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Rapunzel

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"Rapunzel" is a fairy tale collected in 1812 by the Brothers Grimm, Jacob (1785–1863) and Wilhelm (1786–1859); then it was translated in English (1890) by Andrew Lang (1844–1912).

The tale is the source of the Disney movie Tangled (2010).

The ebook contains beautiful illustrations by Walter Crane (1845-1915), H.J. Ford (1860-1941), Arthur Rackham (1867-1939), Anne Anderson (1874-1930).

17 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1812

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About the author

Jacob Grimm

6,021 books2,333 followers
German philologist and folklorist Jakob Ludwig Karl Grimm in 1822 formulated Grimm's Law, the basis for much of modern comparative linguistics. With his brother Wilhelm Karl Grimm (1786-1859), he collected Germanic folk tales and published them as Grimm's Fairy Tales (1812-1815).

Indo-European stop consonants, represented in Germanic, underwent the regular changes that Grimm's Law describes; this law essentially states that Indo-European p shifted to Germanic f, t shifted to th, and k shifted to h. Indo-European b shifted to Germanic p, d shifted to t, and g shifted to k. Indo-European bh shifted to Germanic b, dh shifted to d, and gh shifted to g.

This jurist and mythologist also authored the monumental German Dictionary and his Deutsche Mythologie .

Adapted from Wikipedia.

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,362 reviews
Profile Image for Anne.
4,857 reviews71.5k followers
May 27, 2026
Finally. A story about split ends.

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After a lot of years trying, a nice couple who LIVE NEXT DOOR TO A WITCH eventually get pregnant. Well, the woman gets pregnant, the man gets sent on midnight runs for pickles and chocolate.
And it's those damn pregnancy cravings that set off this tale.

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For reasons unknown, our mom-to-be decides that she just has to have this leafy green veg growing in the enchantress' garden. And she tells her husband that if she doesn't get it, she'll just waste away.
Ha! I've been pregnant. Bitch is ly-ing. She's gonna eat, I promise you.
But he loves her and he believes her (I think this might be where Rapunzel gets her gullibility from), so he sneaks into A WITCH'S GARDEN and steals a salad for his wife.
Yummm.
But now she's hooked on it. So she sends him back for more.
Ok. Can I just say that sometimes, in a marriage, you have to look your partner in the eye and put the kibosh on some of their wackier ideas? Sir, you have a voice. Use it. I get that pregnant women can be terrifying, but you can't just fold like a paper fan when faced with a storm of hungry hormones if the alternative is STEALING FROM A WITCH.

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But nobody listens to me.
So, he of course gets caught. And of course, he has to end up giving the witch their baby girl to ensure that she doesn't kill him.
My god, man! How did you not see her endgame?!
But even the witch feels sorry for the poor bastard, so she throws in a lifetime supply of this lettuce for his wife. That way when she gets sad, at least they can go to the salad bar. Like an Applebee's but without the croutons and choice of dressings.
Oh well, sometimes you really just need to make the best out of things.

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The version I listened to had Rapunzel asking why it was easier to heft Mother Gothel up than the prince, instead of asking why her clothes were getting so tight around her waist.
But both of these questions, when posed to her captor, are pretty indicative of a dingdong.
So whether she didn't realize that the prince had knocked her up or was silly enough to give away that there was a prince to start with, we the readers are aware that she's going to win the day with her "goodness" and not her street smarts.
And that's ok. It takes all kinds.

description

At any rate, the preggers Rapunzel gets tossed in the desert after Gothel chops her hair off, and then the foolish prince gets blinded when he tries to climb up to the tower.
Thankfully, the blind prince finds his way to the same desert that Rapunzel is living in.
Apparently, she weeps over him and her tears act like some kind of faith healer's mantra - praise the lord he can see!

description

This is one of those "all's well that ends well" stories.
Rapunzel gets sold for some lettuce, escapes captivity in a tower, gives birth in a desert, saves her man, ends up the queen of some unidentified kingdom, and does it all after getting a terrible cut at Ye Olde Great Clips.
I'm not sure what the moral of the story is, but it was a wild ride.
Recommended.
Profile Image for Calista.
5,443 reviews31.3k followers
May 11, 2019
Paul uses the Italian Renaissance style of painting for the illustrations. It’s lovely and it has a very unique feel to it. The original story of Rapunzel originates from Italy in a tale called ‘Petrosinella’ or parsley. He melds this with pieces of Grimm’s tale for a story from his pen. Rapunzel is taken to a tower at 12. It basically serves as a chastity belt. The thing is, there is no education so when the girl meets a man the first time, nature takes its course and she gets pregnant. How would she know. She never saw a man before.

