Rapunzel

Because of the Disney version of the Rapunzel story told in the film Tangled, we are all really big fans of Rapunzel. We have read a few stories from the library about Rapunzel as well as a few in treasuries and one specific version from [a:Paul O. Zelinsky 64039 Paul O. Zelinsky http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1244535874p2/64039.jpg] which I hope to add to our shelves eventually (as well as his [b:Rumpelstiltskin 280240 Rumpelstiltskin Jacob Grimm http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348899686s/280240.jpg 271837] and a few others...) and this one was similiar, but also different. I enjoyed how this story had the fairy tale feeling (still a little scary for some, but not with the surprise pregnancy, which I'd rather not have for my youngest preschooler age). For this book specifically from [a:Sarah Gibb 526807 Sarah Gibb /assets/nophoto/nophoto-F-50x66-2a9d702c2a0f483c9f7dd119cc28a9a7.jpg], it's absolutely beautiful. I was not familiar with her art before, but now I definitely want to go back and buy the books by [a:Ursula Jones 324500 Ursula Jones /assets/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66-251a730d696018971ef4a443cdeaae05.jpg] illustrated by Sarah Gibb including [b:The Princess Who Had No Kingdom 7097128 The Princess Who Had No Kingdom Ursula Jones http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347339069s/7097128.jpg 7354424] and [b:Beauty and the Beast. by Ursula Jones 11735733 Beauty and the Beast. by Ursula Jones Ursula Jones http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347838374s/11735733.jpg 16684845]. The artwork is gorgeous and challenging. It is different that one usually finds with a lot of play with shadow and coloring in reverse, but still lovely tone choices and shapes. This Sarah Gibb version of Rapunzel brings the story off the page and is a true treasure from Albert Whitman & Co. and I'm coming to find more and more that they have some amazing quality books both in actual material quality as well as that which is on the page. I love this one and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it for every princess' shelf. Thanks to Albert Whitman & Co for providing a copy for review. draft scheduled: http://creativemadnessmama.com/blog/2013/05/07/rapunzel/

Sarah Gibb retells the old story of Rapunzel yet another time, this time with illustrations in which all the highlights, flowers, curtains, clothes on the line, are pink. Even the pages with text seem to have a slightly pink tint. Gibb's version is a compelling version, with drama and romance and terror, and the illustrations are perfect for the story.

“Every morning, Rapunzel could hardly wait for the old witch to leave so that her prince could arrive. Until, one day, the witch began to watch her suspiciously, puzzled at her new-found sparkle. But Rapunzel was in another world and she didn't notice.

‘It's strange,' she mused dreamily, ‘you take so long to climb up the tower these days. The prince seems to fly up to me.'

The witch stared in stunned horror. She could hardly believe her ears. ‘Snake! You've betrayed me!' she screeched. ‘There's no punishment good enough for you!'”