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Once upon a World
Rapunzel
The classic story of Rapunzel gets a fresh twist in this vibrant Indian spin on the beloved fairy tale!
Once upon a time, there was a girl with long, long hair, who lived in a tall, tall tower...
The classic tale of Rapunzel gets a fresh twist in this third book of a brand-new board book series, Once Upon a World. With India as the backdrop, and vibrant artwork from illustrator Archana Sreenivasan, Rapunzel is still the same girl who lets down her beautiful hair—but she’s totally reimagined. Once Upon a World offers a multicultural take on the fairy tales we all know and love. Because these tales are for everyone, everywhere.
Once upon a time, there was a girl with long, long hair, who lived in a tall, tall tower...
The classic tale of Rapunzel gets a fresh twist in this third book of a brand-new board book series, Once Upon a World. With India as the backdrop, and vibrant artwork from illustrator Archana Sreenivasan, Rapunzel is still the same girl who lets down her beautiful hair—but she’s totally reimagined. Once Upon a World offers a multicultural take on the fairy tales we all know and love. Because these tales are for everyone, everywhere.
24 pages, Board Book
First published January 1, 2017
4 people are currently reading
250 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
March 31, 2021
Wonderful retelling of this story - beautiful art.
June 7, 2017
Without a doubt, the art is fantastic in this book. It is bright and color and descriptive enough to point out fun details (peacocks, cows, etc.) in the art to babies. The promise of an Indian theme permeated each page, from the architecture of the tower, to the style and adornments on the outfits, to the rangoli patterns of the bucolic scenery. I am thoroughly impressed with Ms Archana as she has visually adopted the story accurately. My gripe is with the story. And no, there is nothing technically wrong with the rewriting of the Rapunzel story. It is all well-written - but it integrated nothing of the Indian theme the book advertised. When I mean nothing, I mean it. The text was unaltered from the original Rapunzel story. There was no mention of a dark- haired heroine or the rich Indian scenery or even a simple name change. I am impressed that they hired an Indian illustrator to illustrate this story, but disappointed that they kept the text unchanged. By changing the setting, I personally took it to mean the imagery in the text would reflect the culture and characters, but it only meant very beautiful but misleading visuals.
September 30, 2019
I am not generally into fairy tales, but this retelling of the traditional story in an Indian setting results in a fabulously illustrated board book. Representation matters, and I'm so glad to see it at the toddler reading level.
May 20, 2018
A few months after Tangled came out, I saw some fanart on Tumblr that cast the main characters as Indians. I thought, wow, what a missed opportunity! The art was gorgeous and the transformation felt natural. Chloe Perkins must have thought the same thing. This retelling of Rapunzel is more faithful to the fairy tale than Tangled was, but still age appropriate. (The prince doesn't get flung from the tower into a patch of thorns that blind him - he just BECOMES blind, like from sadness or something, I guess.) If you're looking for a fairly accurate yet appropriate adaptation of the original fairy tale, why not try this lovely, diverse edition?
May 27, 2017
A quick retelling of the classic Rapunzel story set in India.
This series tends to sand off the rougher edges of the fairytales even more than Disney. It's mostly the average Rapunzel story, but the witch just puts a curse on the prince to blind him (instead of having him fall from the tower) and she just banishes Rapunzel from the tower. I loved the Indian setting. It works so well. Quick, cute (and super colorful!) version of this fairytale good for toddlers through elementary readers.
This series tends to sand off the rougher edges of the fairytales even more than Disney. It's mostly the average Rapunzel story, but the witch just puts a curse on the prince to blind him (instead of having him fall from the tower) and she just banishes Rapunzel from the tower. I loved the Indian setting. It works so well. Quick, cute (and super colorful!) version of this fairytale good for toddlers through elementary readers.
October 29, 2023
I read "Rapunzel (Once Upon a World) by Chloe Perkins and illustrated by Archana Sreenivsan for my graduate class. I focused on different retellings of Rapunzel. This story followed the traditional fairytale of Rapunzel as set in India. Rapunzel is kidnapped as a baby and trapped in a high tower by a witch. A prince hears her singing one day and forms a relationship with her. When the witch catches the prince visiting Rapunzel, she casts a spell to blind. Rapunzel is able to find the prince and heal him with her tears. They live happily ever after.