When she is pregnant, the witch(who is a fairy in this story and lets me honest, fairies would not care if you were having sex, so they should change that.) throws her out. The prince is fooled and he falls out of the tower and goes blind from it and wanders in the wilderness until he stumbles across Rapunzel and they find each other. His eyes are healed with her tears and they live happily ever after. There were 2 children, so either she had twins, or she meet another stranger in the wilderness.

The message seems to be something about virtue or overcoming silly beliefs. I don’t know why, but I have always loved this fairy tale. I haven’t heard this one before and I like it.

The niece gave this 4 stars. She loved her hair and the dress and the artwork. We like to watch this cartoon together. The nephew said the movie was way more exciting and he wanted to know why her hair wasn’t magic. He gave this 3 stars.

This version is worth checking out, but it does bring up sex, so be prepared for questions.
Profile Image for Manybooks.
3,950 reviews100 followers
October 11, 2020
The folktale (fairy tale) of Rapunzel is more often than not (and even amongst a goodly number academics, it seems) considered to primarily be of German origin (collected by the Brothers Grimm and included in their famous Kinder- und Hausmärchen). However, as Paul O. Zelinsky brilliantly demonstrates in and with his informative afterword on the genesis and development of the former, this assumption is only partially correct (including Rapunzel's designation as a true and absolute folktale, as it seems to be primarily based on extant literary sources and not so much oral traditions). True, most modern retellings of the Rapunzel theme are primarily and heavily based on the Brothers Grimm, but Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm's own version is actually gleaned from a loose German translation of an older French offering, which in turn, is heavily influenced by Gianbattista Basile's Petrosinella (a Neapolitan Baroque fairy tale of the 17th century, where the expectant mother craves her sorceress neighbour's parsley, instead of Rapunzel, or rampion, as the herb is called in English). In the late 18th century, a French translation of Basile's Petrosinella (titled Persinette) was then translated into German by one Joachim Christoph Friedrich Schulz (who actually not simply translated the tale, but freely adapted it, adding for example the referrals to the girl's tight clothing to indicate her pregnancy and changing the herb from parsley to rampion, to Rapunzel).

The Brothers Grimm were aware of Schulz's translation, and their own Rapunzel is heavily based on his tale (basically, just as Schulz freely adapted the 18th century French translation/adaptation of Basile's Petrosinella tale to suit his needs, the Grimms in turn, adapted Schulz' narrative to suit theirs). Now one might wonder why the Grimms chose to include a tale that was so obviously literary in their collection of what they primarily considered orally developed and through the centuries repeatedly recounted and re-recounted folktales, but the brothers actually and wrongfully assumed that Schulz' tale was in fact taken from, was gleaned from and based on an earlier oral version (they did notice the similarity to Basile's Petrosinella but did not take the next logical step, namely that Schulz's translation was in fact based on the same, and was not simply a rendering of an earlier orally recounted, orally passed on folktale).

Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm much shortened Schulz' translation (or rather, his adaptation), making it sound, or at least attempting to make it sound less literary, but in the 1812 edition of their tales, their Rapunzel still keeps the pregnancy of the heroine, of the main protagonist. It was only in later editions of the Kinder- und Hausmärchen that the now more familiar scenario is shown (instead of Rapunzel asking the sorceress to help her with tightening up her dress, as it has become too small due to of course her being with child, in later editions, Rapunzel simply states that the sorceress is so much heavier to pull up than the prince). Supposedly, the Grimms' chose to remove (under considerable annoyance and protest) the pregnancy aspect, as there were increasing complaints by parents, as the tales, although originally not intended for children, were being more and more considered as children's fare and read as such (for both education and entertainment).

