Traditional Literature Review: Rapunzel by Paul O. Zelinsky

RAPUNZEL by Paul O. Zelinsky

1.  BIBLIOGRAPHY

Zelinsky, Paul O. 1997. RAPUNZEL. New York, NY: Dutton. ISBN: 0525456074

2.  PLOT SUMMARY 

Taken away because of a foolish bargain, Rapunzel is raised by an old sorceress since the day she was born.  To keep her hidden away from the world, the sorceress takes Rapunzel to a hidden tower in the middle of the forest.  There she spends her years imprisoned in the door-less tower where she is only visited by the old sorceress.  Because the tower has no doors, the only way to reach Rapunzel is to climb up her long, golden hair.  One day, a prince hears Rapunzel’s beautiful voice and her life is changed forever.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS 

The classic tale of Rapunzel comes to life in Zelinsky’s retelling through stunning artwork and traditional storytelling.  Told through a narrative voice, a backstory of how Rapunzel came to live in the tower gives you a feeling of pity for her and the circumstances of her situation.  She is taken away at birth by a sorceress and seems to be truly loved, even though she is imprisoned in a tall, door-less tower at the age of twelve. Rapunzel is so used to the daily repetition of the phrase “Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair,” by the sorceress, that even when it’s said in a male’s voice she doesn’t think twice about letting her hair down.  Rather than relief to see the prince come through her window, she is shocked and says “Heaven preserve me!”  Rapunzel had never seen a man before and her expression matches her words.  Eventually, the prince’s kind manner and voice wins her trust and her heart.  The prince and Rapunzel secretly marry and it’s not until Rapunzel becomes pregnant that the sorceress finds out her secret and banishes her from the tower.  Like most fairy tale stories there is a bit of magical elements such as when the prince falls from the tower after the sorceress tricks him yet survives, and when he goes blind he is miraculously healed by Rapunzel’s tears.  Of course, this would not be a fairy tale without its happy ending – when the prince finds Rapunzel again and they live happily with their children in his kingdom. This traditional fairy tale classic can be shared with readers young and old, but some younger children may have difficulty understanding why the sorceress was so angry with Rapunzel when her dress didn’t fit.  Older children may be able to infer the meaning.  In the end, this timeless story continues to reassure its readers that love conquers all.

In every page you turn, the oil paintings capture you with its superb quality and amazing attention to detail.  Zelinsky’s building designs and landscapes are expertly chosen to depict the beautiful Italian Renaissance time period.  The clothing of the characters also gives you the romantic and whimsical aspects of this era and story setting.  Zelinsky spares no minor detail in his illustrations, from the realistic characters to the rich, intricate backgrounds and landscaping; the artwork is truly remarkable on every page.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Caldecott Honor Award

ABC Children’s Booksellers Choice Award, 1998

BOOKLIST review: “Children--and adults--will pore over the intricate detail and glowing colors; they will also be moved by the mysterious tale of nurture and passion and terror.”

HORN BOOK starred review: "Simply put, this is a gorgeous book; it demonstrates respect for the traditions of painting and the fairy tale while at the same time adhering to a singular, wholly original, artistic vision." (amazon.com)

 5. CONNECTIONS

* This book is great to share with children of all ages to appreciate classic literature and teach fairytale story themes.

*Collect other books written and illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky such as: RUMPELSTILTSKIN, HANSEL AND GRETEL, and SWAMP ANGEL.

*Other books featuring the retelling of the classic story of Rapunzel:

Gibb, Sarah. RAPUNZEL: BASED ON THE ORIGINAL STORY BY THE BROTHERS GRIMM. ISBN: 080756804X

McCafferty, Catherine. RAPUNZEL. ISBN: 157768379X

Traditional Literature Review: Beautiful Blackbird by Ashley Bryan

BEAUTIFUL BLACKBIRD by Ashley Bryan

1.  BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bryan, Ashley. 2003. BEAUTIFUL BLACKBIRD. New York, NY: Simon & Shuster. ISBN: 0689847319

2.  PLOT SUMMARY 

Long ago, Blackbird was the only bird of his kind.  All the other birds were many shades of the rainbow, but none had black in their feathers.  Not even a little.  Blackbird was named the most beautiful bird in the forest, and the other birds loved his black color so much they begged him to paint them with black from his medicine gourd.  Blackbird assured the other birds that beauty comes from the inside, not the outside.  But, the birds were persistent and Blackbird finally agreed to give each bird some black to their feathers – which has stayed with them ever since.

 3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS 

As an adaptation of a tale from the Ila-speaking people from Zambia, Beautiful Blackbird stars a blackbird that was the only one of his kind long ago.  Bryan uses repetition with words such as “uh-huh!” and “coo-coo-roo, coo-ca-roo,” which makes the story best appreciated when told orally.  The birds sing of blackbird’s beauty with poetic rhymes and chanting that adds richness and flair throughout the story. Although Blackbird tells the other birds that “Color on the outside is not what’s on the inside,” the birds still want to have black feathers just like him.  Blackbird paints all the birds with black, but he doesn’t paint any of the birds the same; therefore, keeping them all individually unique.

Bryan’s use of bright, bold colors throughout the story not only makes the pages pop with color, but it also allows blackbird to be strikingly different and stand out amongst the sea of birds – which is what draws the other birds to him.  His deep, dark color is in direct contrast to the bright, flowery colors of the other birds that represent all the colors of the rainbow.  Bryan’s use of paper-cut artwork is fun to see and allows for layering of these two-dimensional birds.  Almost every page has a multitude of these different colored birds, none of which are the same and it makes you appreciate the time and creative artistry that went into this unique artwork.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Coretta Scott King Award


BOOKLIST: “The overlapping collage images fill the pages with energy as the songlike responses of the birds tap out a rhythm punctuated with "uh-huhs."

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL review: “This unusual and little-known pourquoi tale may supplement larger collections and serves as a thoughtful and entertaining addition to units on self-esteem.” (amazon.com)

 5. CONNECTIONS

* This book is great to share with young children to teach appreciation of different cultures and individuality.

*Collect other books written and illustrated by Ashley Bryan such as: LET IT SHINE, THE CAT’S PURR, THE NIGHT HAS EARS: AFRICAN PROVERBS, and BEAT THE STORY-DRUM, PUM-PUM.

*Other picture books about African folktales:

Cleveland, Rob. THE CLEVER MONKEY: A FOLKTALE FROM WEST AFRICA. Ill. Baird Hoffmire. ISBN: 0874838010

McDermott, Gerald. ZOMO THE RABBIT: A TRICKSTER TALE FROM WEST AFRICA. ISBN: 0152010106

Musgrove, Margaret. THE SPIDER WEAVER: A LEGEND OF KENTE CLOTH. Ill. Julia Cairns. ISBN: 0590987879