I really enjoyed this retelling of Rapunzel. It followed the typical story elements of traditional literature. The characters aren't described in detail and the setting is in the typical tower and forest. The witch is the "bad" character and Rapunzel and the prince are "good" and prevail in the end. The difference in this book is that the story is placed in India and the illustrations reflect that beautifully. Archana Sreenivasan created vibrant illustrations with beautiful patterns throughout the book. I loved the traditional Indian clothing that characters wore and the inclusion of important symbols such as peacocks. It includes both single page to move the story along and double-page spreads to emphasize large events like when Rapunzel is cast into the forest.
Personally, I would use this book in a guided reading group in 1st-3rd grade when focusing on fairytales and/or the themes of good vs evil. It mainly has vocabulary that students will be familiar with and some lesser used words to extend their learning. The illustrations will keep students engaged and help with decoding the text if needed. I chose 1st, 2nd, and 3rd because it is within their reading levels and is an engaging topic for these grades.
I really enjoyed this retelling of Rapunzel. It followed the typical story elements of traditional literature. The characters aren't described in detail and the setting is in the typical tower and forest. The witch is the "bad" character and Rapunzel and the prince are "good" and prevail in the end. The difference in this book is that the story is placed in India and the illustrations reflect that beautifully. Archana Sreenivasan created vibrant illustrations with beautiful patterns throughout the book. I loved the traditional Indian clothing that characters wore and the inclusion of important symbols such as peacocks. It includes both single page to move the story along and double-page spreads to emphasize large events like when Rapunzel is cast into the forest.
Personally, I would use this book in a guided reading group in 1st-3rd grade when focusing on fairytales and/or the themes of good vs evil. It mainly has vocabulary that students will be familiar with and some lesser used words to extend their learning. The illustrations will keep students engaged and help with decoding the text if needed. I chose 1st, 2nd, and 3rd because it is within their reading levels and is an engaging topic for these grades.
September 23, 2023
The story of Rapunzel has always been one of my favorites. There is something profound and romantic about the Prince and Rapunzel saving each other in their own ways. This re-telling of the classic tells the same story as always but it is set in India.
The pages were beautiful and my son stayed engaged and interested - despite it being a longer story than typical for him.
The pages were beautiful and my son stayed engaged and interested - despite it being a longer story than typical for him.
August 28, 2021
Beautiful, colorful illustrations. this classic is retold as an Indian story. A nice book for cross culture immersion and reading for kids, my 12 month old loved flipping the pages of this book, very often #representation
October 3, 2021
Rapunzel is the same story, except....Archana Sreenivasan provides stellar India-set version of the fairytale.
The artwork sells it and provides a unique worldly cultural version of the Rapunzel story.
The artwork sells it and provides a unique worldly cultural version of the Rapunzel story.
April 11, 2025
Rapunzel will let just any climb up her hair am I right? Sounds like she frequents at both Poker Palace and The Hitchin Post. Not surprisingly both places are located in the North Las Vegas area. Stay Safe. God Bless.
September 29, 2021
Beautiful artwork! The story might be a lot for just a board book though?
April 24, 2018
My daughter Marian and I love this board book. The illustrations are exceptional: an Indian Rapunzel, vibrant colors — Marian (4 months old) couldn’t stop staring at it and trying to grab all the pretty colors. My one critique would be it’s a wordy for a board book considering the age group board books are targeted toward, but I would highly recommend it nonetheless, and I can’t wait to find the other books in the series.
January 29, 2021
My family really enjoys these fairy tales as presented by "Once Upon A World". Putting these classic stories into non-European cultures is refreshing and vibrant. The illustrations are always brights and bold, very appealing to a toddler.