Personally, I much appreciate the fact that Paul O. Zelinsky has combined the Grimms' 1812 edition (German) with earlier Italian and French Rapunzel/Petrosinella traditions. And considering his glowing, painterly, Italian Renaissance style illustrations, which are not just simple book illustrations, but accomplished works of art that could easily hold their own alongside of many of the greatest Italian painters of that era, I almost wish that he had titled his retelling Petrosinella instead of Rapunzel (although I do realise that the latter is more commonly known and accepted). Zelinsky's narrative flows smoothly, reads easily, and really and truly presents the different German, Italian and French Rapunzel/Petrosinella traditions in a manner that is natural, organic and does not even seem so much a combination, but rather a story with one plot line, a story of love, betrayal, and that in the end, love does conquer all.

Finally, I guess I can to a certain extent understand that (and even why) some individuals have taken umbrage at the fact that Rapunzel's, that Petrosinella (or Persinette's ) pregnancy has been included in this book (and they actually are in good historical company, it seems). However, the allusion to the latter is not, as I hope to have shown, a salacious tidbit gratuitously added by the author/illustrator; it is historical and literary fact (both Joachim Christoph Friedrich Schulz's 18th century translation and the Grimms' 1812 rendering of the Petrosinella/Rapunzel thematics show the pregnancy of the heroine as a main point of information, and I heartily applaud Zelinsky for not shying away from including it in his wonderful and evocative retelling, in his own shining, glowing, perfect Rapunzel).
Profile Image for Kathryn.
4,829 reviews
January 13, 2017
I really appreciated everything about Zelinsky's "Rapunzel" from his detailed author's note to his thoughtful adaptation to the faithful representation of Renaissance art. (Alas, the Renaissance style has never been one of my favorites so I didn't personally love the illustrations, though I find a great deal of merit in them. His work really makes an impression, I feel. I still get a little shiver when I think of his Rumplestiltskin, whom I met in childhood.) I liked his less-"Grimm" version of the tale but that he still retained some of the more somber elements. (I couldn't help but think of Rapunzel's own mother and father when the "happy ending" came about. So sad!) Rapunzel really is a fascinating story. I feel that the "wicked" witch could be so much more richly developed. (I know there are times when a part of me wishes I could keep my own children safe in a happy, magical tower, away from the dark forces in the world!) But, in all the versions of "Rapunzel" that I've encountered (even the Disney version, which does have a more developed witch character) the witch is ultimately purely selfish, or so it seems to me, not as nuanced as most parents, with their own tug-of-war over that delicate balance of freedom and safety for their children.



Profile Image for Miniikaty .
767 reviews147 followers
September 11, 2019
Reseña completa: http://letraslibrosymas.blogspot.com/...

Con una edición preciosa y muy cuidada, en tapa dura y con ilustraciones a todo color Edelvives ha publicado el cuento clásico de Rapunzel de los hermanos Grimm.



Nos cuenta la historia que en mayor o menor medida conocemos todos, la de una joven de cabellos rubios infinitos que está atrapada por una bruja en lo alto de una torre perdida en la espesura del bosque.

Es uno de mis cuentos preferidos, incluso la película de Disney "Enredados" es de mis favoritas, así que tenía muchas ganas de leer el libro y ver si se diferenciaba mucho de lo que yo ya conocía. Y sí que hay pequeños detalles que desconocía y me ha encantado descubrir.
Profile Image for Marquise.
1,979 reviews1,551 followers
June 20, 2017
Zelinsky is a better artist than a writer, in my opinion, so this wasn't as impressive as his other work I've read. But it's still a very good version of "Rapunzel" that's going to be a keeper for me.
Profile Image for Melike.
509 reviews
December 26, 2021
gorgeous illustrations and a wonderful adaptation of Rapunzel. Zelinsky has a note at the end of the book that explains the history of different adaptations of Rapunzel that I found interesting.
Profile Image for Cheryl.
13.6k reviews491 followers
January 2, 2017
I do very much like this version. I like that the 'witch' is here known as a 'sorceress.' I like that here the girl is hidden, but not locked up in the tower, until she is twelve. I have always preferred the versions that included the twin babies. I mean, it's only natural that the sorceress needs to learn the lesson of the folly of over-protection. Lots of parents need to learn that lesson!

