Traditional Lit: RAPUNZEL by Paul O. Zelinsky

Rapunzel

Retold and illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky

Zelinsky, Paul O. 1997. RAPUNZEL. New York: Dutton Children’s Books. ISBN 0525456074

Plot Summary

Long ago, a couple who has yearned for a child finally is expecting. The pregnant wife craves the rapunzel herb from the neighboring sorceress’s garden, and the dutiful husband is caught stealing it. The sorceress demands their child when it is born in return for the herbs. The sorceress takes the baby, who she names Rapunzel, and when she reaches the age of twelve locks her away in a tall tower with no door and only a window at the top. Rapunzel’s extraordinarily long hair is used as a rope to allow the sorceress up to see her. A prince happens upon the tower, falls in love with Raunzel and secretly marries her. When the sorceress discovers Rapunzel is expecting, she banishes her to the wilderness. The prince falls and is blinded when climbing the tower, wandering the wilderness until he discovers Raunzel and her children. Healed by Rapunzel’s tears, the prince takes his family back to his kingdom where they lived happily ever after.

Critical Analysis

               This traditional folktale is exquisitely retold and illustrated in a splendorous feast for the eyes. The simple characters demonstrate the muted archetypes of good and evil, neither being shown in the extreme. The women are the focus of this story, with the men being supporting roles, though important to the conflicts. A series of conflicts drives the plot, the end resolving in the predictable, though unrealistic, happily ever after. The setting, though vague in location, is integral to the story through its structures – the house with the window facing the enticing garden and the infamous but luxurious tower. Time moves rapidly in the story, with only a few sentences indicating Rapunzel’s life to adulthood.

               The overall theme of the story involves humans’ need and desire to be loved, with the addition of morals such as beware of desires and temptations. There is also a tone of perseverance, as Rapunzel and her family become happy and content despite their many trials.

               Zelinsky uses a precise and more formal language in his retelling, appropriately reflecting the nature of the story and illustrations. Though gleaning from several variants of the story, he stays true to the early telling. The typical folktale styles of formalized beginnings and endings, repeated phrases including the well-known “Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair,” and motifs of the damsel in distress and the prince are used.

               The illustrations, painted in the Italian Renaissance style, are the real treasure of this book. They are colorful, detailed, rich, and sumptuous, truly adding layers of depth to the story. The illustrations help to create mood, especially through the expressions and emotions of the characters, as well as lending movement and action. As told in an afterword chronicling the history of the tale, the origins of this tale are Italian, of which the culture of the Renaissance era is clearly depicted in the architecture and clothing in the illustrations.

Review Excerpts

Hazel Rochman (Booklist, November 15, 1997 (Vol. 94, No. 6))
…The rich oil paintings evoke the portraits, sculpture, architecture, and light-filled landscapes of Renaissance art. The costumes are lavish, the interiors intricate. Rapunzel is both gorgeous and maidenly. The sorceress is terrifying: the pictures also reveal her motherliness and her vulnerability, especially in the two double-page narrative paintings that frame the drama. One shows the sorceress taking the baby--and we see how she lovingly cradles it in her arms; in the climactic painting, when Rapunzel, the prince, and their children find each other, the whole natural world of rock and sky and tree seem to close around them in a loving embrace. 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. Starred Review.

Marilyn Courtot (Children's Literature)
The cover of this book is so beautiful that you can almost feel the texture of Rapunzel's golden tresses as she gazes into the distance from her isolated tower… The magnificent oils transport readers to the Italian countryside. The fabrics, skin textures, hair, and the detailed interiors are exquisitely rendered. Zelinsky will certainly have his wish to inspire readers to seek out more Renaissance art fulfilled. Readers cannot help but want to see more art like that which he has created.

Awards, Honors, Best Book Lists

ABC Children's Booksellers Choices Award, 1998 Winner Folktales and Poetry United States
Randolph Caldecott Medal, 1998 Winner United States

Best Children's Books of the Year, 1998 ; Bank Street College of Education; United States
Booklist Book Review Stars, November 15, 1997 ; United States
Books to Read Aloud to Children of All Ages, 2003 ; Bank Street College of Education; United States
Bulletin Blue Ribbons, 1997 ; Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books; United States
Capitol Choices, 1997 ; The Capitol Choices Committee; United States
Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition, 2001 ; H.W. Wilson; United States
Children's Catalog, Nineteenth Edition, 2006 ; H.W. Wilson; United States
Children's Literature Choice List, 1998 ; Children's Literature; United States
Cuffies: Children's Booksellers Choose Their Favorite (and not-so-favorite) Books of the Year, 1997 ; Cahners; United States
Horn Book Fanfare, 1997 ; Horn Book; United States
Los Angeles' 100 Best Books, 1997 ; IRA Children's Literature and Reading SIG and the Los Angeles Unified School District; United States
Not Just for Children Anymore!, 1999 ; Children's Book Council; United States
Notable Children's Books, 1998 ; ALSC American Library Association; United States
Recommended Literature: Kindergarten through Grade Twelve, 2002 ; California Department of Education; California
School Library Journal Best Books, 1997 ; Cahners; United States
School Library Journal Book Review Stars, November 1997 ; Cahners; United States

Connections

-        Humanities or art lessons relating to Italian Renaissance art and architecture

-        Compare/Contrast to other versions of Rapunzel, including Grimm’s; Disney’s “Tangled”