October 21, 2021
Rapunzel, retold by Chloe Perkins and illustrated by Archana Sreenivasan, is the traditional tale of Rapunzel, but with a few changes and modified to fit younger readers. This board book is a simplified version that skips the beginning of the Italian version of Rapunzel. In this version, when Rapunzel was a baby, a witch took her away to a tower. The witch would visit by calling out, “Rapunzel! Rapunzel! Let down your hair!” Rapunzel was lonely and wanted a friend. One day, when a prince was riding through the woods, he heard Rapunzel singing. He watched the witch to find a way up to Rapunzel. When the prince came up, Rapunzel was shocked to see him. The two of them talked for hours, and the prince fell in love. He planned to help Rapunzel escape, but the witch overheard. As a punishment, the witch cut Rapunzel’s hair and cast her deep into the forest. When the prince came back to see Rapunzel, the witch punished him, too, through a blinding curse. After many days, the two were reunited. It was Rapunzel who broke the curse so that they could live “happily ever after.”
This version of Rapunzel is more appropriate for young readers. In this version, we see that Rapunzel is lonely and wanting a friend. While the prince falls in love with her, there is no talk of pregnancy or having twins. The changes in the story are reflective of that omission. The whole back story of her parents is also omitted, making the story easier to comprehend. Instead of the word sorceress, the author chose to use the word “witch” to be more easily understood by younger students. While there were changes, many of the main events remain the same as the traditional version.
I appreciate the opportunity to read this version as a board book. Many of the versions out there are picture books. While this is still a picture book, it was created for a younger audience. When researching Rapunzel books, I was most attracted to this book because of its illustrations. This vibrant version of Rapunzel is set in India. The pages of this book are bold and colorful. The physical features and their dress show that these characters are living in India. When reading reviews on this book, it is often said that it’s a multicultural take on Rapunzel. To my disappointment, this book is a culturally generic book. There are multicultural characters, but the theme and story remains generic to any culture. On one page, “The prince bowed and introduced himself.” That was the one and only detail in the text that I thought could possibly reflect Indian culture. I would have enjoyed this story more if it included more cultural details. While the illustrator Archana Sreenivasan is from India, it didn’t help add cultural differences beyond the illustrations. Chloe Perkins is an American, who seems to team up with illustrators with diverse backgrounds.
While I felt some disappointment with this culturally generic book, I can’t help but wonder if some students would appreciate seeing characters that look like them. It is a nice change from the blonde Rapunzel that children and adults know from Disney. With the younger students, this book could be used to work on sequencing skills. Students could put pictures in order and then use the pictures to retell the story. For a simple writing project, students could complete a “Wanted” poster. This would allow readers to focus on the characters-physical features, character traits-and the problems.
This version of Rapunzel is more appropriate for young readers. In this version, we see that Rapunzel is lonely and wanting a friend. While the prince falls in love with her, there is no talk of pregnancy or having twins. The changes in the story are reflective of that omission. The whole back story of her parents is also omitted, making the story easier to comprehend. Instead of the word sorceress, the author chose to use the word “witch” to be more easily understood by younger students. While there were changes, many of the main events remain the same as the traditional version.
I appreciate the opportunity to read this version as a board book. Many of the versions out there are picture books. While this is still a picture book, it was created for a younger audience. When researching Rapunzel books, I was most attracted to this book because of its illustrations. This vibrant version of Rapunzel is set in India. The pages of this book are bold and colorful. The physical features and their dress show that these characters are living in India. When reading reviews on this book, it is often said that it’s a multicultural take on Rapunzel. To my disappointment, this book is a culturally generic book. There are multicultural characters, but the theme and story remains generic to any culture. On one page, “The prince bowed and introduced himself.” That was the one and only detail in the text that I thought could possibly reflect Indian culture. I would have enjoyed this story more if it included more cultural details. While the illustrator Archana Sreenivasan is from India, it didn’t help add cultural differences beyond the illustrations. Chloe Perkins is an American, who seems to team up with illustrators with diverse backgrounds.
