Repunzel by Paul O. Zelinsky

Rapunzel by Paul O. Zelinsky
  1. Bibliography
Zelinsky, Paul O. Rapunzel. Puffin Books, 2002. ISBN 0142301930
  1. Plot Summary
While pregnant with her first child, a woman has the urge and longing to taste the repunzel
growing in a garden that belonged to a sorceress. The husband snuck into the garden and
retrieved as much repunzel as he could. As the wife devoured the repunzel, it made her craving
even worse for the herb. The husband left again to retrieve some more repunzel, however this
time he gets caught by the sorceress. She bargains with him that he may take all the repunzel
he needs in exchange for his newborn baby.  As soon as the baby is born, the sorceress takes
the baby away, names her Repunzel, and raises her. At twelve, Repunzel is locked away in a
tower and stays that way for many years. Eventually a prince stumbles across Repunzel and
tricks her into letting him into the tower. Struck by her beauty, the prince asks her to marry him,
and Repunzel accepts. Repunzel soon grows pregnant. When the sorceress finds out, she chops
off her hair, and banishes Repunzel to the wild. The prince falls from the tower, as the sorceress
tricks him into thinking she is Repunzel. The prince becomes blind and wanders the forest for a
year, searching for Repunzel. One day Repunzel spots the prince in the woods. She runs up to him,
shedding tears and hugs him. The tears cure the prince of his blindness, where he then sees his twin
children.


  1. Critical Analysis
This story is not quite the Disney version, Tangled, but indeed much more gruesome.
 A father trades the life of his unborn child to save his wife. I’m sure his wife wasn’t
happy about that deal. But the ending is very sweet; who doesn’t love a happily ever
after?
The illustrations in this story are beautiful and so realistic. It makes the reader feel
like they are apart of the story. Something about the illustrations remind me of the
paintings done by Leonardo Da Vinci.


  1. Review Excerpts
  • Caldecott Medal Winner, 1998
  • Carl Sandburg award, 1998
  • Goodreads Review:
“This retelling is masterful, mixing its many origins. I also love the artwork,
and it 100% earned its Caldecott win. I love this so much."
  1. Connections

  • Show students famous art works from the Italian Renaissance
(The Birth of Venus- Sandro Botticelli, The Mona Lisa- Leonardo da Vinci,
Madonna of the Goldfinch- Raphael)  and have them compare those works
to the illustrations in this book

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