Author's note explains origins of tale, and choice of setting for the art.
Profile Image for Melody Schwarting.
2,189 reviews82 followers
July 5, 2021
Zelinsky's retelling of Rapunzel is pure artistry. His effective Renaissance-style illustrations could easily tell the story without words. I'm no art scholar, but I do enjoy traipsing through the Renaissance section of art museums, and I recognized many echoes of real-life paintings even if I couldn't identify them. If you want young readers in your life to grow up loving art from this era, letting them pore over books like these should do the trick. Meeting art like this in the familiar pages of a fairy tale makes it easier to digest and less foreign. Zelinsky captures the feel of the medieval-Renaissance flavor of the tale completely, while making it palatable for young readers. At least, as palatable as a fairy tale can be--all of them have deeply disturbing elements! In this case, it's Rapunzel giving birth to twins while alone in the wilderness that chills me, though children will likely be most disturbed by the sorceress taking Rapunzel from her parents.

My mom adores picture books with lush illustrations like this, so I'm fairly sure we read this when I was growing up. Zelinsky has a long note at the end about the history of the tale and the versions he used to craft this book. I'm walking away from this reading with a deep respect for his talent and research and will look up more of his work. He signed my library's copy, which was a special treat. At the end, he writes, "It would please me if my pictures served in some measure to spur interest in the magnificent art from which I have drawn." In my case, at least, his wish was granted!
Profile Image for Bryan L.
939 reviews145 followers
September 8, 2021
Cuento Perfecto para dormir, ¿por qué? Le leí dos paginas a mí mamá y de una se durmió jajajajaa

Pero hablando en serio, la historia de Rapunzel que ya conocemos pero en una edición hermosa de Edelvives y con ilustraciones en cada página. Es una belleza completa 🖤
Profile Image for Ashley Adams.
45 reviews3 followers
December 11, 2012
1. Picture Book: Traditional Literature
2. This is the retelling of Rapunzel, the story of a young girl who is forced to grow up in isolation and confinement because a sorceress is hiding her from the king, when she meets a prince who is enchanted by her voice and her long, lustrous hair. She then has to learn how to live on her own after many years of confinement, and is reunited with her prince.
3. Critique:
a. Zelinsky brings the age-old tale of Rapunzel to life with his beautiful illustrations.
b. His Italian renaissance style of illustrations is filled with light warm golden tones. Zelinsky uses control of light, landscape, characters, architecture and costumes to paint a beautiful, poignant picture of Rapunzel.
c. As opposed to the dark and extremely dim recount by the Grimm Brothers, this version uses illustrations to show that Rapunzel was not living in a dungeon like tower by an evil witch who tortured her, but was kept in solitude because the woman loved her so much, and provided her with luxury. The illustrations set the tone of the piece, and although she endures quite a bit of hardship, the overall tone lends to love that conquers all.
4. This is a great story to read to early elementary students, and then apply their art and dexterity skills by making their own Rapunzel puppet out of a paper bag, with long yarn for hair. The students can then practice braiding the hair to strengthen fine motor skills.
Profile Image for Vaishali.
1,216 reviews317 followers
February 6, 2017
The original Grimm Brothers tale is very, very sad... although it does end happily ever after. The evil woman chops off Rapunzel's hair, who's pregnant with twins. The prince is blind, but regains sight when he somehow finds Rapunzel and kids living in poverty in the woods... Her tears nourish his vision. An absolutely beautiful, well~written tale. FYI: she's named "Rapunzel" after the rampion plant, which may have been used in medieval times for mouth/throat afflictions.
Profile Image for Книжни Криле.
3,715 reviews208 followers
December 4, 2020
Любимата история за дългокосата Рапунцел идва в нова премяна от изд. „Лабиринт”. Класическата приказка на Якоб и Вилхелм Грим оживява по нов, зашеметяващ начин - с прелестните илюстрации на художничката Франческа дел’Орто. Да, можем да прочетем приказката за затворничката от кулата под какви ли не форми и вид, но точно тази версия на „Рапунцел” е не просто чудесна картинна книга за деца, тя е и уникално удоволствие за ценители на илюстрацията. Прочетете ревюто на "Книжни Криле": https://knijnikrile.wordpress.com/202...
Profile Image for Ronyell.
991 reviews340 followers
May 8, 2010
“Rapunzel” is a Caldecott Medal award winning book from the talented Paul O. Zelinsky and it is a classic Brothers Grimm tale about how a young woman named Rapunzel meets her true love after being trapped in a tower for many years and how she tries to keep this secret from a wicked sorceress. “Rapunzel” is truly a captivating story about true love that many children will love for many years.

