Falling for Rapunzel (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Lydia Monks (Illustrator) "Once upon a bad hair day, a prince rode up Rapunzel's way..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 4-This humorous twist on a traditional tale will resonate with today's young readers. Told in rhyming couplets, this version features a protagonist who weeps, not from loneliness, but rather over the sorry state of her flowing blond locks. The prince, mistaking her tears for legitimate suffering, is determined to set her free and invites her to throw down her hair. Rapunzel, however, mishears his request and throws down her underwear instead. The persistent noble tries a variety of other tactics, asking for her locks, tresses, rope, twine, and ladder, each time growing less enamored as she responds with socks, dresses, a cantaloupe, a swine, and a bowl of pancake batter. Finally, he begs her to let down her braid, but instead out drops her maid, a fortuitous mistake since the servant and the prince fall madly in love and ride off together. The verses are clever and concise, and the rhyming pattern allows listeners to anticipate their endings and to giggle over the results. The rhythm is consistent and the stresses in each line flow naturally, inspiring would-be poets. Monks's delightful acrylic-and-collage illustrations add to the humor. Their bright, vivacious colors, bold patterns, fun background details (e.g., skyscrapers, airplanes, and a computer in Rapunzel's tower), and exaggerated facial expressions reinforce the silliness. Pair this with David Wiesner's The Three Pigs (Clarion, 2001) and Diane Stanley's Goldie and the Three Bears (HarperCollins, 2003) for a fresh look at classic fairy tales.
Nancy Menaldi-Scanlan, LaSalle Academy, Providence, RI
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

PreS-Gr. 2. This fractured fairy tale twists Rapunzel to a fare-thee-well. Using a sprightly rhyme, Wilcox tells of a prince who spies the long-haired Rapunzel and immediately calls to her to throw down her hair. Alas, she's too far away to hear him clearly, and throws down her underwear instead. Every attempt to clarify the situation makes things worse: "'No Rapunzel, your curly locks.'" / Rapunzel threw down dirty socks." And so it goes until the prince asks Rapunzel to throw down her braid, and instead she manages to pitch down her maid--with whom the prince is quite taken. Then it's happily ever after, etc. Acrylic paint, colored pencil, and collage mix together in slapstick pictures that match the text in cheeky appeal. Of course, the story is funnier if children know the original tale, but even if they don't, this version takes on a bouncy life of its own. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Juvenile (December 29, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399237941
• ISBN-13: 978-0399237942
• Product Dimensions: 11.6 x 7.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #192,565 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #14 in

  Books > Children's Books > Popular Characters > Fairy Tales & Folk Tales > Rapunzel

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Throw down your underwear!, July 4, 2004

By	Kelli (Somewhere out west) - See all my reviews

This is a hilarious adaptation of the story of Rapunzel. I read this to students in an elementary special education class and they also loved it. The rhyming makes it fun for the kids to guess what Rapunzel throws down. The prince will say, "Throw down your curly locks!" The next lines would say, "So Rapunzel threw out...." and the kids would have fun guessing what Rapunzel threw down. Another teacher in the room stopped what they were doing and listened to the story as well.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hooray!, July 8, 2004

By A Customer

The story is a cute variation of the one we all know.

The rhymes and meter are good--this is so refreshing!!

And while it ends in happily ever after, Rapunzel doesn't have to get married.

This is a lovely book.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars CLEVER, WHITTY, FUNNY, March 15, 2004

By	Wilson Hansen "rocketnerd" (Denver, CO USA) - See all my reviews

This book is a clever display of Leah's talents. The illustrations are hillarious and the text and rhyms are great. I really enjoyed this book and knowing Leah personally I think this is a great display of her talent and that everyone should own a copy. This book is great for all ages and I recomend it for anyone in need of a good laugh.