Genre 6: Fiction, Fantasy, YA: Rapunzel's Revenge

Posted by Tamra S , Wednesday, August 4, 2010 3:49 PM

Bibliographic Data

Hale, Shannon and Hale, Dean. 2008. Rapunzel's Revenge. Illus. by Nathan Hale. New York: Bloomsbury.

Summary and Analysis
Shannon and Dean Hale bring their wit and humor to this graphic novel rendering of Rapunzel getting revenge on the evil Gothel, whom Rapunzel grew up thinking was her mother. The comic-book like story contains familiar elements from the classic fairy tale of Rapunzel. The twist in this tale is the setting, elements of the plot, the representation of Rapunzel as a sassy, independent gal, and the intertwining of another famous fairy tale character, Jack. In this version, Rapunzel saves herself from the tree prison in which Gothel had Rapunzel confined. On her quest to seek revenge for her family, Rapunzel encounters Jack, who subsequently becomes her travel partner and accomplice. During their journey to Gothel's villa, Rapunzel and Jack find themselves in several dilemmas and must fight the dangers of the various bandits and beasts they cross paths with. Rapunzel also sees the extent of Gothel's damage to the land and the lives it has effected. This spurs her desire for revenge and to usurp Gothel's magical power. Using her long braids and Jack's knack for getting out of trouble, Rapunzel makes her way back to Gothel's villa to free her real mother and take down Gothel.

The clever, Old West style of the dialogue and clothing alters the setting from enchanted fairy tale land to a place much like the untamed Wild West. Nathan Hale's vibrant and detailed illustrations tell the story along with the text. At some points in the story, like when Rapunzel is fighting the coyotes, the pictures show the events in place of text. Readers in grades 4 and up that are familiar with the fairy tale will enjoy this graphic novel version of Rapunzel.

Awards and Reviews
*ALA 2009 Notable Children's Book
*School Library Journal Starred Review: This is the tale as you've never seen it before. After using her hair to free herself from her prison tower, this Rapunzel ignores the pompous prince and teams up with Jack (of Beanstalk fame) in an attempt to free her birth mother and an entire kingdom from the evil witch who once moonlighted as her mother. The dialogue is witty, the story is an enticing departure from the original, and the illustrations are magically fun and expressive. © Reed Business Information

*Booklist: This graphic novel retelling of the fairy-tale classic, set in a swashbuckling Wild West, puts action first and features some serious girl power in its spunky and strong heroine. Hale’s art matches the story well, yielding expressive characters and lending a wonderful sense of place to the fantasy landscape. Rich with humor and excitement, this is an alternate version of a classic that will become a fast favorite of young readers.

Connections
*Compare/contrast this version to the original fairy tale of Rapunzel and any other versions
*View other graphic novel versions of classic fairy tales by Shannon and Dean Hale. Discuss their similarities in text and illustrations.
*Have students pick a classic fairy tale to place in a new setting. Brainstorm for the new setting: how the characters act, talk, dress; what do the buildings look like; what might you find in this setting (transportation, animals, etc . . .). Have students write how they would change the fairy tale using an alternate setting. Collaborate with the Language Arts teacher to have them write their new versions.

References

Hale, Shannon. n.d. Ideas for Using Rapunzel in the Classroom. Squeetus: The Official Site of Shannon Hale. Retrieved from http://www.squeetus.com/stage/rap_classroom.html


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