Rapunzel

by Bethan Woollvin

This humorous retelling of the classic fairy tale spins a delightful, girl power twist, from New York Times Best Illustrated Book-winner Bethan Woollvin.

Rapunzel lives all alone in a tall, dark tower. Under the threat of a witch's fearsome curse, the poor girl seems doomed to a life in captivity. But is Rapunzel frightened? Oh no, not she! Rapunzel has a few tricks up her sleeve, and she's not afraid to use them.

With sly humor and striking illustrations, author-illustrator Beth Woollvin, creator of the New York Times Best Illustrated Book, Little Red, replaces the typical damsel in distress with a brave, smart, and creative girl.

Genres: Picture Books, Fairy Tales, Childrens, Fantasy, Fiction, Retellings, Fractured Fairy Tales

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2017

Reviews

[Ronyell · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I would like to thank Edelweiss and Peachtree Publishers for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I had read many fairy tale retellings where the female protagonists (usually, “Rapunzel,” “Cinderella,” “Little Red Riding Hood”) are rewritten as strong protagonists who are able to get themselves out their horrible situations using their wits and action skills. So, when I stumbled upon this new children’s book on Edelweiss called “Rapunzel” by Bethan Woollvin, which is also about Rapunzel becoming an action girl, I just had to get this book and man was this a truly interesting book!

The story starts off with the wicked witch trapping Rapunzel in a tall and dark tower and every day, the witch would come into the tower and cut some of Rapunzel’s hair off to make some money off of it. Also, the witch would threaten to put a terrible curse on Rapunzel if she tried to escape the tower.

Was Rapunzel frightened by the Witch’s threats?

Oh no, not she!

I must admit that I was quite intrigued with the premise of this book! I have always loved reading fairy tale retellings where a different spin is taken on the fairy tale and I will admit that this was not the first time that I had read a “Rapunzel” tale where Rapunzel turns into an action girl (Shannon Hale’s “Rapunzel’s Revenge” anyone)? Bethan Woollvin has done a great job at retelling this story as I loved the fact that Rapunzel becomes a resourceful girl who used her wits to outsmart the witch in this story and I also loved the fact that she was never scared of the witch’s threats since she is always one step ahead of the witch. Bethan Woollvin’s artwork is adorable and creative to look at as Rapunzel is shown as being a small girl with long golden hair, while the witch is shown wearing a large black top hat that makes her outfit look so unique! I also loved the fact that the artwork is mostly in black and white with Rapunzel’s hair being one of the few things that has yellow colorings in this book, which makes her hair really stand out in the book!



The reason why I took off half a star from the rating was because I felt that the story was a bit bland at some place. I wished that more was fleshed out on Rapunzel herself and even though I like the fact that Rapunzel is much more resourceful in this book, her actions did not seem to have much weight at times because I wanted to learn more about her backstory to really sympathize with her character.

Overall, “Rapunzel” is a great read for anyone who wants to read a fairy tale retelling that features a strong female protagonist! I would recommend this book to children ages four and up since the narrative is easily accessible for younger readers.

Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog

[Chasity · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yeah! Rapunzel doesn’t take anymore crap and takes charge! I like Rapunzel as a character in storybooks, and loved her motivated attitude in Woollvin’s retelling.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Woollvin's design sense, her use of color, her twists on fairy tale characters made strong and cunning, and the little rabbit that I believe was in Little Red as well (and now, a chicken too!).

But my favorite part is the witch's bloomers.

[Karen Witzler · Rating 2 out of 5]

Colorful, interesting design - but for a host of reasons, I prefer the more traditional. I suspect that many children will have this as their first and only exposure to the tale and the "empowering" changes will be lost on them. Written for their parents.

[Kailey (Luminous Libro) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, my goodness! This is wonderful!!! There is Rapunzel, stuck in the tower, with that evil witch visiting her every day. But does Rapunzel need a Prince to save her?? NO! Rapunzel figures out a way to defeat the witch and free herself from the tower, all on her own.

Rapunzel is resourceful and brave! She's really quite ingenious, and (dare I say it?) full of spunk.
She makes friends with some forest animals, and with their help, she becomes a scourge to witches everywhere. I just love seeing a story where the princess takes action and saves herself!

I adore how the illustrations are all in black, white, and yellow. It makes the yellow objects stand out, and brings your attention to the page. There is this ridiculously chubby horse with a short neck, who looks so weird and funny! The witch's dress/hat ensemble is strangely bizarre, and her yellow witchy underpants are hilarious!

There are so many little hidden gems in the illustrations, like when we see Rapunzel reading a book entitled "How To Defeat Witches." I love those kind of details that make a book special!

Disclaimer: I received an ecopy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts and are not influenced by anyone.

