Bu...more
Very pretty illustrations in an intricate pink way. Though this is based on the original Grimm story, parts have been prettied up for the reading audience. Especially the fact that the girl's pregnancy is left out and Rapunzel's real parents find her at the end. For the kids looking to read the tale after encountering Tangled, the look and feel of this will be fairly in keeping with the movie, though the story of Tangled departs quite a bit from the original tale.
My fave Rapunzel story has to be...more
My fave Rapunzel story has to be...more
Oct 06, 2012
Lauren Derosa
added it
I totally loved this version of Rapunzel! The pictures in this book completely made the book interesting to me, since I had already read other versions of Rapunzel. My favorite part about the pictures is that they are so magical and seem to have a girly sense to them. The images are very elegant and detailed with bright colors like pinks and greens. I also noticed that on some pages, the characters are completely blacked out while others are normal with color and humanly details. I also really l...more
Oct 07, 2012
Ashleigh Smithers
added it
Rapunzel is a great children's book for girls. It is a fairytale that all little girls can relate too. This specific book relates very closely to the original book. I found this to be interesting because the movie Tangled is very similar to this too. I think that children should read Rapunzel and then watch the movie which this book would be a great book to read. I loved all the colors and pictures in this book. They are so focused on how the child would see it. The purple and blues and pinks fl...more
Sarah Gibb retells the old story of Rapunzel yet another time, this time with illustrations in which all the highlights, flowers, curtains, clothes on the line, are pink. Even the pages with text seem to have a slightly pink tint. Gibb’s version is a compelling version, with drama and romance and terror, and the illustrations are perfect for the story.
“Every morning, Rapunzel could hardly wait for the old witch to leave so that her prince could arrive. Until, one day, the witch began to watch h...more
“Every morning, Rapunzel could hardly wait for the old witch to leave so that her prince could arrive. Until, one day, the witch began to watch h...more
Because of the Disney version of the Rapunzel story told in the film Tangled, we are all really big fans of Rapunzel. We have read a few stories from the library about Rapunzel as well as a few in treasuries and one specific version from Paul O. Zelinsky which I hope to add to our shelves eventually (as well as his Rumpelstiltskin and a few others...) and this one was similiar, but also different. I enjoyed how this story had the fairy tale feeling (still a little scary for some, but not with th...more
Ok, I'm a bit shallow when it comes to most childrens literature (which I love!) - if it has pretty graphics, I'll probably pick it up. The text is retold from the original Grimms brothers (with teenage pregnancy and eye gouging left out) and is nicely done but it's the illustrations that make this book great. Sarah's style is simply lovely - delicate, flowery and colorful with a hint of shadow puppetry principles here and there. We may even buy this one from Abe books or Amazon - favorites for...more
Another good example of don't judge a book by its cover. In this version, Rapunzel is wearing a bright pink dress, has long Barbie hair and the endpapers are a vivid pink. Despite these very girly details, this is an interesting and strong retelling of the classic Brothers Grimm.
The story begins with Rapunzel's parents living in an interesting and charming house. I enjoyed inspecting all the details! The story then switches to using silhouettes with colored backgrounds. I really enjoyed the sil...more
The story begins with Rapunzel's parents living in an interesting and charming house. I enjoyed inspecting all the details! The story then switches to using silhouettes with colored backgrounds. I really enjoyed the sil...more
Utterly gorgeous illustrations by the illustrator of the "Tiara Club" books. They look like they were done with cut-paper (and have some incredible scenes in silhouette), though some of the fading and coloring makes me think they were at least adjusted on the computer. Very pink and flowery; would make a good gift for a kid who likes their fairy tales girly.
The wordless double-page spread with the prince riding through the trees toward the tower is my favorite!
The wordless double-page spread with the prince riding through the trees toward the tower is my favorite!
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.
Written in language that children can more easily relate to and with gorgeous illustrations, this version of Rapunzel is a lovely alternative to the more commercial fairy tales on the market. With a light pink cover bedecked in sparkly flowers and a beauteous golden-haired Rapunzel, this book will make an excellent addition to any 398.2 collection.
Reading Level: 3rd-5th grade
Interest Level: 1st grade to adult!
Reading Level: 3rd-5th grade
Interest Level: 1st grade to adult!
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.
Normally, I don't review the books I read to my children but I just had to with this one. The illustrations were just so beautifully done. They reminded me of a modern day tapestry which I think is very appropriate when dealing with a fairy tale. My daughter loves looking through it on her own.
All right, so there's nothing special about the retelling of this story. But I. love. the illustrations. They're totally over-the-top, dainty, delicate, flowery—slightly reminiscent of the Disney movie Sleeping Beauty. And they're beautiful.
Recommended by Carmyn Juntunen as a beautifully illustrated rendition of the familiar Brothers Grimm version of Rapunzel. It has a lot of words in this story, but students might be interested because of the recent Tangled movie, though this version is pretty different.
A fair retelling. Not as "graphic" as Paul O. Zelinsky's version, but I did love the cross sections of the various buildings, and the UNHEARD OF idea that Rapunzel was able to access several levels of her tower, they just didn't have windows.
Loved the art in this one. The daughters love it, though I can't be sure if that's because it's well-done, pink and girly, or connected to the Tangled fad. The reread quality is fine so far.
I almost passed this one up because the cover art is so very pink and sparkly. However, the art inside alternates drawings and silhouettes, telling a story that barely needs the words.
This is a more cheerful version of the Grimm fairy tale. This one actually caught my eye because of the illustrations and I loved them throughout the book.
This was a delightful picture book, with these great black and white die-cut pictures. Nothing new fairytale wise, but cute.
How wonderful to read this with my granddaughter, Addison! I had actually forgotten most of the story.
Sep 16, 2011
Rebecca Dean
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Shelves:
adventure,
animals,
childrens,
determination,
fantasy,
fear,
fiction,
magic,
picture-book,
preschool,
supernatural,
witches,
fairytales
Rapunzel is a fun book all children would like. This book is a fairytale filled with adventure and determination.
The most beautiful and enchanting illustrations I think I've ever seen in a picture book, I have to own this book!
Aug 09, 2012
Horace Mann Family Reading Challenge
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Shelves:
2-012-in-2012,
folk-fairy-tale
The witch locked Rapunzel in a tall tower until a handsome prince came to rescue her. A.R.
Love the intricacy of the illustrations which is what makes this book because the text is trite.
We reviewed and recommended this book for girls age 5 - 8, in Sparks and Brownies.
Gorgeous illustrations help retell the story of Repunzel, the witch and the prince.
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