Paul O. Zelinsky’s story about a young girl imprisoned in her castle has been a cult classic in the fairy tale industry for many years and the writing is dramatic and romantic at the same time as the audience feels the tension when Rapunzel is taken away from her parents by the sorceress and the romance being blossomed when Rapunzel meets the Prince for the first time. Paul O. Zelinsky’s illustrations are extremely beautiful and realistic looking, especially of the image of Rapunzel herself having long, orange hair and maintaining a beautiful face all throughout the story.

“Rapunzel” is a brilliant book about the importance of true love and it will easily captivate children who are fans of fantastic fairy tales such as this one. I would recommend this book to children ages five and up since smaller children might be upset about the scene where Rapunzel is taken away from her parents as a baby.
Profile Image for Barbara.
15.4k reviews318 followers
October 12, 2012
The story of Rapunzel was always one of my favorite fairy tales growing up. I was intrigued by the idea of a girl kept hidden in a tower, letting her hair down to let the world in, but never being able to leave that tower. With sumptuous oil paintings that allow the beauty of the tower and Rapunzel with her amazingly-long tresses to be highlighted, the author/illustrator takes readers to a different place and time than their current surroundings. Echoing as he does the style of Italian Renaissance painters, his illustrations are luminescent, and he shows so much devotion in the simple gesture of the prince holding Rapunzel's hand in his own once he enters the tower. The separate anguish of the sorcerer and Rapunzel are depicted perfectly in the scene in which the sorcerer hacks off Rapunzel's hair. Although this is a picture book, it touches upon adult themes. After the prince visits her every night, Rapunzel's dress seems too tight, a sign that she is pregnant and proof to the sorceress that she has not been alone all those nights. One aspect of the illustrations that may interest readers is the cat that keeps appearing throughout the pages. This is a gorgeous picture book.
Profile Image for SamZ.
821 reviews
January 11, 2017
1998 Caldecott Medal - Favorite Illustration: When the prince and Rapunzel are headed back toward his kingdom, each carrying a child.
I adore these illustrations! The rendering of this fairy tale using the Italian Renaissance style is absolutely beautiful. I thought the text was simply a standard version of the story but you almost don't need any words as the pictures have so much detail you could "read" the story from them alone. Also, I have always loved the ending of this version, with Rapunzel having twins in the wilderness and her tears healing the prince upon their reunion. I especially loved the way Disney kept this small detail at the end of Tangled, when Rapunzel's tears heal her love.
Profile Image for Katt Hansen.
3,867 reviews113 followers
September 2, 2015
If you're a fan of the Italian Renaissance, this is a version that will visually delight. The story of Rapunzel is re-told with a blending of versions that is interesting and not too scary (thanks for all the nightmares Brothers Grimm!). The detail is exquisite and each picture begs to be lingered over. I appreciated the notes at the end about the original story as well.

Overall, the best part? Finding out the tower is related to Dr. Who's TARDIS apparently. I would have liked to explore the many rooms in the book, but we never got quite enough page time for that which I found very sad. :P
Profile Image for Loraine.
3,490 reviews
May 2, 2018
This Caldecott winner is the familiar story of Rapunzel but the watercolor paintings that accompany it are absolutely beautiful. The story itself is a simple retelling of the fairy tale but it is made all the richer with Zelinsky's incredible paintings. Recommended for middle elementary students.
Profile Image for David.
1,044 reviews162 followers
January 20, 2021
1998 Caldecott
Beautifully illustrated. But the story of Rapunzel includes a sorcerer stealing a baby, locking someone in a tower, cutting off her hair, and causing the prince to fall and go blind.
But... he lived happily every after with Rapunzel.
I know this may be a famous fairy tale, but it is actually rather scary to kids.
I will add the 'horror' shelf to my filing.
Additionally, it has a LOT of words for a book geared toward kids. Children don't really have the patience required for this, nor the use of longer older-age-group sentences.

