Rapunzel
by Paul O. Zelinsky
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A version of the Rapunzel story based on 17th-century French and Italian sources as well as on the more familiar tale by the Brothers Grimm. Here the woman who locks Rapunzel in the tower is not a witch but rather a sorceress/mother figure who is attempting to resist her "adopted" daughter's growth into womanhood. When the prince discovers Rapunzel locked in the tower, he climbs up to her on her long hair and they fall in love and marry. It is only when Rapunzel becomes pregnant that the sorceress discovers their secret, and casts Rapunzel out of the tower. The sorceress then tricks the prince into climbing into the tower, where she confronts him and throws him from the window, leaving him blinded. The blind prince is eventually reunited with Rapunzel, who has given birth to twins, and when she cries tears of joy on his face, his sight is restored, leaving them to live "a long life, happy and content." Illustrated with oil paintings. Winner of the 1998 Caldecott Medal.
Editions of Rapunzel
 |
ISBN |
Binding/Format Hardcover |
Publisher Penguin Group USA |
Date 1997 |
Price $1.00 |
 Good |
 |
ISBN |
Binding/Format Prebinding |
Publisher Bt Bound |
Date 2003 |
Price $14.44 |
Used - Like New |
 |
ISBN |
Binding/Format Paperback |
Publisher Puffin |
Date 2002 |
Price $2.87 |
Very Good |
Publisher Notes
A retelling of the German folktale follows a beautiful girl with long golden hair who is kept imprisoned in a lonely tower by a sorceress. An ALA Notable Book & Caldecott Medal Winner. Reprint.
Media Reviews
"...an exquisite, formal work that stands apart from other available picture book versions....The stately oil paintings transport viewers back to the time of Raphael, Rembrandt, Botticelli and other Renaissance painters."
Synopses
A retelling of a folktale in which a beautiful girl with long golden hair is kept imprisoned in a lonely tower by a sorceress. Includes a note on the origins of the story.
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