Rumpelstiltskin: The Graphic Novel

Graphic Spin

by Martin Powell (Retold By), Erik Valdez y Alanis (Illustrated)

To repay her father's debts, Mirabelle promises the King that she'll spin his straw into gold. An evil troll agrees to help her for a price. Now, Mirabelle must repay an even greater debt, unless she can guess the terrible creature's name.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Fairy Tales, Fantasy, Childrens, Folklore, Spanish Literature, Fiction

40 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2008

About the author

Librarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. This entry is for Martin ^ Powell.


Martin Powell is the author of hundreds of science fiction, mystery, and horror stories. He has worked in the comic book industry since 1986, writing for Marvel, DC, Malibu, Caliber, Moonstone, and Disney, among others, and has been nominated for the coveted Eisner Award. Martin also writes children’s books, and frequently contributes prose for many short story anthologies. He resides in Saint Paul, MN.

Reviews

[Manybooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just to point out that I read Rumpelstiltskin: The Graphic Novel (2008) in Spanish translation because only Rumpelstiltskin: La Novela Grafica is currently available on Open Library, and that truth be told, I also was not really interested enough to consider trying to purchase a copy of Rumpelstiltskin: The Graphic Novel for my personal bookshelves since aside of the fact that I own far far too many books already, well, the majority of the Graphic Spin fairy tale retellings I have read to date have proven more than a bit disappointing to say the least (and not to mention that the cover image for Rumpelstiltskin: The Graphic Novel totally and utterly visually creeps me out).

And sadly (but not all that unexpectedly and surprisingly), I really have not found the combination in Rumpelstiltskin: The Graphic Novel of Martin Powell's text and Erik Valdez y Alanis' accompanying comic book artwork at all successful and doing in any way a decent job adapting Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm's Rumpelstilzchen story as a graphic novel.

Sure, Powell's presented text for Rumpelstiltskin: The Graphic Novel is content and thematics wise decently akin to what the Brothers Grimm show in Rumpelstilzchen, although frustratingly and annoyingly so, Rumpelstiltskin: The Graphic Novel does not really ever try to actively or even surreptitiously condemn either the miller or the king for placing Mirabella in the unfortunate and dangerous position of having to keep spinning straw into gold (and that in Rumpelstilzchen, there is in my opinion a definite and continuous sub-current of sly but overt condemnation of both the father, of both the miller and also of the greedy king shown by the Brothers Grimm throughout their tale and which Martin Powell just does not manage to verbally capture in Rumpelstiltskin: The Graphic Novel).

But while I think Martin Powell's words for Rumpelstiltskin: The Graphic Novel are a bit lacking (although I do very much appreciate the interesting and informative author's note being provided), it is in fact Valdez y Alanis' accompanying illustrations that I visually totally and utterly despise (and which have lowered my star rating for Rumpelstiltskin: The Graphic Novel from a low three to a very annoyed and grudging two stars, and furthermore, with no recommendations from me for Rumpelstiltskin: The Graphic Novel either).

For one and first and foremost, Rumpelstiltskin is being depicted by Erik Valdez y Alanis in a much too exaggeratedly creepy manner, in a way that is visually horrifying and almost nightmare producing to and for me. And come on, why would if faced with such a visually devilish, green skinned and fanged, utterly vile looking entity, why would Mirabella then so readily and immediately accept help from Rumpelstiltskin? For yes, I would definitely NOT consider asking for support from someone, from anyone so physically horrifying, with such nasty, beady eyes, and that indeed, most of the illustrations of Rumpelstiltskin I have encountered both as a child and as an adult show him as a gnome like individual, a bit uncanny, a bit strange looking perhaps but definitely not like the hideous creature straight from hell, straight from doomsday drawn and shown by Valdez y Alanis in Rumpelstiltskin: The Graphic Novel.