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a re-written version of Rapunzel that little girls should love. Rapunzel does not need to be rescued by a prince, she is smart and strong and is able to outsmart the witch who has her trapped in the castle tower. With the help of some animal friends she meets when she sneaks out of the tower, she not only escapes, but does away with the witch. A very short cute story that shows how brains can overcome a lot of troubles. A great book for public, school and home libraries. This could be used when teaching fairytales, learning about self-esteem as well as to develop confidence. A lot of uses in a classroom. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Things I adore about Bethan Woollvin's RAPUNZEL:
1. There is no prince (only a delightfully chubby forest pony).
2. Heaps of deadpan humor in both text and illustration.
3. HILARIOUS witch underpants.
Woollvin is firmly establishing herself as the Angela Carter of picture books--her playful, subversive take on fairy tales is both empowering and deliciously offbeat. More, please!

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 2 out of 5]

At first glance, the minimal amount of text in this book and the illustration style made it seem like a perfect way to introduce this fairy tale to toddlers and preschoolers. But then I realized the prince has been edited out of the story and the whole thing has an irritating and inauthentic "girl power" feeling to it, and I put it back on the library shelf never to be read again.

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bethan Woollvin briskly and boldly retells the story of Rapunzel as a lovely tale of courage and daring with delightful illustrations.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this fractured fairy tale that emphasizes that young girls and women can save their own damn selves (with a little help from friends) and don't need a man to do it for them.

[Zandra Cardenas · Rating 5 out of 5]

In almost all of the stories about Rapunzel, the witch/sorceress kept the first child of this couple in repayment after they stole their rapunzel plants from her garden. In the new version (2017) of Rapunzel the author and illustrator Bethan Woollvin made this book a bit different. The illustrations were very detailed with lots of black, gray, and white and the only hint of color is from Rapunzel’s hair. The character lived alone in a tall tower. The witch wanted her to stay there forever but that was not Rapunzel’s desire. She was not afraid, nor frightened by the witch’s curse. She cut her hair when the witch was going down the tower and she fell on the ground. After that moment Rapunzel was able to free herself and never saw the witch again. In the story, we can see how the author gives the main character the strength and courage to fight for her liberty and freedom. It made her strong and righteous to make the best choice she had to run free.
This traditional literature is appropriate for grades pre-k to third grade but since is a classic tale all ages can enjoy it. I would recommend using the new version to help children get creative about new character perspectives and how persistence helped to obtain the final goal.

[KC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really great illustrations especially the witches bloomers!!!!

[Chance Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rapunzel uses her own hair to her advantage and becomes a vigilante witch hunter.

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was pitched as a feminist retelling of Rapunzel, and that's exactly what it is! I laughed out loud at some of the images and found its somewhat dark-ish ending to be still age-appropriate and delightful. Loved the boxy art and girl-power theme.

[AJ Easterday · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clever reimagining of Rapunzel in which the princess saves herself. It has similar vibes to Tangled but without the love story.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just as she did in Little Red, the author/illustrator relies on one color--bright marigold yellow--as the focal point in this revisionary version of the classic fairy tale. Even though the witch warns Rapunzel of the consequences of ever leaving the tower in which she has imprisoned the young girl, Rapunzel has plans of her own. She cunningly fashions her long locks into a ladder and explores the world around her. Over time, she weaves together leaves and branches and uses them to climb to freedom after tricking the witch. Readers will enjoy looking for some of her animal friends, including a bunny and a chicken. There's a sly message of self-empowerment in the story too. I liked the scissors shapes and the end papers with witches peeking out from behind trees. It looks as though this author/illustrator has found a great formula that works well for her.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the twist on an old favorite. This series has been consistently cheeky and charming with delightfully mischievous covers.

[Brenda G · Rating 5 out of 5]

I located this book in my school’s library. I recommend this book for children ages 5 to 9 years old, but anyone can read it.
*SPOILER ALERT*
This story was about Rapunzel being trapped in a tower by a witch. One day, Rapunzel tied her long hair to the bed to use it to get out and explore. The witch came back to visit her and used her long hair to try to leave the tower. Rapunzel then snipped her hair while the witch was trying to get out so she fell. The witches were now frightened of Rapunzel.
This story is brilliant. It put a big smile on my face. I think it teaches a few valuable lessons. One of them is that we should not do terrible things because it will probably get back to us, like it happened to the witch. Another valuable lesson (theme) is that young girls can help themselves from evil just like Rapunzel did. I also liked the flow of the book. The plot is well put together, I feel, from beginning to end. The setting was the room in the tower and the first, which was simple enough to not get confused.The characters show their true personalities by their actions and they are clear to see. For example, Rapunzel is fearless because she risked getting out of the tower despite the witch’s warnings.
The illustrations do not have much color, which I like. They were white, black, gray with pops of yellow. Only Rapunzel’s hair was yellow which makes it stand out. This gave me a positive feeling about her hair in particular. The simplicity of the illustrations were nice. I also thought it was fun how the illustrator incorporated little witches peeking out of the trees while Rapunzel was riding the horse. They showed a worried face and it was fun trying to find them.
A teacher can use this book to teach about girl/boy empowerment. Students could write about how they would feel empowered. Students could also write/draw on how they would save themselves from being in trouble. They could also write about how they would help someone in trouble. A teacher can also use this book to talk about the sequence of events in this story. What was the problem and solution?

