Zelinsky, Paul O. 1997. Rapunzel. Illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky. New York: Dutton Childrens Books. ISBN: 0-525-45607-4.
Paul O. Zelinsky’s retelling of Rapunzel is beautifully done. Zelinsky’s tale is set during the Italian Renaissance. It is in front of this beautiful background that the classic story unfolds. There is a childless couple who would love more than anything to have a child. When the wife conceives, she begins to crave the rapunzel growing in her neighbor’s garden. (The neighbor is, of course, a sorceress!) The husband grants his wife’s request but at a great price—the sorceress asks to raise the child. After the child is born, the sorceress claims the baby girl who is promptly named Rapunzel. The sorceress cared for the baby, seeing to her every need. Rapunzel grew to be a child of rare beauty, with pale skin and an abundance of red-gold hair. When she reached the age of twelve, the sorceress led her into the forest to live in a high tower (10). The only way in and out of the tower is by Rapunzel’s hair. When Rapunzel is grown, she meets a handsome young prince. She lets him into her tower where they are married. The sorceress discovers these secret meetings between the prince and Rapunzel through this ever-so-innocent statement, If you please, Stepmother, help me with my dress. It is growing so tight around my waist, it doesn’t want to fit me anymore (21). (Apparently, expanding waistlines can only be the result of pregnancy in this fairytale world!) As punishment, the sorceress gives Rapunzel a haircut, and blinds the prince. Rapunzel is sent away to raise her twins in a wild country. But this being the fairytale that it is, she is later joined by her blind but ever-faithful prince. At their reunion, the prince regained his sight with the aid of two of Rapunzel’s tears. The reunited family heads towards the prince’s kingdom and they all lived happily ever after.
Zelinsky’s book is outstanding in many ways. First of all, the illustrations are excellent. Zelinsky’s oil paintings are beautiful. They not only complement the text, they enhance it tremendously. In fact, they alone define the setting of Zelinsky’s tale. The illustrations are powerful and evoke emotion. For example, the reunion of the couple on pages twenty-eight and twenty-nine. Words could not express their joy and surprise at finding one another again. Words could not do justice to the feelings they were experiencing. (The words were, Rapunzel saw him and opened her arms to him, weeping (27). But somehow the illustration can. Zelinsky is definitely good at capturing human expressions.
Secondly, Zelinsky’s book is outstanding because it not only provides the story, but it provides the historical background of the story. While little ones may not note the historical notes in the back of the book, they should not be overlooked by adults. I was fascinated to learn the origin of Rapunzel. I had no idea that Grimm’s tale was in fact not a folk tale but a variation on a French and Italian literary fairy tale. The Italian story was Petrosinella. It was published in 1634. The French story Persinette was published in 1697. The Persinette story was later republished in 1790. This version differed in that instead of the wife craving parsley, she craved rapunzel (the German translation….rampion in English). Grimm’s version was published in 1812. In Zelinsky’s retelling of Rapunzel, he combines elements from all of these stories.