And for two, the huge greenish, almost glowing eyes of basically ALL of the humans encountered in Rumpelstiltskin: The Graphic Novel and that Mirabella with those green eyes and paper white skin looks not really human but rather like either an alien or a vampire, yes, this certainly makes me further be aesthetically offended, grossed and creeped out by Erik Valdez' y Alanis' pictures for Rumpelstiltskin: The Graphic Novel and to also totally not only cement my two star rating for what Martin Powell and Valdez y Alanis have created but to also think that my two star rating for Rumpelstiltskin: The Graphic Novel is probably also majorly and overly generous.

[Colleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This Rumpelstiltskin version was a spin of the traditional tale in which it kept similar elements but strayed from the plot toward the end. The bones of the plot are the same with the Miller claiming his daughter can spin gold for the king to repay his debts. I found it because I wanted to read a graphic novel version of the tale so I searched it at the library. It was modern in its illustrations and bordered on scary so would recommend it more for older readers. It would appeal to perhaps readers who struggle because it was engaging with modern illustrations, strong visuals, and a sinister science fiction type look to it. The author also write science fiction books so that is coming out in the fairy tale twist.
The story remains the same when the girl gives Rumpelstiltskin a ring and then a necklace when he helps her trick the prince and spin the gold. However, the story strays from the original when the king falls in love with her at the end and wants her to be his queen. He says he kept her spinning the gold because he was in love with her. She agrees because of his "kind heart." I didn't agree with this since the Prince held her prisoner her to spin gold for him. Although, he did say he would give the gold to the poor if she would be his queen, I do not think it is a good message to send to young girls. The Prince was not a hero as the graphic novel spun him to be.

[Joanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rumplestiltskin was always one of my favorite Grimm fairy tales while growing up. It has an impossible premise where desperation and greed and deception meet a quirky little hobgoblin who’s really talented at spinning straw into gold, but whose talents pretty much end there.

There are many versions, but all are weird.

So I when I saw this graphic novel adaptation on Hoopla, I was happy to revisit this bizarro tale! It disappointed though. The cartoon characterization didn’t coordinate well with itself—there was a distracting mix of styles, although the story was as whack as usual. This one tried to redeem the king a bit-but only after he threatened to imprison everyone for life.

Anyway. This one wasn’t the awesome homecoming I wanted.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

In this Graphic Novel version of Rumpelstiltskin, Martin Powell and illustrator Erik Valdex Y Alanis offer readers an alternative look at this classic tale. Unlike the 1985 version by Paul Galdone or the 1986 version by Paul O Zelinsky, this version strays form the classic tale in several ways. The colorful cartoon like title page introduces the characters with their proper names. Daniel is the miller, Rumpelstiltskin is Rumpelstiltskin and Mirabelle is the miller's daughter. The layout of the pictures clearly presents Mirabelle as the companion of King Konrad and offers the first clue that this version is not like others. In this version, Mirabelle is sent to spin gold from straw, not because of her father's boastfulness, but because she must repay his debts from stealing. To make matters worse, the father has offered to pay back ten times the amount of the debt. In this version, Powell and Alanis retain the basic story but play with the depiction of character intentions that goes too far for my tastes.

This story in a graphic novel will not suit all reader tastes. As in all graphic novels, the illustrations tell the story and shape our images of the characters. I was turned off by the images of the miller's daughter as a too skinny girl with eyes that take up most of her face. She looked more like a creature from Star Wars to me. Rumpelstiltskin was portrayed as a green evil flying creator with razor sharp shark teeth and a nose like Pinocchio. I was not at all sympathetic to these characters.

I felt that this version of Rumpelstiltskin went too far beyond the text. This text showed me that classic tales must mirror something in the real life of the reader to engage them. While we know that there will always be magical elements in these story that are beyond belief, the readers must find something that they can related to in the characters. This book was intended for older audiences. Classroom teachers could present this an exploration in how classic t In this Graphic Novel version of Rumpelstiltskin, Martin Powell and illustrator Erik Valdex Y Alanis offer readers a alternative look at this classic tale. Unlike the 1985 version by Paul Galdone or the 1986 version by Paul O Zelinsky, this version strays form the classic tale in several ways. The colorful cartoon like title page introduces the characters with their proper names. Daniel is the miller, Rumpelstiltskin is Rumpelstiltskin and Mirabelle is the miller's daughter. The layout of the pictures clearly presents Mirabelle as the companion of King Konrad and offers the first clue that this version is not like others. In this version, Mirabelle is sent to spin gold from straw, not because of her father's boastfulness, but because she must repay his debts from stealing. To make matters worse, the father has offered to pay back ten times the amount of the debt. In this version, Powell and Alanis retain the basic story but play with the depiction of character intentions that goes too far for my tastes.