[Wayne McCoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Rapunzel' by Bethan Woollvin is a clever retelling of the well-known story. The cover illustration pulled me in, and the internal ones didn't disappoint.

Rapunzel is trapped in a tower by a wicked witch. The witch climbs Rapunzel's hair and takes some of it to sell. She threatens that if Rapunzel leaves, the witch will curse her. But Rapunzel has a plan.

This is a clever Rapunzel who needs no prince to save her. She's also brave and pretty fearless. This version of the story with it's plucky heroine made me smile.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Peachtree Publishers, Myrick Marketing & Media, LLC, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fractured fairy tales have become a genre all there own in recent years. And I love it. There are no shortage of different ways to change the original stories to suit a wide variety of different tastes. This fractured version of Rapunzel is bound to capture the attention of readers who prefer action-oriented heroines rather than the original 'sit-back-and-wait-to-be-rescued' type. The touch of violence also makes this a version more similar in tone to the violence found in many of the original fairy tales (especially the Grimm brothers versions). The story does follow the original, at least at first. There is a young lady locked in a tower by a witch who lets down her hair to allow the witch to visit her. The witch cuts some of Rapunzel's hair to sell. Despite the witches threats to curse her if she tries to escape, Rapunzel uses her beautiful golden hair to escape. And while she spends her alone time exploring the surrounding forest, she seeks a permanent solution. And eventually she puts her plan into action. The witch is permanently disposed of and Rapunzel becomes a witch hunter. The black and white illustrations stand in stark contrast to the bright yellow of Rapunzel's hair, but it creates an interesting dynamic with the reader immediately drawn to the hair on every page. An interesting take on a traditional tale with an old-fashioned evil gets punished and good gets rewarded ending. The idea that the way we are raised has a tremendous impact on who we become certainly plays out in a powerful way in this story as well.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love frairy tale retellings where the girls have gone from just sitting around waiting for their prince to saying, screw this, and saving themselves.

This is the case with this cute, short picture book. Rapunzel figures out not only how to over come the witch, and escape, but goes on to hunt and capture other witches and wizards that are causing harm to others.

Simple but bright drawings, kids should enjoy this, as well as adults, who are getting tired of the same old fairy tales.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

[Nikki in Niagara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very simple and brief retelling of the fairytale. The art, however, is amazing. It was the cover that drew me to this in the first place. The witches are body sized witch hats with arms and legs and the simple shapes will have children trying to copy the drawings with success. The story leaves out the prince and has Rapunzel make her own escape. Lovely!

[Liz A-O · Rating 5 out of 5]

An adorable, super fun, feminist retelling of Rapunzel. The art is great and fun. My 3 y/o daughter loves the story ("that witch is NOT very nice") and we love teaching her to be strong and awesome for her own sake. (Who needs princes??) Checked it out from the library, will be buying our own copy to keep.

[Alli Smith Hagerty · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book would be good to read after learning about fairy tales and how story can be rewritten. This book is definitely for older students, in my opinion. They would have to understand the original to understand this good. The ending might also need to be explained because I can see it going over a lot of students' heads, however the ending is a bit violent if explained.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fractured-fairytale girl power retelling of Rapunzel. With striking yellow, black, and gray gouache illustrations, Woollvin introduces a clever and fearless Rapunzel that will have young readers clamoring for more.

[Trent Clegg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant re-imagining of this classic tale! Rapunzel doesn't need a prince to save her. This is a fantastic book for children to read that could help them later in life should they need to rescue themselves at some point.

The art is wonderful and the prose is perfect.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Again, a great feminist read in which the leading lady is decisive and completely self reliant. You go girls!

[Jae · Rating 5 out of 5]

ummmm....... YES. I never knew that what I needed most in the world was for Rapunzel to be her own hero, but Bethan Woollvin delivered.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating illustrations and a feisty Rapunzel who takes charge!

I really liked this and want to seek out Woollvin's other books.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the style and it’s a fun retelling - no princes!