Rapunzel [Hardcover]

Rachel Isadora (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Caldecott Honor winner Rachel Isadora’s gorgeous collages breathe new life into this classic tale, capturing Rapunzel’s striking beauty and the lush African setting—a new home for this story—with wonderful details such as Rapunzel’s long dreadlocks and the prince’s noble steed—a zebra. Readers will delight in the vibrant illustrations, thrill at the appearances of the frightening sorceress, and chime in with the familiar line “Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair,” as they follow this well-loved tale.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3—Isadora sets the classic fairy tale in a sunny African setting. A child, taken from her parents by a sorceress, "grew into the most beautiful child under the sun." When she is 12, the evil woman locks her in a high tower, climbing up Rapunzel's beautiful, black, flower-strewn hair when she wants to ascend her prison. The story remains true to the original, including the ending in which the young woman and her twins are reunited with the prince, and she cures him of his blindness. Colorful, vibrant oil paints and collages brighten up the story. The artwork has rich brushstrokes and is heavily patterned, and details abound, including the green warts on the sorceress's face. Add this book to Isadora's fairy tales reimagined in Africa, such as The Princess and the Pea, The Twelve Dancing Princesses (both 2007), and The Fisherman and His Wife (2008, all Putnam).—Carrie Rogers-Whitehead, Kearns Library, UT
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From Booklist

This oft-sanitized Brothers Grimm tale is given a faithful—if indeed grim—retelling in the latest of Isadora’s African-set fairy-tale adaptations, seen most recently with The Fisherman and His Wife (2008). The story races along with every scandalous plot point intact: Trapped by an evil sorceress, Rapunzel uses her long hair to allow a prince entrance into her cloistered tower. When her ensuing pregnancy tips off the sorceress, the vengeful captor tosses the prince into thorn bushes that blind him. As with Isadora’s previous retellings, the text is scant and the abrupt happy ending doesn’t really satisfy—but her wild, colorful Africa makes up for it. Sprawled across double-page spreads, the collage assembly will take repeat examinations to fully appreciate; thick brushstrokes render skin as textured and rich as wood grain, and the landscapes are chaotic patchworks cut from swaths of burnt orange, deep brown, and the sorceress’ stormy purple. Young listeners will also find plenty to scrutinize—it’s a dazzling garden of images, particularly given the paucity of the story’s seeds. Preschool-Grade 2. --Daniel Kraus

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Juvenile (October 16, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399247726
• ISBN-13: 978-0399247729
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 10.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #628,645 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars eye-catching colors and visual artistry, April 8, 2011

By 

M. Heiss (USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rapunzel (Hardcover)

This is a wonderful version of Rapunzel, by an author/illustrator I really admire. Rachel Isadora has an Eric Carle kind-of feel in her illustrations, although she steps up with brillant patterns and styles that show you Africa. It's so amazingly beautiful. Every page deserves a long, long look.

My favorite page is Rapunzel facing the window inside her tower, and the face and hand of the Prince coming over the windowsill. The look in their eyes - how did Rachel Isadora capture that expression? I can't believe how amazing it is. Then, the very next page is a silhouette of the two of them holding hands with the night sky out the window, and Rapunzel's hair goes flowing across the entire second page. Oh, it is unbelievable.

Now then, you should know that Rapunzel and her Prince "exchange vows" in her tower room, and then he proceeds to ... ahem... "visit" her every night. Get it? The Sorceress finds out about the Prince when Rapunzel's dress gets a little too tight because she is pregnant.

Now, personally, you might choose to read that part of the story as "Oh, Sorceress, how come when you climb up, you feel so HEAVY, but when my Prince climbs up, he's not heavy at all?"

4.0 out of 5 stars A Simple Retelling With Striking Artwork, May 31, 2011

By 

Molly Grey - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rapunzel (Hardcover)

I love Isadora's simple retelling. It is the perfect length for a group reading with young(preschool), wiggly children. I love that the artwork displays a style different than a typical movie version of a princess.

5.0 out of 5 stars I LOVE all her books!, December 21, 2010

By 

livinginKenya - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Rapunzel (Hardcover)

I purchased these books to read to kids in an orphanage in Africa - they are enchanted by the photos and it makes the stories much more real to them. I've purchased every book she's done!!!