Module 10: Rapunzel's Revenge
Book Summary:
A re-imagining of the tale of Rapunzel set in the old West,
this story turns almost everything from the traditional fairy tale upside down.
Rapunzel is raised by her stepmother Gothel in a beautiful villa full of
everything a person could want, except Rapunzel wants to know what's behind the
wall surrounding the villa that her stepmother has forbidden her to climb. When
she finds out that her stepmother has been enslaving the population including
her birth mother and building an empire, Rapunzel rebels and is locked in a
tower for her impudence. She spends the time growing her hair and learning to use
it as a: whip, lasso, and ladder among other things. When she escapes four
years later, rescuing her mother and revenge against Gothel are her goals. She
finds an unlikely ally in Jack, who happens to have some magic beans, a mysterious
goose, and a penchant for stealing. Together, they set out to bring down
Gothel, her magic, and her empire. They travel a Wild West style landscape,
escaping shoot-outs, lassoing wild creatures and meeting some other crazy
characters on their way back to the very villa where everything began and where
it all will end.
APA Reference of Book:
Hale, S., &
Hale, D. (2008). Rapunzel's revenge. New
York, NY: Bloomsbury U. S. A. Children's Books.
Impressions:
I was captured by the title of this book and seeing the
image of a Wild West Rapunzel wielding lassos made of hair on the front cover
sealed the deal. The title Rapunzel’s
Revenge had me thinking about all the princesses in fairy tales that wait
for princes to come rescue them and I was excited at the prospect of a princess
figure who was (hopefully) going to take matters into her own hands. I was not
disappointed! This Rapunzel is a spunky, spirited girl who is curious and
courageous and is a lot more fun to read about than a girl who waits contentedly
in a tower for years. This Rapunzel does not wait for a rescue, but as soon as
she is able, escapes the tower on her own. Using her lengthy locks, this
Rapunzel is able to lasso wild animals, take on villains, coyotes and sea
monsters alike, and even in traditional style, use it to climb up tall
buildings. This empowered protagonist is one I would love to share with readers
everywhere.
I think the graphic novel format really makes this story
into something spectacular. While the authors could have created this story as
a novel with no illustrations, the idea of a hair whip wielding Rapunzel is so
much more fun to see than just imagine. The reader can literally see the story
progressing as they read from panel to panel. Thoughts and dialogue are
differentiated by boxes versus speech bubbles. It is not at all difficult to
understand what is happening even if there are fewer words and more pictures.
As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. With graphic novels, you are
often able to reach audiences that may not usually pick up a full length novel
but a graphic novel is just the right solution and this combination of Wild
West adventure, strong female protagonist, and rewritten fairy tale will appeal
to almost any reader.
Professional Review:
In this oversized full-color graphic novel, Mother Gothel is
using her growth magic to build an empire by limiting the areas where crops
will grow, exacting excessive taxes, and consigning peasants to back-breaking
labor in her mines. Her adopted daughter is oblivious to her mother’s cruelty
until the day when she finally climbs the wall that surrounds her home and sees
the wasteland that exists beyond and meets her real mother. Outraged at her
disobedience, Mother Gothel locks her up in a special tree she has grown for
the purpose. After five years, Rapunzel uses her growth-accelerated red hair to
escape, and, determined to rescue her real mother, she eventually teams up with
a colorful, harmless thief. Adventure after adventure reveals to her the extent
of Mother Gothel’s cruel reach, and she decides she must set her to rights as
well. Using her whippy, ropelike braids and a few athletic fighting tricks she
has picked up along the way, she battles sea monsters, wild coyotes, bandits,
and henchmen on her way to her righteous revenge. Shannon Hale’s comic wit and
romantic sensibilities translate well to this new format, which blends
fairy-tale revision, journey quest, Wild West shoot-’em-up, and action
adventure into one wild ride. The easy-to-follow panel arrangements with their
multicultural cast [End Page 18] of characters guide even reluctant
graphic-novel readers seamlessly through the fast-paced narrative. Readers with
a high degree of empathy will appreciate the attention given to the small
details of the way she manages her hair so as to never to pull it straight from
her head when she’s using it to wrangle outlaws and varmints. The surprising
character revelation at the end provides a perfect climactic pivot and slides
elegantly into the light-hearted comedic structure of a romantic happily ever
after for Rapunzel, her mother, and her man.
Coats, K. (2008). [Review of
the book Rapunzel's revenge, by S.
Hale & D. Hale]. Bulletin of the
Center for Children's Books, 62(1), 18. Retrieved from: http://bccb.lis.illinois.edu/
Library Uses:
Include on a suggested young adult reading list of fairy
tale spin-offs.
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