Pterapunzel

Once Before Time

by Christy Webster, Gladys Jose (Illustrator)

Pterapunzel loves to sing, but a mean witch tries to keep her from sharing her songs! From Epic! Originals, Once Before Time is a playful board book series of fairy tales reimagined from a time long ago . . . with dinosaurs!

In this prehistoric retelling of the classic story, Pterapunzel is held captive by a witch who wants Pterapunzel’s beautiful songs all to herself. When the unthinkable happens, Pterapunzel must find the strength to fly and be reunited with her bagpiper friend!
 

Genres: Childrens, Picture Books

32 pages, Board Book

Published May 5, 2020

About the author

Christy Webster is a writer and editor with 15 years in-house experience at major children's book publishers. She has written over 60 children's books and stories and edited hundreds of books, including several bestselling chapter book series. She specializes in early readers, chapter books, storybooks, and media licenses.
Available for freelance writing, editing, ghostwriting and co-writing.

Reviews

[La Coccinelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh, dear. I think this is the weakest installment in this series yet. Unfortunately, the first book, Cinderella Rex, was so much stronger. Subsequent books, when compared with the first, are bound to come up short.

Pterapunzel is the story of a pterodactyl named Pterapunzel who is captured by an evil witch for no apparent reason other than that the witch likes to listen to the girl sing and wants the pleasure all for herself. The witch casts a spell to make Pterapunzel's hair grow into a rope that can be climbed. One day, a prince happens upon the tower and hears Pterapunzel's singing. He climbs up her hair and they have a jam session. At the end of that, he tells her he's going to go get a ladder so she can escape the tower. But the witch sees him leaving. She climbs Pterapunzel's hair, then cuts it off, leaving them both trapped. But Pterapunzel realizes she can fly, so she escapes, leaving the witch in the tower. After meeting up with the prince, she sings (and he plays his bagpipes) and everyone lives happily ever after (except the trapped witch, I'm guessing).

There are a few nods to Disney's version of the story here. The witch looks an awful lot like Mother Gothel (down to the curly hair and hooded cape). Pterapunzel's even shown holding a frying pan. But so many of the better elements of the story--ones Disney kept in its version--are stripped out. Pterapunzel has zero backstory; we don't even know if she has parents. The prince doesn't have a brush with death (or blindness, as in the original) and get saved by the heroine. The inciting incident involving a plant doesn't even exist... which makes the witch's captivity of Pterapunzel seem really random and odd. She just finds a girl with a pretty voice and tosses her in a tower as her own personal radio? Okay...

The illustrations are basic and colourful, but not especially memorable. I haven't really liked the pictures in these books since the first one.

The overall premise of this series is really cute (fairy tales with dinosaurs!) but the last two installments have been pretty weak. They read like they're meant for very young children, and though I realize that they are board books, I didn't get that talked-down-to feeling from Cinderella Rex. This book might be fine for toddlers and preschoolers, but I don't know if anyone older than that is going to be too impressed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing a digital ARC.

[Steff Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

| Reader Fox Blog |


Once Before Time, Christy Webber is back with yet another dinosaur fairy-tale retelling and I am already in love! Illustrated by Gladys Jose, Pterapunzel is yet another brilliant and beautiful reworking of classic fairytales with dinosaurs at the forefront. First we had Cinderella Rex and Sleeping Bronty and now Rapunzel gets her own dinosaur makeover for the pleasure of children everywhere.

I just absolutely adore how Webber weaves her stories. Within moments of beginning this book I was eager and excited to learn what she had in store for Pterapunzel. Webber certainly did not disappoint and we are quickly introduced to a young girl who has been locked away in a tower all because an evil witch wants to be the only one to hear her lovely singing voice. She enchants long hair onto our heroine so that she may climb in to listen to her singing whenever she wishes.

Soon a prince comes along who is also quite fond of music and he and Pterapunzel make a plan for him to return with a ladder in order to free her. But in this story, rather than having a damsel in distress, the author decides to empower not only Pterapunzel, but any little girl reading her tale. So, when the angry and jealous witch catches the prince leaving and returns to try and keep the young dinosaur for herself, Pterapunzel takes matters into her own wings.