5* for the illustrations
2* for this fairy tale (that is past its time)
Profile Image for Laura.
629 reviews139 followers
September 26, 2017
This is a hard book for me to rate. On one hand, it had intricate illustrations that many will love, and the story was certainly exciting. However, as a mom, this book just felt very uncomfortable to me. I felt like the pregnancies and babies in the story were ...well...awkward.
Profile Image for Lauren Mitchell.
57 reviews2 followers
January 14, 2026
Illustrations are exquisite and worthy of leisurely time to study them.
Profile Image for Linda Lipko.
1,904 reviews54 followers
January 9, 2017
Combining various components of the folk tale of Rapunzel, Zelinsky tells of a pregnant wife who craves the herb Rapunzel which is found in the forbidden garden of a wicked sorceress.

The husband cuts and brings home the treat for his wife to consume.

When the sorceress discovers the deceit, she tells the husband either the wife must die, or she must give the baby to her.

The child, a beautiful baby girl, is given to the sorceress who then raises the child and when she becomes a lovely woman, is held hostage in a high tower.

When a prince happens to pass the tower and hear lovely singing, he is smitten and enthralled.

Watching the sorceress obtain entry by demanding Rapunzel let down her hair, the prince does the same while the sorceress is away.

The lovely lady and the handsome prince fall in love. when Rapunzel is discovered to be pregnant, the sorceress knows she has been deceived.

Sending Rapunzel away to live alone, Rapunzel has twins -- a girl and a boy.

When the witch tricks the prince to climb the tower, he falls and is blinded. Wandering alone in time, blinded, the prince hears the lovely voice and once again is united with his love and the twin babies of their union.

Her tears bring sight to him and they live happily ever after. This rendition is different than others and I am eager to research and learn more. The illustrations of Zelinsky are incredibly beautiful.
Profile Image for Barbara.
15.4k reviews318 followers
April 8, 2017
Originally published in Germany, this retelling of the beloved fairy tale collected by the Grimm brothers is accompanied by illustrations that are softly painted and have a delicate quality to them, almost seeming misty in some places. Readers who are familiar with the story will enjoy hearing it told again or reading it for themselves as this version is faithful to the original account although it leaves out some of the more unsavory details. When a couple who have longed desperately for a child realize that they are in luck, the future mother craves the rapunzel in the garden belonging to an enchantress. The father is caught stealing the leaves, and promises to give his child in return for the leaves he has taken. Rapunzel, the child, thus ends up being placed in a tower and having only the witch as her companion. That is, until a prince happens by as she is releasing her braided hair as a rope for the witch to climb. Naturally, he is curious, and things go from there. I've always loved this fairy tale, no matter what form it takes.
Profile Image for Lydia.
105 reviews
December 18, 2019
Drum roll please....I HAVE READ ALL THE CALDECOTT WINNERS up to this year 2019!!! And what a book to end on. Rapunzel by Paul O. Zelinsky is a most beautifully illustrated and retold copy of this classic tale! I would also say that from my limited knowledge of Rapunzel this is my favorite retelling. Mr. Zelinsky gives a short history of the tale at the end of this book and it is worth the read!
Profile Image for Jenny.
3,461 reviews40 followers
January 30, 2017
Based on the Grimm brothers version of Rapunzel (which was based on several older versions of similar stories). Gorgeous illustrations.

Reread January 2016. I really loved this version of Rapunzel. I appreciated Zelinsky's author's note about the origins of the Rapunzel story. I really, really love the illustrations. They are breathtaking. The Caldecott Medal was well deserved.
Profile Image for Lauren Vanderzwan.
12 reviews2 followers
January 30, 2024
Sooo i’m in a child literature class at UTEP this semester, so catch me reading some children’s books! but this book was really cute. beautiful oil pictures in there, perfect for an elementary school classroom, and hope to add it to my future library in my own classroom :)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,362 reviews