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Bibliography
Zelinsky, Paul O. Rapunzel. Illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky. New York, NY: Duton Children’s Books. ISBN 0525456074
Plot summary
In this retelling of the Brothers Grimm folktale, a beautiful girl with long hair is kept prisoner in a tall tower by a sorceress until she is discovered by a handsome prince. The book includes a detailed section on the German, French, and Italian origins of the tale along with an explanation on the Italian Renaissance style painting style chosen for illustrating the book.
Critical Analysis
The “long ago” story takes place in a magical tower, a wilderness of exile, and finally a royal kingdom. Beginning with a young couple who lose their only child to a sorceress through their own choices, the straight-forward tragic characters in this traditional tale keep the story moving forward. The conflict centers on Rapunzel who is “kept safe away from the whole world” in a tall tower until she secretly meets and falls in love with a prince. When the girl’s private marriage and impending pregnancy are revealed, the sorceress punishes Rapunzel with banishment and the prince with blindness until the young couple’s journey inevitably leads them back to one another and finally to the Prince’s own kingdom where they live “a long life, happy and content” with their children.
Zelinsky’s award-winning late Italian Renaissance style paintings bring emotional depth and lavish beauty to the traditional story. The evocative beauty of the detailed oil paintings will appeal to older children and adults alike. Fabrics, architecture, landscapes, plant life, clothing, and furnishings are stunningly detailed in the rich style of the Renaissance masters creating a sumptuous experience for the reader. The artist weaves motifs (cats, herbs, exotic birds) and symbolic colors (Rapunzel’s royal purple) among the Tuscan landscapes that echo the rich grandeur of old Italy.
Zelinsky creates fairytale art by which all other fairytales will be judged. Readers will find new surprises and beauty each time they pour over the illustrations. Truly exquisite, this timeless book belongs in every serious book collector’s collection.
Reviews and Honors
· Kirkus excerpt: “Suffused with golden light, Zelinsky's landscapes and indoor scenes are grandly evocative, composed and executed with superb technical and emotional command.”
· Horn Book Starred excerpt: “It takes a scholar's mind and an artist's insight to endow the familiar with unexpected nuances--which Zelinsky does with passion and dazzling technique.”
· Caldecott Medal 1998
· Booklist starred 11/15/97
· Elementary School Library Collection 06/01/00
· Notable/Best Books (ALA) 01/01/98
· School Library Journal starred 11/01/97
· Wilson's Children 10/01/10
Connections
· Read and study the artwork of Paul O. Zelinsky in his other Caldecott Award winning traditional tales:
Hansel and Gretel, retold by Rika Lesser ISBN 0525461523
Rumpelstiltskin ISBN 0525442650
Swamp Angel by Anne Isaacs ISBN 0525452710
· Engage in a webquest study of Italian Renaissance paintings utilizing an online art tour through the National Gallery of Art and other online art resources.
· Read other versions and variants of Rapunzel and compare the differences in the renderings, particularly how the heroine is portrayed.