Gorgeous artwork and a beautiful, empowering story make Pterapunzel my absolute favorite of this series of Once Before Time dinosaur retellings. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!

I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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[Carla · Rating 5 out of 5]

My grandson loves dinosaurs, so when I asked if he wanted me to read him this story, he was quite happy. As you can see from the title, this is a retelling of Rapunzel using dinosaurs. We have read the others in this series and enjoyed them all and this one did not disappoint. I was surprised he did not know the story of Rapunzel, so he had nothing to compare this retelling to. I thought it was very well done. The witch had trapped Pterapunzel because she didn't want anyone else to hear her beautiful singing voice. There is a dinosaur prince, who makes music with her and runs off to get a ladder so she can escape. Meanwhile, the witch catches them together, and her actions to keep Pterapunzel and the Prince apart have surprising results. We both enjoyed the story and the colourful illustrations. I recommend this one to family, school, classroom and public libraries. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book upon request. The rating, ideas and opinions shared are my own.

[Natalie all_books_great_and_small · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advanced reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

I really enjoyed this book and enjoyed the modern twist that Pterapunzel didnt need a man to save her as she was able to do so herself.
I loved the retelling using dinosaurs too as this is a great way of getting some chikdren who dont like the old fairy tale books, interested in the stories.
I can't wait to read more in this series as this was the first one we have read so far.

[Theediscerning · Rating 4 out of 5]

The good thing about all three entries to this series so far is that the plot has mangled up the original fairy tale and left it with a modern telling, where the female character doesn't need the usual male agency to get by – the Sleeping Beauty didn't need to be kissed, and this Rapunzel (spoiler alert) doesn't really need a bloke to get her out of her tower prison. But the awkwardness still remains – that of the fact they hardly need be peopled by dinosaurs, and with Rapunzel's hair still such a key part of this plot that's only magnified. Yes, it allows for the quippy win-win situation at the heart of this new take on the old legend, but it still demands a bit too much generosity on the part of the reader. Still, for children yet to grow up as sceptically demanding as I, this is pretty good fun. Four goodread stars might be a touch generous, but not much.

[Grace Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pterapunzel loves to sing; in fact, that is all she wants to do! But because a mean witch locked her in a tower, Pterapunzel is lonely and can't sing for anyone but herself. One day, she happens to meet a prince who climbs her hair up to her tower and they spend a lovely afternoon playing music together. But will Pterapunzel ever get to sing in his castle or will she be stuck in her tower forever?

This is a very cute book with a great message, and it combines some of my favorite things-dinosaurs and fairy tales!

**Reviewed for Net Galley

[Panda Incognito · Rating 5 out of 5]

This board book is an adorable, creative retelling of Rapunzel. I like how the author recreates fairy tales without romance, and this one has a particularly strong plot. I also love the bright, colorful illustrations and the use of many different angles and vantage points within the art. This board book will appeal to children and adults who like dinosaurs and/or fractured fairy tales.

Update: I read this for my Royal Storytime event earlier this week, and people loved it! I enjoyed seeing how the kids and the parents reacted.

[Josephine Sorrell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a retelling of the classic fairy tale Rapunzel with dinosaurs as the characters. The book is the same story until the end after the evil witch cuts off her hair. Will she be trapped in the castle forever with no way to get out other than jump to her death? Then there is a sudden realization that the human Rapunzel did not have. This is a cute book and dinosaur fans will like the twist. Illustrations are excellent. It’s a good addition to an elementary library.

[April Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute, prehistoric retelling of the Rapunzel story, told with dinosaurs. It's rather obvious our main character is a pterodactyl, but I'm not sure what the witch and prince are supposed to be. In this version, the witch kidnaps Pterapunzel because she sings beautifully, and the witch wants to keep Pterapunzel all to herself. The witch puts the girl in a high tower, and casts a spell on her to make her hair grow long enough to reach the ground, allowing the witch to climb up into Pterapunzel's room to force her to sing. When the witch isn't around, Pterapunzel sings for herself happily, her only wish being to have a friend to make music with. One day, a passing prince hears her singing, and calls up to her. Pterapunzel lets him climb up her hair, and together, they have a jam session- he plays bagpipes! When he leaves, he vows to return with a ladder, and the witch overhears. She climbs the braid to Pterapunzel's room, then cuts off her hair and throws it out the window, saying they'll both stay there forever, and Pterapunzel will only sing for her. Pterapunzel notices how much lighter she feels, looks down at her wings, and dives out the window, spreading her wings and flying free. She sees the prince with a ladder below, and flys down to him, and together they go to his castle, playing music together all the way. I like that she didn't need the prince to save her, that she was able to escape using quick wits and taking advantage of the situation. I also liked that the prince didn't seem shocked that she escaped without his help, he just was happy she had. The illustrations are cute and colorful, and go well with the story.