While I felt some disappointment with this culturally generic book, I can’t help but wonder if some students would appreciate seeing characters that look like them. It is a nice change from the blonde Rapunzel that children and adults know from Disney. With the younger students, this book could be used to work on sequencing skills. Students could put pictures in order and then use the pictures to retell the story. For a simple writing project, students could complete a “Wanted” poster. This would allow readers to focus on the characters-physical features, character traits-and the problems.
October 25, 2022
Once Upon a World: Rapunzel by Chloe Perkins and Illustrated by Archana Sreenivasan tells the classic Rapunzel tale in India. I found this book by researching different versions of Rapunzel's fairy tale.
Perkins tells the story of Rapunzel, a girl living in a tower in India. When she was younger, a witch kidnapped her and left her in this tower where she was not allowed to leave. Whenever the witch needed to come up, Rapunzel would let down her long hair, and the witch would use it to climb up to the top. One day, Rapunzel was singing, and a prince heard her and wanted to meet the girl with this beautiful voice. He climbed up the tower and introduced himself to Rapunzel. They got to know each other, and the prince made a plan to help her escape the building. However, the witch found out, and she banished Rapunzel to the forest. Eventually, the prince found her, and they were able to live together happily ever after! I loved how this book took the classic tale and added diversity by having it take place in India. The illustrations use so many colors and beautifully portray the culture. The illustrator, Archana Sreenivasan, is based in Bangalore, India, which allows her to provide an authentic perspective to her illustrations for this story. This book is excellent for providing "mirrors" for Indian children and "windows" for children of other backgrounds and cultures.
Similar to other versions of this tale, I believe this book would be a great mentor text for understanding the concept of plot. The story focuses more on what's happening than the characters or their backgrounds. Students could also study the "good" characters compared to the "bad" characters. Practicing identifying the moral/theme of the story is another way this book could be used in the classroom. Lastly, since traditional tales were originally told, not written, this could be a way to introduce storytelling to students.
Perkins tells the story of Rapunzel, a girl living in a tower in India. When she was younger, a witch kidnapped her and left her in this tower where she was not allowed to leave. Whenever the witch needed to come up, Rapunzel would let down her long hair, and the witch would use it to climb up to the top. One day, Rapunzel was singing, and a prince heard her and wanted to meet the girl with this beautiful voice. He climbed up the tower and introduced himself to Rapunzel. They got to know each other, and the prince made a plan to help her escape the building. However, the witch found out, and she banished Rapunzel to the forest. Eventually, the prince found her, and they were able to live together happily ever after! I loved how this book took the classic tale and added diversity by having it take place in India. The illustrations use so many colors and beautifully portray the culture. The illustrator, Archana Sreenivasan, is based in Bangalore, India, which allows her to provide an authentic perspective to her illustrations for this story. This book is excellent for providing "mirrors" for Indian children and "windows" for children of other backgrounds and cultures.
Similar to other versions of this tale, I believe this book would be a great mentor text for understanding the concept of plot. The story focuses more on what's happening than the characters or their backgrounds. Students could also study the "good" characters compared to the "bad" characters. Practicing identifying the moral/theme of the story is another way this book could be used in the classroom. Lastly, since traditional tales were originally told, not written, this could be a way to introduce storytelling to students.
October 27, 2022
Rapunzel (Once Upon a World) is a children’s picture book written by Chloe Perkins and Illustrated by Archana Sreenivasan. It was published in 2017. I found this book when looking up new versions of classic fairytales. This particular book comes from a set called the “Once Upon a World Collection.” This set includes 4 classic fairytales with multicultural main characters.
I would consider this to be a multicultural text. It is refreshing to see an illustration of Rapunzel that does not include long blonde hair! Rapunzel in this book is pictured wearing a beautiful Sari dress, and she has a bindi. She has long, thick brown hair, and the setting of the story appears to be in India. In fact, the illustrator of this text is Archana Sreenivasan, who is from Bangalore, India!
The illustrations in this book are colorful, and they appear to be like cartoons. There are intricate flower designs throughout the pages. This book is a board book. It has some illustrations that spread across 2 pages, and each illustration represents a change in events in the story.
This is a story about Rapunzel, who is locked away in a tall castle. A prince comes to save her and wants to live a happy life with her. He climbs to Rapunzel’s castle by climbing her long hair. When the evil witch finds out that the prince plans to save Rapunzel, she cuts off Rapunzel’s hair and puts a spell on the prince. The prince’s spell is lifted by the splash of Rapunzel’s tears.
I would give this book 4/5 stars because of one hole in the story: How did Rapunzel get out of the castle? She seems to suddenly appear in the forest and lift the prince’s spell.
This book would be best for first-third graders based on readability but it can also be used in higher grades to teach aspects of folktales. For instance, because this book has a witch who can cast evil spells (magic), this would be considered a fairy tale. This book could be used to show students how characters in folk tales often include a hero, helper, and rival. In this case, Rapunzel is the hero, the prince is the helper, and the witch is the rival.
I would consider this to be a multicultural text. It is refreshing to see an illustration of Rapunzel that does not include long blonde hair! Rapunzel in this book is pictured wearing a beautiful Sari dress, and she has a bindi. She has long, thick brown hair, and the setting of the story appears to be in India. In fact, the illustrator of this text is Archana Sreenivasan, who is from Bangalore, India!
The illustrations in this book are colorful, and they appear to be like cartoons. There are intricate flower designs throughout the pages. This book is a board book. It has some illustrations that spread across 2 pages, and each illustration represents a change in events in the story.
This is a story about Rapunzel, who is locked away in a tall castle. A prince comes to save her and wants to live a happy life with her. He climbs to Rapunzel’s castle by climbing her long hair. When the evil witch finds out that the prince plans to save Rapunzel, she cuts off Rapunzel’s hair and puts a spell on the prince. The prince’s spell is lifted by the splash of Rapunzel’s tears.
I would give this book 4/5 stars because of one hole in the story: How did Rapunzel get out of the castle? She seems to suddenly appear in the forest and lift the prince’s spell.
This book would be best for first-third graders based on readability but it can also be used in higher grades to teach aspects of folktales. For instance, because this book has a witch who can cast evil spells (magic), this would be considered a fairy tale. This book could be used to show students how characters in folk tales often include a hero, helper, and rival. In this case, Rapunzel is the hero, the prince is the helper, and the witch is the rival.
November 14, 2021
I enjoyed this version of Rapunzel! I found this suggestion on a blog called "Let's Talk Picture Books", where they did a post specifically on versions of Rapunzel. I ended up listening to this book via a read aloud on Youtube. This book was published in 2017.
This story had the very typical plot of classic Rapunzel, where she was stuck living in a tower after being locked up by a witch. She has very long, beautiful hair and the witch uses her braided hair to climb up to the tower and see Rapunzel. One day when she was singing in her tower, a prince heard her. The prince asked for her to let down her hair, and he climbed up to meet her. The prince quickly fell in love with her and he visited the tower everyday. The witch saw the prince visiting Rapunzel and the witch cut Rapunzel's hair then sent her deep into the forest. She also put a curse on the prince, and he became blind. They ended up finding each other and living happily ever after!
I thought this book was a great rendition of Rapunzel. There aren't many diverse versions of this fairytale, and this has an Indian twist on it. The illustrations are so colorful, and the characters are wearing traditional Indian clothes. I found it was more culturally generic than specific because the Indian culture, ideals, and beliefs weren't explicitly stated in the text. However, we were able to see some parts of their culture like their buildings, dress, and designs through the illustrations. I think this book would be great to compare and contrast to different countries versions of Rapunzel, specifically taking a deep dive into the details of the illustrations.
This story had the very typical plot of classic Rapunzel, where she was stuck living in a tower after being locked up by a witch. She has very long, beautiful hair and the witch uses her braided hair to climb up to the tower and see Rapunzel. One day when she was singing in her tower, a prince heard her. The prince asked for her to let down her hair, and he climbed up to meet her. The prince quickly fell in love with her and he visited the tower everyday. The witch saw the prince visiting Rapunzel and the witch cut Rapunzel's hair then sent her deep into the forest. She also put a curse on the prince, and he became blind. They ended up finding each other and living happily ever after!
