Module 13: Rapunzel's Revenge

Rapunzel's Revenge
by Shannon and Dean Hale

Book Summary:

Rapunzel has grown up in a luxurious villa with Mother Gothel, but she’s never been completely happy. She is plagued by a dream of a family she doesn’t know and wonders what is beyond the extraordinarily tall wall surrounding the villa. One day Rapunzel finds a way to see over the wall and is shocked by what she finds – a land completely destitute and barren and exactly the opposite of the lush surroundings she has known inside the villa. During her adventure Rapunzel discovers that Mother Gothel is not her real mother at all. Gothel stole her from her real parents, and her real mother is a slave in Gothel’s mines. When she confronts Gothel about it, Rapunzel is punished by being locked in a tree far away. For four years, she is a prisoner in that tree while her hair grows and grows and grows. Finally, Rapunzel uses her hair to break out of her prison. After her escape Rapunzel, Jack, her new friend, and Goldy the trusty goose, move around the countryside encountering one group after another persecuted by Mother Gothel.  Their travels take them back to beginning and Mother Gothel’s villa where Rapunzel fights giant snakes and brutal henchmen, only to lose her handy locks to Mother Gothel’s shears.  All is not lost however and the evil witch faces the wrath of Mother Nature as Rapunzel exacts her revenge, saves her mother, and restores peace and prosperity to all the land.

Hale, S., Hale, D., & Hale, N. (2008). Rapunzel's revenge. New York, N.Y: Bloomsbury.

My impressions:

I enjoyed this graphic adaptation of one of my favorite fairy tales. I also appreciated that Rapunzel was a strong heroine, that didn’t need rescuing by a prince. Shannon and Dean Hale did an excellent job adapting the story to an exciting and adventurous tale, set in a quasi Wild West environment, with even the slightest hint of a love story at the end. The quick banter between Jack and “Punzie,” as he calls her, is entertaining and keeps the adventure light-hearted. The graphic novel format kept my attention and the illustrations added a great deal to the story, helping me envision every piece of action exactly as the author intended it. This graphic will also appeal to boys and girls alike, and girls especially will appreciate the way this strong heroine overcomes her restricting environment, saves the day, and is able to do it without “Prince Charming” coming along to rescue her, rather Rapunzel is often left to rescue the somewhat clumsy Jack. Fairy tale enthusiasts will appreciate how the Hale’s have interwoven Jack and the Giant Beanstalk and the Golden Goose’s story with Rapunzel’s tale.

Professional review:

Gr 5 Up-- 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." Dogged by both the witch's henchman and Jack's outlaw past, the heroes travel across the map as they right wrongs, help the oppressed, and generally try to stay alive. Rapunzel is no damsel in distress-she wields her long braids as both rope and weapon-but she happily accepts Jack's teamwork and friendship. While the witch's castle is straight out of a fairy tale, the nearby mining camps and rugged surrounding countryside are a throwback to the Wild West and make sense in the world that the authors and illustrator have crafted. The dialogue is witty, the story is an enticing departure from the original, and the illustrations are magically fun and expressive. Knowing that there are more graphic novels to come from this writing team brings readers their own happily-ever-after.

von Wrangel Kinsey, C. (2008, Sep 1). [Review of the book Rapunzel's revenge, by S.
     Hale and D. Hale]. School Library Journal, 54(9). 215. Retrieved from
     http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/

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. Young Rapunzel lives a lonely life, never knowing what lies beyond the high garden walls of her mother’s royal villa until one day she climbs the wall to see what’s on the other side. When she finds that the world outside is a dark place oppressed by her mother’s greed for power and uncovers the real secret of her own birth, she is imprisoned in a magic tree tower. In her years of captivity, she learns a lot about self-reliance and care for her exceptionally long hair, and eventually she is able to escape, vowing to bring down her mother’s cruel empire. 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.

Coleman, T. (2008, Sep 1). [Review of the book Rapunzel’s revenge, by S. Hale and D. Hale].
     Booklist,105(1), 100. Retrieved from http://www.booklistonline.com

Library Uses:
Rapunzel’s Revenge would be an excellent choice for a collaborative lesson on fairy tales. The librarian could promote the fairy tales through graphic novel depictions of the popular fairy tales the students have been learning about and reading in class. The graphic novel depictions could be displayed together and the librarian could promote each one and then invite the students to check them out and discover the difference in the original tale and the graphic novel version of the same story. Additional titles I recommend including in this collection are: Thumbelina: The Graphic Novel by Martin Powell, The Princess and the Pea: The Graphic Novel by Stephanie True Peters, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (Graphic Revolve Series) by Blake A. Hoena, and Jack and the Beanstalk: The Graphic Novel by Blake A. Hoena.