This story in a graphic novel will not suit all reader tastes. As in all graphic novels, the illustrations tell the story and shape our images of the characters. I was turned off by the images of the miller's daughter as a too skinny girl with eyes that take up most of her face. She looked more like a creature from Star Wars to me. Rumpelstiltskin was portrayed as a green evil flying creator with razor sharp shark teeth and a nose like Pinocchio. I was not at all sympathetic to these characters.

I felt that this version of Rumpelstiltskin went too far beyond the text. This text showed me that classic tales must mirror something in the real life of the reader to engage them. While we know that there will always be magical elements in these story that are beyond belief, the readers must find something that they can related to in the characters. This book was intended for older audiences. Classroom teachers could present this an exploration in how classic tales can be translated into graphic novel form.

[L12_markmesserly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review pertains to the 2009 hardcover binding.
Lavishly illustrated by award winning artist Erik Valdez Y Alanis, Martin Powell retells this fairy tale with little variation from the basic form. Product details (Barnes and Noble) suggest an age range of 8-13, with a Lexile score of GN330L. A nice feature is a glossary at the end, including words such as hobgoblin and flamebird. There is also a brief history of the story, including reference to Rumpelstiltskin’s name variations in Irish (Trit-a-Trot) and Scottish versions (Whuppity Stoorie). The author also references Grimm’s Fairy Tales. Discussion questions and writing prompts conclude the text. Paperback and electronic versions are available.

This reviewer did not detect offensive or didactic content, except for idealized portrayal of Mirabelle and the king in terms of body type – the beautiful person syndrome. Content was culturally ambiguous, although inclusion of references to the Irish and Scottish versions of the tale were welcome.

Children amused with this graphic novel might also enjoy Hansel and Gretel: The Graphic Novel by Donald Lemke, and illustrated by Sean Dietrich (ISBN: 9781434207678). This has a slightly lower Lexile score of GN300L. There are dozens of collections of Grimm’s tales, suited to all ages. The collection by publisher CreateSpace features 25 tales, and suggested for ages 8 and higher.

An interesting classroom activity for this text involves an online story-mapping organizer, from ReadWriteThink.org: http://www.readwritethink.org/files/r...

[Rfrancik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stone Arch has just released a new series of fairly tales for 3rd-8th graders in graphic novel format and they are GOOD!

I've loved the lush pictures of Paul Zelinsky's Rumpelstiltskin but was amazed at the power of the graphic format. The font is large, spare and accessible for reluctant readers while raising and dispatching some interesting questions such as, Why would you marry someone who threatened to kill you if you didn't spin straw into gold?

The cover is dark and creepy, and the action begins immediately. Rumplestiltskin becomes larger and ever more stylized as the story progresses eventually covering half the page and resembling a dragon.

This story should be part of any fairytale collection. It will appeal to boys, girls and the children who like scary stories.

Reviews:

Other books in this series have been reviewed but Rumplestiltskin is new and has not been.

Booklist , November 2008 says about Jack in the Beanstalk, "elegantly simplifies and streamlines an already fast-paced tale, producing a very crisp version."

The Goddess of YA Literature; http://professornana.livejournal.com/..., September 2008 in reviewing Cinderella says, "This GN variant is the closest to the Grimm that I have seen. ...Stone Arch is doing mighty interesting things with the GN format."

