Rapunzel : Traditional Fantasy

The book Rapunzel by Paul Zelinsky is a classic story that many know. An older couple finds themselves expecting a child. The mother forms an overpowering craving for rapunzel which is a herb. To satisfy his wife, the father finds rapunzel for her to eat. The problem is that the rapunzel is growing in the garden of a sorceress and the father has to steal the rapunzel. One night, the father is caught by the sorceress stealing her herb. To spare his life and to allow him to have the rapunzel, the sorceress makes him promise he will give her the baby once it is born. The father agrees to save his life and the life of his wife. Once the baby is born, she is given to the sorceress and named Rapunzel after the herb. Rapunzel is cared for and raised by the sorceress until she turns 12. Once she becomes 12, the sorceress locks her in a tower with no entrance except to climb up Rapunzel's hair. This is where Rapunzel stayed, lonely and isolated with the sorceress being her only visitor. One day, the prince was out riding when he came across the tower and over heard the sorceress say "Rapunzel, Rapunzel let down your hair." He watched as the sorceress then proceeded to climb up Rapunzel's hair and into the tower. Later, the prince came back and called for Rapunzel to let down her hair. When he climbed up, they fell in love at first sight. They decide to run away so that Rapunzel can be out of the tower and they can be together.

I have always liked this story as a child and Zenlinsky really makes the story come to life with his illustrations. In 1998, he won the Caldecott Medal for this book. The main issue I have with this story is that the main character is helpless to help herself. She must depend on others to live and on the prince to escape her tower. This doesn't really send a good message to young girls and if read in a classroom, I would bring in another story where the girl is the heroin and saves herself. It is still a fun story though that children enjoy hearing and would make a good read aloud.

Zelinsky, Paul (1997). Rapunzel. New York, NY: Dutton Juvenile.