I thought this book was a great rendition of Rapunzel. There aren't many diverse versions of this fairytale, and this has an Indian twist on it. The illustrations are so colorful, and the characters are wearing traditional Indian clothes. I found it was more culturally generic than specific because the Indian culture, ideals, and beliefs weren't explicitly stated in the text. However, we were able to see some parts of their culture like their buildings, dress, and designs through the illustrations. I think this book would be great to compare and contrast to different countries versions of Rapunzel, specifically taking a deep dive into the details of the illustrations.
Want to read
April 24, 2024This book was like the replica of the original Rapunzel but yet still different in many aspects. The primary message/theme of this book is it teaches children to never give up on something they love. No matter how hard things get, they should be persistent in working towards their goal, and no one can stop them from succeeding in life. The genre of this book is folklore.
Something that can help children is, the book helps normalize otherness, which can be divisive in society, and that children from any background can relate to the stories. Another is something adults should learn is children deserve their freedom as well and shouldn't be surrounding them with jealousy but instead love. This was a WOW book for me because it was different from the other original Rapunzel story where she is white and but this book was about another race instead which was really interesting for me.
The writing craft of this story was that the book's narrative was in with India as the backdrop, and vibrant artwork. Also the story is told in third person to capture everyone's perspective. It captures Rapunzel, the prince and of course the witch as well and shares their feelings in the story. This book is free of bias because it shows Rapunzel as a colored girl instead of the original. It can also help children with the book's colors and designs. It can help readers better understand the culture, and that the characters' clothing fits the setting, which can help children learn about other cultures.
Something that can help children is, the book helps normalize otherness, which can be divisive in society, and that children from any background can relate to the stories. Another is something adults should learn is children deserve their freedom as well and shouldn't be surrounding them with jealousy but instead love. This was a WOW book for me because it was different from the other original Rapunzel story where she is white and but this book was about another race instead which was really interesting for me.
The writing craft of this story was that the book's narrative was in with India as the backdrop, and vibrant artwork. Also the story is told in third person to capture everyone's perspective. It captures Rapunzel, the prince and of course the witch as well and shares their feelings in the story. This book is free of bias because it shows Rapunzel as a colored girl instead of the original. It can also help children with the book's colors and designs. It can help readers better understand the culture, and that the characters' clothing fits the setting, which can help children learn about other cultures.
November 13, 2021
This classic tale of "Rapunzel" is a unique version of focused on a girl from India. I was able to find this book on the Barnes and Noble website and read the story from YouTube. This version of "Rapunzel" is intended for children of ages two to four years old. Aside from the recommended age range, I think it would be appropriate to share this version with my students. The illustrations in the story are beautifully detailed and extremely colorful. The story also portrays details of Indian culture and gives a glimpse into what life may be like in an Indian forest.
After the Prince decides to rescue Rapunzel, the evil witch blinds the Prince and has to search for Rapunzel in the deep forest. Will this blind Prince ever find Rapunzel in the forest? Will the Prince regain his sight? This tale is a classic story that engages most readers and leaves them predicting the next page. This story is highly review by Kirkus, but the author is not from India. While doing a little more research about Perkins, it seems that she writes a lot of books about different countries and cultures. Perkins enjoys taking children on various reading quests regarding culture. I really enjoyed this version of Rapunzel.
After the Prince decides to rescue Rapunzel, the evil witch blinds the Prince and has to search for Rapunzel in the deep forest. Will this blind Prince ever find Rapunzel in the forest? Will the Prince regain his sight? This tale is a classic story that engages most readers and leaves them predicting the next page. This story is highly review by Kirkus, but the author is not from India. While doing a little more research about Perkins, it seems that she writes a lot of books about different countries and cultures. Perkins enjoys taking children on various reading quests regarding culture. I really enjoyed this version of Rapunzel.
August 18, 2021
Absolutely gorgeous illustrations! My 2-year-old nephew really likes Tangled, so I was instantly drawn towards this book for him. In the movie, the animals are his favorite part, specifically the horse, but also the one scene where the bunny jumps out of the bush. I loved this book for its beautiful illustration style, and he was drawn in by its familiarity and cute animals. It is one of his favorites, and I definitely appreciate its original style.