[Samantha · Rating 1 out of 5]

In our textbook, they discussed how the flat characters and strong plot make traditional literature so successful. This story proved it to me. Before I wanted to know why these parents were willing to lie and hand over their daughter for no reason. In this version, the father lies to try and save himself. The girl bargains with her necklace and ring for the first two nights. The last night she does not know what she is agreeing to, but does anyway. The king claims he kept her there not for the gold, but because he loved her. Rumpelstiltskin shows up for her child and gives her a chance to guess his name. She follows him into the forest and discovers him name. When he returns she immediately tell hims his name. There is a lot of extra stuff and information in this version that really took away from the story.

I did not enjoy the illustrations. I did not think they were very well done. They looked computer generated and busy. There was way too much going on. Graphic novels usually have some kind of organization that prevents you from getting overwhelmed - that did not happen in this version.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

CC has discovered what she calls the "fairytale section" of my library and has increased our TBR pile by about thirty books. This was the first, part of Stone Arch's Graphic Spin series, and she wasn't particularly impressed. I think the illustrations were a little jumbled for her. I do like this series, though, and have enjoyed others that I have read.

[Kat · Rating 2 out of 5]

The pictures were disturbing. The HUGE eyes and pointy ears were like a mix between anime and elves. The story was just bad. It ignored parts of the original instead of trying to explain them and then softened the "good" guys and hardened the "bad" guy. Poorly done with creepy pictures.

[Lora · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this book was very similar to Beauty and the Beast: The Graphic Novel. The illustrations did little to keep me interested and the story felt forced and shortened.

[Katherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Graphics were not impressive.

[Cheryl · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is my first Graphic Spin. I love the Far Out tales, and the Fractured series, that compete with this, but this is basically just the original tale, told more lamely, softened (the king supposedly loves the girl, and he gives the gold to the poor), and illustrated as if by a middle school wannabe.

We'll have to see about others in the series; I do have some checked out.

[Julio Hernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

it was a good book i enjoyed and i read it and i hope to read many more like this in my life always.

[Jody Kyburz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yeah, so Rumpelstiltskin goes graphic novel and DARK! This is a bit creepy with terrifically scary pictures! I'd kind of like to share it with my 2nd Graders.

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

I grew up hearing the name Rumpelstiltskin, however I never really knew the story behind the name. I wasn't big into fairytales, I guess. This was an all new experience to me. A quick read, with wonderful illustrations. Also, I am not sure if it's been "dulled down" for children or not but it felt very clean and straightforward. Especially for such a seemingly dark story.

[Kara · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this version of Rumpelstiltskin, all of the male characters are just the worst, more so than usual.

The Miller’s Daughter, here named Mirabelle, shines, but the rest of the cast brings down the book overall.

We’ve got a king who’s acting like a total despot, threatening beheading for crimes like lies and debts. In most versions he’s just greedy and the threat of violence feels like a one off – here it’s clearly his typical Tuesday morning.

We’ve got a miller who, in a moment of panic and fear, totally throws his daughter to the wolves to try and save himself. It’s debatable if this is better or worse than the straw-into-gold as a ridiculous brag.

And, of course, Rumpelstiltskin himself, rubs his claws together and licks his pointy teeth, without a single redeeming feature. He is just plain evil. And he is very good at what he does. I actually liked how he leads Mirabelle into the verbal trap of promising the baby, making her think he just wants riches, which makes her look better than a girl who outright promises her first born.

Mirabelle spends most of the book terrified, but she doesn’t let that stop her from thinking or acting. The best shot was her face covered in tears after Rumpelstiltskin first asks for the baby, but her expression hardening as she determines to come up with a plan to stop him – she is afraid, but she is not going to be a damsel in distress.

So overall, an ok but not great version of the tale.

[Dominika Romano · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the most interesting version of Rumpelstiltskin that I had read. It was in a graphic novel form with images that were a bit scarier than the Rumpelstiltskin I have seen before. The illustrator made sure the image of him was scary and mean. The other characters, named King Konrad and Mirabelle were drawn in a different style (almost like anime but also cartoony). There are some parts of the traditional story that were different such as King Konrad's proposal to Mirabelle as well as Mirabelle going to hunt down Rumpelstiltskin's name on her own. In every other version someone else has done that part for the Queen. At the end Rumpelstiltskin suffers quite a death where it looks like he melts away as Queen Mirabelle reveals to him how she discovered his name. The images are very vibrant and detailed, taking over much of the page. This is a version of Rumpelstiltskin that I would recommend to older elementary/middle school kids due to the images and the story itself it tells. Very interesting though!