#PterapunzelOnceBeforeTimeBook3 #NetGalley

[k2148 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pterapunzel (Once Before Time Book #3). By Christy Webster, Illustrator: Gladys Jose. 2020. Andrews McMeel Publishing (ARC eBook).

A classic fairy tale with an all-star dinosaur cast! A good read for kids when touching on the concepts of determination, friendship and greedy selfishness. And the illustrations are colorful and cute, especially the bagpipe-playing prince.

*Andrews McMeel Publishing ARC via NetGalley

[Raquel Pilar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pterapunzel is a dinosaur who has a beautiful voice, but a witch decided she could only sing for her. Then, she trapped her in a tower where one could only reach by climbing her hair.
But then, when a prince hears Pterapunzel singing, he decides to investigate where the music comes from and befriends the dinosaur.
When her hair is cut off, she realises how light she is now and does something the dinosaur did not not she was able to!
Adorable fractured fairy tale with sweet illustrations and a beautiful message <3

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This dinosaur version of Rapunzel is very fun. In this case, Rapunzel is locked in the tower, so she sings. She makes a friend who climbs up the tower to come and play music with her. But the evil witch does not like this and cuts off Pterapunzel‘s hair. And that’s what it takes for Rapunzel to learn that she can fly and save herself. I love a modern fairytale where the princess saves herself and doesn’t need to rely on the prince. This book is fun, the illustrations match, and there are kids who are going to want to read it repetitively.

[Ada · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute story. It had good illustrations, though we thought they could have a bit more colour to them. We liked that Pterapunzel loved music and that she was strong enough to save herself, though she was still kind enough to accept the offer of help. It showed she was a good person and had a lovely outlook on life. Overall a great story and brilliant life lesson for children.

[Ron Au · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a story retold in a way that truly empowers little girls, where Pterapunzel learned to fly out of the tower after her hair was cut off. I'm also happy with the portrayal of the prince. He's a friend and an ally, but the princess does not have to wait on a prince to open the doors for freedom and a productive future. Christy Webster should rewrite all the obsolete sexist fairy tales.

[Jaden Burdick · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very cute book and it has some really colorful illustrations. I do not think I would use in the classroom for a lesson, but it would be a great recommendation for a student who loves dinosaurs or princesses. This is about the story of repunzel, but in dinosaur form.

[oohlalabooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

My toddlers are into dinosaurs at the moment so this was perfect! The pictures are bright & colorful, the story is entertaining and engaging. We enjoyed it! Thanks to Mathews McMeel Publishing, Christy Webster, and NetGalley for an ARC. This is my honest review.

[MaKenna Lantz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rat it a 5 because it was so good because she can fly.
Pterapunzel loves to sing and she sings .to the prince the witch does not want Pterapunzel to sing to anyone one else. except the witch I would give it to a little girl that loves princess books.

[Mellanie C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it.

[Celebrilomiel · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

[Juliette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Used to target wh- questions.

[Happy · Rating 5 out of 5]

My students even if they are in Grade 7s enjoy it so much! :)

[Melanie Gaum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple but so cute! Included some references to Tangled.

[Sylvia · Rating 3 out of 5]

长发公主的故事，又是女人害女人被男人拯救的故事，给小孩子看能不能弄点细糠？

[Aysha Imran · Rating 3 out of 5]

A classic Rupanzal story .This book tells us about how Rupanzal came to know about her strengths when she lost her hair .Not everything you loose is a Loss.

[Andréa]

Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful!