Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon and Dean Hale

 

Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon and Dean Hale

 

 

Bibliography: Hale, Shannon, Dean Hale, and Nathan Hale. 2008. Rapunzel's revenge. New York, N.Y.: Bloomsbury.

ISBN: 9781599900704

Plot Summary: Rapunzel’s Revenge is a twist on the classic fairytale. Set in the Wild West and raised by Mother Gothel, Rapunzel lives a life of loneness in a castle that is manned by guards. One day, she escapes and comes face to face with her real mother. However, Mother Gothel is not happy and banishes her to live a life of solitude in an old magical tree. Here, her hair grows fast and long and she is able to break free after five years. After her escape, she meets Jack, who we later find out is from the classic fairy tale Jack and the Bean Stalk. The pair goes on an adventure to save her mother and to defeat the evil ways of Mother Gothel and in turn become close and fall in love because of their travels.

Critical Analysis: The book Rapunzel’s Revenge is organized in a graphic novel format that is bright and colorful. It is a twist on the classic tale, with surprising new characters and situations that integrate other fairytales including Jack and the Beanstalk. The characters in the story are not easily identifiable to real life, yet, they do possess characteristics that many people strive for. For example, Rapunzel is strong and determined, and is the ultimate heroine of the story. She is presented with qualities that are not usually seen in other fairy tales. She does not rely on the prince to save her, and is self-sufficient and searching for justice. While reading, the reader is automatically drawn into the protagonist and wants to see Rapunzel succeed and save her mother from the evil Mother Gothel. The plot is believable in the sense that it is reminiscent of the Wild West. However, it is not consistent as the characters travel throughout the different towns; yet, it is able to keep the reader’s attention and interest. After escaping the tree that she had been locked up in, the plot focuses on the journey that Jack and Rapunzel embark on to save her mother, and during this time they have to overcome many obstacles from the supporting characters and situations that are introduced to while trying to escape from the eyes and hands of Brute, Mother Gothel's henchman. For example, they must fight off the “beasts” while in the Baldlands. Then, once they finally reach their destination, they have to vanquish Mother Gothel. The setting is described and drawn with enough detail and in vibrant colors to help the reader visualize the events in the story. The theme of good overcoming evil transcends the book as well as the idea of a strong confident heroine. The style of the text is clear and consistent and the author’s voice creates a distinctive framework within the story.  In all, the text strays away from the traditional version of Rapunzel with a damsel in distress and promotes equality and a strong confident female lead.

Awards Received:

·         2009 ALA Notable Books for Children

·         2009 ALA Graphic Novels for Teens

·         2009 ALA Great Graphic Novels for Teens

Review Excerpts:

·         From School Library Journal - Starred Review. Grade 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.–Cara von Wrangel Kinsey, New York Public Library

·         From 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. 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. Grades 5-8. --Tina Coleman

Connections/Activities:

·         Students can compare the text to other versions of Rapunzel.

·         Students can create their own graphic novel.

·         Students can examine the plot, story elements, and character changes within the text.

·         Students can analyze the theme of the story.

Selected other texts from Shannon or Dean Hale:

·         Calamity Jack - 978-1599900766

·         Princess Academy: The Forgotten Sisters - 978-1619634855

·         Scapegoat: The Story of a Goat Named Oat and a Chewed-Up Coat - 1599904691

Related Texts:

·         Target Practice (Cleopatra in Space #1) by Mike Maihack - 978-0545528429

·         Ghostopolis by Doug TenNapel - 978-0545210270

·         Snow White: The Graphic Novel by Martin Powell - 978-1434213945

·         Rapunzel: The Graphic Novel by Stephanie True Peters - 978-1434213921

Personal Connections: I thought that this graphic novel was interesting. My students enjoy reading graphic novels on a daily basis, so this was a great way to explore the format of a popular style of text in my classroom.