Rapunzel's Revenge

Hale, Shannon & Dean. Rapunzel’s Revenge. Ill by Nathan Hale. New York: Bloomsbury, 2008.

In this graphic novel, the story of Rapunzel is retold and reinvented, with the classic elements of the story remaining intact. Rapunzel is a young girl living with her very strict mother behind a wall that separated her from the rest of the world. As she grows up, her curiosity of what lies behind the wall becomes greater. One day she decides that she will find out what is on the other side of the wall and when she does she is quite shocked. Her surroundings are green and lush, but the rest of the land governed by her mother is bleak and desolate. She finds slaves getting water and realizes she knows one of them. This female slave is, in fact, Rapunzel’s real mother. Rapunzel was taken from her because her husband had stolen some lettuce from the garden owned by the evil woman who Rapunzel knew as her mother. Upon learning this Rapunzel confronts her “mother”, who then traps her in a tree far beyond the reach of wooded floor. Years ago by and Rapunzel grows, as does her hair. Once it is long enough, she uses her long locks to free herself from her tree prison. After escaping, she runs into Jack (who we later in find out is Jack of Jack and the Beanstalk), who becomes her traveling companion. The duo traverses the land in hopes of stopping the evil mother and freeing the real one from captivity. Along the way, they meet the various inhabitants of their homeland, each with a different perspective. Finally, Rapunzel is victorious over the evil mother (but not before her hair is chopped off), is reunited with her long-lost mother and finds a love companion in Jack.

What makes this story more interesting than a regular written version is the fact that striking pictures are included. In fact, some of the panels in the novel are truly without words, meaning that the picture speaks for itself. Reading a story in this way, the graphic novel version, will also be more intriguing to some children that may be uninterested in reading a chapter book. It is an easy way to introduce a longer story to some readers that could be overwhelmed or intimidated by chapter books. Kirkus Reviews agrees with this assessment saying that the “art…provides a snazzy counterpoint to the text.” Tina Coleman in Booklist also comments about Nathan Hale’s art saying that it “matches the story well, yielding expressive characters and lending a wonderful sense of place to the fantasy landscape.” The use of pictures in telling the story also makes the reader feel like they are reading a more adult work, rather than just a picture book. This feeling can give the reader a sense of accomplishment.

Transforming a traditional story can be difficult, but the authors do a lovely job of incorporating the old elements of the story with new fantastical ones. They do not forget the essence of the story, but they make sure to give Rapunzel her own voice and identity. School Library Journal’s Cara von Wrangel Kinsey comments that “the dialogue is witty, the story is an enticing departure from the original.” By making this effort, the reader is shown that Rapunzel is not a victim or passive, but rather an active participant in her destiny. Dialogue between the characters is humorous which lends to ease of readability. The authors and illustrators truly work together in order make the new Rapunzel and her journey come to life.


Book jacket found on: http://thebooksmugglers.com/2009/08/joint-review-rapunzels-revenge-by-shannon-hale.html