As others have previously stated, I wish it went further into Indian culture. However, I think that is more of an issue with the industry and I'm not putting the whole weight of that on this specific book. It is certainly a case of the bar being on the floor, but, among its peers, this book definitely stands out.
4.75 stars, would definitely buy (and will definitely read) again. My nephew loves it and it doesn't make me want to pull my eyes out, what more can you really ask for?
Don't ask me why my review of a book for toddlers is so much more in-depth (and existent) than for any other book.
As others have previously stated, I wish it went further into Indian culture. However, I think that is more of an issue with the industry and I'm not putting the whole weight of that on this specific book. It is certainly a case of the bar being on the floor, but, among its peers, this book definitely stands out.
4.75 stars, would definitely buy (and will definitely read) again. My nephew loves it and it doesn't make me want to pull my eyes out, what more can you really ask for?
Don't ask me why my review of a book for toddlers is so much more in-depth (and existent) than for any other book.
May 16, 2022
This version of the tale of Rapunzel gets a fresh twist. The setting of the story takes place in India. It is still the same plot of a young girl who lets down her long beautiful hair. But her hair is not blonde like the traditional tale, her hair is long, beautiful, and black. When rapunzel was a baby, a witch stole her and locked away in a tower. Rapunzel was not allowed to leave the tower, but when they witch would visit she would say "Rapunzel,Rapunzel, let down your long hair." One day a Prince climbed up the tower by saying the same phrase he heard the witch tell Rapunzel. The Prince and Rapunzel get to know each other and the Prince tells her how life is outside of the tower and Rapunzel dreams of it. They plot to leave the tower together, but the witch had a different plan for them. Even though the witch tried to get in the middle of their happy ending, Rapunzel and the Prince live happily evert after in his kingdom.
The illustrations throughout book are so vibrant and beautiful. It captures the colorful, traditional Indian clothing and jewelry. This book is too cute!
The illustrations throughout book are so vibrant and beautiful. It captures the colorful, traditional Indian clothing and jewelry. This book is too cute!
October 17, 2017
I picked up this book because of the front cover, and the illustrations did not disappoint. Throughout, the story is told with beautiful Indian scenery and characters.
The story itself is the standard, Western/European one, but I do think it is useful to retell some of our favorite stories without using the standard white characters. I found in both this book, and in Snow White, that me knowing a little more about the culture shown helped my children get more out of the books.
While I think it's great that these books exist, I think reading your kids this book is not enough--it's not enough to use an Indian setting for a Western story. Our children also need an Indian setting with an Indian story. Luckily, it's not an either/or proposition, and both can be ways to open up the world and see it through a new perspective.
The story itself is the standard, Western/European one, but I do think it is useful to retell some of our favorite stories without using the standard white characters. I found in both this book, and in Snow White, that me knowing a little more about the culture shown helped my children get more out of the books.
While I think it's great that these books exist, I think reading your kids this book is not enough--it's not enough to use an Indian setting for a Western story. Our children also need an Indian setting with an Indian story. Luckily, it's not an either/or proposition, and both can be ways to open up the world and see it through a new perspective.
February 7, 2020
1) One observation-The book has lots of colors and fun designs which helps give a better insight to the culture. The characters wear clothing that actually fit this setting, which would give great insight to kids what other cultures are like.
2) One connection- I know the original Brother's Grimm Rapunzel, so I was able to connect with that. Although it did make necessary adjustments to make it more suitable for children.
3) One question- I wonder why the author decided to re tell this story from a different cultural perspective?
4) One surprise- I was surprised
5) Your opinion of the book- I loved this book. It tells a lot of the original story, but illustrates it from another cultures point of view. This allows a new group of kids to relate to the story and the characters. It also has a beautiful art style that makes it really interesting and fun to read.
2) One connection- I know the original Brother's Grimm Rapunzel, so I was able to connect with that. Although it did make necessary adjustments to make it more suitable for children.
