Sunday, August 8, 2010

Genre 6: Rapunzel's Revenge


Rapunzel's Revenge

Hale, Shannon and Dean. 2008. Rapunzel's Revenge. Ill. by Nathan Hale. New York: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books. ISBN 978-1-59990-288-3

Plot Summary

Rapunzel was raised by Mother Gothel, the woman Rapunzel had always thought was her mother. Rapunzel led a charmed life within the confines of The Villa but always questioned what lie on the other side of the large stone wall.

On her twelfth birthday, Rapunzel could stand it no longer and climbed over the wall. What she saw was shocking! Outside the Villa, every living thing was dried up and withered, including the people who had been enslaved by Mother Gothel. During her visit outside the Villa, Rapunzel meets her true mother, a slave of Mother Gothel's. When she confronts Mother Gothel, Rapunzel is taken away and locked in a magic tree house far above the forest floor.

Rapunzel lived in this tree house prison for four long years. During her imprisonment, her nails, hair, and a nearby tree grew with abandon. Rapunzel, using her hair as a rope, lassoed the nearby tree and swung herself out of her prison.

Meeting many interesting people along the way, teaming up with Jack, a boy on the run, and using her braids as lariats and whips, set off to release her enslaved mother and exact her revenge on Mother Gothel.

Critical Analysis

Using the old west as a setting, Shannon and Dean Hale have brought the story of Rapunzel to America in their graphic novel retelling of a classic fairytale. A clear sense of place is achieved using old west idioms, horses, and gunfights. The Hale's give Rapunzel's Revenge another twist by interweaving elements of another fairytale favorite, Jack and The Beanstalk.

In the beginning, Rapunzel's Revenge sticks fairly close to the original story. It, however, makes a sharp turn when we see our damsel in distress take matters into her own hands. Readers will appreciate this twist where, instead of waiting for her prince charming to rescue her, Rapunzel creates her own means of escape.

This graphic novel retelling also offers an obvious juxtaposition for readers as the story is told in three layers. We have the dialogue within the story, Rapunzel's narration of the events, and Nathan Hale's comic book illustrations. These layers add a level of humor and depth to the story that readers will find intriguing.

Nathan Hale, no relation to Shannon and Dean, is the illustrator for Rapunzel's Revenge. His pictures are an intricate part of the story as they sometimes tell the "true" story. For example, when Rapunzel escapes from the tree the text is, "And then at last I managed to lasso the tree, swing gracefully from my prison, climb down the trees branches, and land triumphantly on the forest floor." The picture shows a slightly different story; Rapunzel swinging from the tree with a look of terror, breaking branches as she falls through the trees, and splashing to a decidedly ungraceful stop in the swamp below.

Nathan Hale also helps with comprehension of the story as his illustrations keep the storyline clear for readers.The pictures aid in keeping the storyline clear. For example, he uses nearly transparent pictures to denote flashbacks and dreams; this keeps readers clear on what is happening at all times.

Review Excerpts

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."

Horn Book starred review: "The gutsy tale is particularly well suited to its format, with illustrations mixing the familiar and offbeat. High action, sensory thrills, and the wisecracking heroes are clearly conveyed through image cropping, text placement, and facial emotional cues."

Connections

Students can read Calamity Jack to find out what happens next to Jack and Rapunzel.

Students can compare the original story of Rapunzel with Rapunzel's Revenge using a Venn diagram or Double Bubble Thinking Map.

Related Books

Calamity Jack by Shannon and Dean Hale

Forest Born by Shannon Hale

Book cover from www.librarything.com

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