Rapunzel, Rapunzel, Let Down Your Hair!

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Apr 24, 2001

Rapunzel, retold and illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky, is one of my favorite illustrated books. Of course, this could be owed to the fact that Rapunzel is, and always has been, my favorite traditional fairy tale. A version of it is included in a pink book I have, a small collection of a few of the Brothers Grimm tales, but it is not so well illustrated, or so well explained, as it is in Zelinsky's Caldecott Medal winning Rapunzel.

I think what I like best about this version of the Rapunzel story is that there is an explanation in the back about the origins of the fairy tale. For instance, it surprised me to know that the witch's adopted daughter with the long hair was not originally called Rapunzel, but Persinella, though Persinella's tale is somewhat different from that of Rapunzel's. I find it fascinating how the tale built up, that there seem to be three distinct versions, all three of them different from the other in big and small ways. But this is only one of the reasons that I like this Rapunzel story above the others I have read.

Though the "Note about Rapunzel" at the back of the book would have been enough for me to sing its praises, I also love the illustrations. The artistry of the tower alone is truly fascinating, and I don't believe that even the Barbie company could mimic the beautiful braid of Rapunzel's long tresses. The witch's garden is a beautiful, almost Grecian looking place, and I like seeing the villiage and the fields, forest, and wasteland, instead of just scattered images of a tower, a prince on horseback, and a cascade of hair. With his large, detailed scenes, Zelinsky makes the fairy tale come to life, and one gets the sense that the story could have been real.

Rapunzel is a truly excellent book, and I recommend it for any fairy tale lover's library.

On a scale from one to ten, I give this book an enthusiastic seven.

Happy reading! - Mel

Here are some sites about Zelinsky and his work:

http://www.nccil.org/children/zelinsky01...

http://www.ala.org/news/archives/v3n11/v...

http://www.friend.ly.net/scoop/biographi...

http://www.penguinputnam.com/Author/Auth...

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