3) One question- I wonder why the author decided to re tell this story from a different cultural perspective?
4) One surprise- I was surprised
5) Your opinion of the book- I loved this book. It tells a lot of the original story, but illustrates it from another cultures point of view. This allows a new group of kids to relate to the story and the characters. It also has a beautiful art style that makes it really interesting and fun to read.
February 23, 2019
I absolutely love this version of Rapunzel! It gets tiring to see blonde, blue-eyed damsels in distress and I love how the story is adapted but not completely changed. It doesn't tell young girls that a young prince shows up out of nowhere and Rapunzel falls immediately to his feet...instead it develops the story, showing that slowly, and by getting to know each other, the prince and Rapunzel fall in love. Another great but subtle change is that the love is mostly described through the Prince's perspective (he is falling love, he is searching for his love) changing the connotation that love is for girls. The illustrations that go along with the story are vibrant and exciting. I love this book and all other books in this series!
January 18, 2023
The illustrations in this book are so beautiful. I would highly recommend it, along with the entire Once Upon A World board book series, for anyone who is looking to diversify a baby/toddler library. Each fairy tale is illustrated with characters from a different culture, and all of them are stunning. I'd also recommend the Penguin Bedtime Classics board book series, illustrated by Carly Gledhill. These are also gorgeous and diverse, and the story itself is simplified more than this series, so they're a quicker read for squirmy kids.
November 17, 2023
This book is a refreshing take on a classic fairy tale. Set in India, the story is about the familiar tale of Rapunzel, but with a cultural twist that adds depth and richness to the narrative. The text is engaging and the incorporation of Indian culture and traditions makes the story even more captivating. The illustrations are stunning, with vibrant colors and details that beautifully depict the Indian setting. It's a wonderful book for young readers who enjoy fairy tales and are interested in exploring different cultures.
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October 29, 2025We have several Rapunzel retellings because my daughter adores Tangled and this is her favorite fairy tale. The Once Upon a World series is really good, setting classic fairytales around the world and letting my kiddo experience these stories through a different lens. I also really like the Cinderella story set in Mexico. The art here, set in India, is colorful and gorgeous.
The story is the Brothers Grimm version of the story, essentially, but shortened and simplified. It is interesting that the witch doesn't get her comeuppance.
The story is the Brothers Grimm version of the story, essentially, but shortened and simplified. It is interesting that the witch doesn't get her comeuppance.
December 30, 2017
As a tutor, I used this with a few of my students. They invariably stated that Rapunzel wasn't black. She had blonde hair and white skin. It was a great way to tell them about oral traditions, and how stories have shown up all over the world, and that timeless stories such as this are not locked into one land or one time. Thank you for letting me give little girls and boys a different view of the world- a view that matches them and is also different from them.
August 22, 2018
Visually fun and bright! Wonderful illustrations! Lovely cultural images. This book is your classic Rapunzel tale. There is no change in culture in the telling of this tale. It’s the same Rapunzel story—only the illustrations are not blonde and blue-eyes. It’s abridged, but well done. Nothing is missing.
This story provides many opportunities for dramatic reading and voices. My baby truly enjoyed it. I will read it again and will try other books in this cultural series.
This story provides many opportunities for dramatic reading and voices. My baby truly enjoyed it. I will read it again and will try other books in this cultural series.
October 3, 2018
Traditional Fiction; 2017.
This was a fun retelling. It stayed true to the story itself (though more tame for children, which I appreciate) but also incorporated some multiculturalism to it. I think having multicultural retellings of the same fairy tales is really important for the classroom - it shows students that all cultures matter and are relevant in stories. I would like to have multiple cultural retellings of the same fairy tales in my classroom library someday.
This was a fun retelling. It stayed true to the story itself (though more tame for children, which I appreciate) but also incorporated some multiculturalism to it. I think having multicultural retellings of the same fairy tales is really important for the classroom - it shows students that all cultures matter and are relevant in stories. I would like to have multiple cultural retellings of the same fairy tales in my classroom library someday.
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