Book Summary
Rapunzel's Revenge is a graphic book which encompasses more than just he Rapunzel fairy tale. The setting is in the old west. Rapunzel is held in Mother Gothel's castle unable to enjoy all there is to see. Mother Gothel has a secret for growing things, but she has withheld it from farmers and stolen all their land. After seeing the devastation outside the castle and the Gothel's enslaved miners, Rapunzel meets her real mother. She demands that her mother be set free, but instead Mother Gothel puts her in a tree so high that no one can get in or out. After years, Rapunzel refuses to go back to the way things used to be, so Gothel makes the tree start closing up around her. Luckily, Rapunzel's hair is so long she is able to lasso branches and swing from them. When she gets out she also meets a young man, rides a wild boar, fights a sea monster, and out does stealing varmints. She eventually returns to Gothel's and wreaks her revenge. She discovers Gothel's secret for growing and gives it to the farmers. While this is not a traditional fairytale, there is a happy ending for Rapunzel, her love, and her mother.
My Impressions
Like most graphic novels, this one is driven by the pictures as much as it is the text. The duo of Shannon Hale and Dean Hale, and the illustrations by Nathan Hale make this a fun, twisted fairy tale. On the old Rocky and Bullwinkle show, there was a segment called "fractured fairy tales." This one is definitely fractured. Using the old west as the setting allows Rapunzel to use her hair like a lasso and whip. She is not a damsel in distress at all. I appreciate seeing another strong woman who takes her fate in her own hands.
Professional Review
Coats, Karen. (2008). Rapunzel's revenge. Bulletin of the center for children's books, 62(1), 18.
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 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 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 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.
Library Uses
1. Have students search for more fractured fairy tales. If they can't find any, have them write one of their own.
2. Help students create a trailer for Rapunzel's Revenge.
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