Customer Reviews

Jump at the Sun: Rapunzel - Fairy-Tale Classics (Jump at the Sun Fairy-Tale Classics)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Keep in mind fairy tales were oral stories told around the fire, more than likely when the little ones where asleep, hence the stories were for GROWN FOLKS. Many of our beloved fairy tales have been "cleaned up". The version presented in this book is true to the oldest version. Once Rapunzel was kicked out of the tower and her head shaved she DID have two children. The prince was also blinded after falling into a bush of thorns. Other reviewers clearly were unaware that this is not "added" but "put back" into the story.

I am so glad to be the proud owner of a set of Classics with characters that my little girls can relate to. The illustrations are wonderfully done and will leave any Black American child with a positive reflection of him/herself.

My daughter (who can't read yet) LOVES this book, mainly due to the colorful pictures. The two children appearing is interesting, but not enough for my child to be astonished or get in a tizzy over it. There are single parents in this world, and this is a book that does not ignore that FACT.

I too was sadly disappointed with this book. Why the author felt it necessary to add "that because Rapunzel was so enchanted that she was able to give birth to 2 sons" to the storyline of this classic tale is beyond me. It's inclusion does not add anything to the story; it only causes confusion. Being able to give birth because Rapunzel was "enchanted" is very hard to explain to a 4 yr-old. This book is a poor example for our young, very impressionable African-American girls. There are enough negative images already of African-American females. We need more positive ones, and this book is not one of them. I would NOT recommend this book to anyone!

I love to purchase books where my nieces can identify and place themselves in the story. This book is one that allows them to do so. I enjoyed it and so did they.

This might be a good creepy book for an adult or older more seasoned children who have more knowledge of life. But, I wouldn't consider reading this to a child under five. I purchased this book from a book fair and read it when I got it home. I was shocked quite a bit while reading the book. Even my mild mannered hubby gave it a big fat NO for our daughter. I spoke with the staff at the school, and had the book removed from the shelf. They are all being sent back. I agree with all the previous posts that disagree with this book being marketed to children.

I was so sadly disappointed by this book. The authors added two out-of-wedlock children to the storyline, and did so in a completely fairytale happy way. It's also fairly obvious from the reading what Rapunzel and the Prince are up to beforehand. If you are looking for beautifully illustrated books with good storylines, then I highly recommend the Jump at the Sun versions of Goldilocks, Beauty and the Beast, Noah's Ark and How God Created the World. If you buy this book, you are likely to find yourself explaining a lot of things to your kids. I wish I had not bought it - and really wish that I had read it before I lent it to my son's preschool teacher!

The JATS fiary tales are great. If you have very young kids, you should be prepared for some pretty harsh content. These fairy tales are not as greusome as some of the ones we read as kids, but Rapunzel is taken from her parents and never reunited with them. The witch takes her by telling the parents that they must give her their child or they will die! They agree and give her their child. Also, the Prince in this book is blinded by thorns and wanders around from city to city blindly calling out Rapunzel's name as he looks for her. It all ends hapily of course (except that she never sees her parents again). These are fine for slightly older kids...or kids who have been exposed to more threatening villians. My kids are more used to implied threats like, "Do what I say or you will pay!" They had not read books that used the word "die" or that showed parents agreeing to part with their child. I will put them away for a year or two. They are not bad books...just a bit too old for my kids. I wish I had known...I would have waited a while before buying them.

I love the idea of fairy tales with African American characters, but this story was just weird. I think it may be the original telling of the fairy tale, but it's not very kid-friendly.

Overall, this book does not seem appropriate for children. This Rapunzel adapation got a bit off track, in that it added the bizzare element of Rapunzel having twins boys because she was enchanted. This was confusing and completely unnecassary. I will not read this one to my children.