[Michelle Rosales · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mirabelle has a big dilemma. Her father Daniel the Miller has gotten his family into a load of debt. King Konrad has ordered him to pay his debt or be a punished in prison. In all the excitement of not wanting to be a prisoner he tells the king his daughter can turn straw into gold. Mirabelle in order to save her father lies about her gift and tells the king that it is true. The king believes Mirabelle and gives her the challenge to make gold from straw. As she sits there crying because she know it can’t be done, she is visited by a strange creature. He offers make the gold from straw for her necklace. As the days go on the king asks her to do it over and over, each time she makes deals with this creature. The king falls in love with her and her life is great, until the creature returns and wants her child to settle the debt. She refuses and is able to break the bond with the creature when she learns his name Rumpelstiltskin.

[slieberman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Martin Powell and Erik Valdez Y Alanis present the classic fairy tale Rumpelstiltskin in a non-traditional way. While the story is the traditional telling, the format of a graphic novel and the darker illustrations make this a perfect version for children of all ages. At the end of the story, the author includes a glossary, the history of the class story, discussion questions, writing prompts and even internet sites for further extension activities. These "extras" make this book ideal for classroom use.

Of course there are gaps in the story, such as any explanation of what made the king fall in love with the girl and change his greedy attitude. However, these gaps are also present in the classic version. I recommend this book for anyone looking for an original telling of the story in a non-traditional format.

[Dena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading Level:2-5
I enjoyed the easy graphic novel format version of this traditional tale. I especially liked the stronger female role portrayed by the queen who instead of staying at home crying and sending out servants, she herself goes out to discover Rumpelstiltskins name! Go Girl! (I still question why she married the king who would have killed her).
The gem eyed characters and easy graphic novel format are a draw for grade school readers. This is part of a set of traditional tales through Stone Arch and constantly "off the shelves" at our school library. The end of the book contains a glossary, history of the traditional tale and good teacher suggestions for discussion and writing extensions.

[Melissa B · Rating 4 out of 5]

This adaptation of the story is a graphic novel and is written for grades three through six. It is the same story of Daniel the miller who is the father of Mirabelle owes the King money and gives his daughter to spin straw into gold to pay off his debt. As a traditional folktale past down from generations, but being written as a graphic novel the illustrations gives it a nice twist. I believe students who would not normally read this story, maybe boys would be more interested in reading it in this form.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this version...it sort of addressed my "why would anyone want to marry THAT guy?" question I had when I read a more traditional version of this to my daughter. I mean really, he's greedy and threatens to kill her if she doesn't spin straw into gold! Not my idea of good husband material. Anyway, it's pretty neatly tied up in this one--he gives all the money away to the poor, etc, a little unrealistic, but better than the other guy!

[Sierra · Rating 3 out of 5]

....That was a really quick read. It was a low key nostalgia trip, since it reminded me of something I'd read in middle school. It was alright, the art was a bit meh, and the story was okay. Still can't believe this girl decided to marry the king.. like.. girl..
YOU DESERVE BETTER
That's besides the point though. It was okay, nothing less and nothing more.

[L12 VANESSA PEOPLESMARTIN · Rating 4 out of 5]

This version of Rumpelstiltskin is a great graphic novel for lower grades. In the beginning of the book is a cast of characters. The book included a glossary, history of the original story, discusion questions, writing prompts, and internet sights. This is a great book to use in the classroom.

[Kaye · Rating 5 out of 5]

The pictures were dark! The storyline was easily followed. I liked this fairy tale graphic novel I am going to order somemore for the library.

[Lea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun version of a classic and the illustrations will captivate most kids.

[Miri · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's strange that I like folk and fairy tales so much, considering how I despise the plot device of people falling in love at first sight.

[Daniel Garcia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like from devil help you lady from straw become gold well done then he say. other way?