Module 13: Rapunzel's Revenge

Rapunzel's Revenge

by Shannon and Dean Hale

Illustrated by Nathan Hale

Hale, S., &  Hale, D. (Ill. Nathan Hale) (2008). Rapunzel's revenge. New York, NY: Bloomsbury.

"Once upon a time, there was a beautiful little girl." p. 4

Summary:

This graphic novel is a twist on an old fairy tale.  Hale plucked Rapunzel from her castle and dropped her in a western to see what she would do.  All the familiar parts are there--the hair, the tree "tower," the origin of her name, her real mother--but Hale adds more depth and character to this beloved princess and turns her into one tough teenage girl we all can root for.  Her long hair becomes her weapon, and Jack (beanstalk Jack) becomes her sidekick once she learns what her "mother" has really been up to.  The tale is a journey of growth and discovery on Rapunzel's part and satisfaction on the reader's part.  True to the title, revenge is on Rapunzel's mind, but don't worry, it all works out in the end.    

Impressions:

This book was a hoot!  I loved the original take on the fairy tale and enjoyed the way Hale smartly wove Jack from "Jack and the Beanstalk" into Rapunzel's world.  The illustrations were well done.  The writing and artwork were balanced and worked on a story level, complementing each other.  Young adults and middle grade readers alike will be intrigued and satisfied with the plot twists and depth of story.  There's a lot going on in the story, but it never strays too far from its roots.    

Reviews:

From Booklist:

Grades 5-8. 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.

Citation: Coleman, T. (2008). Rapunzel's revenge.  Booklist, 105(1), 100. 

From Horn Book Magazine:

Shannon and Dean Hale's graphic novel treatment transforms Rapunzel into a spunky, hair-whip-toting cowgirl. After her eyes are opened to her stepmother Gothel's evil nature, Rapunzel is imprisoned high in a tree in a magic forest, where the ambient growing magic leaves her with twenty-foot braids for use as lassos or weapons. Escaping on her own initiative (a pompous would-be rescuer arrives too late), sixteen-year-old Rapunzel then joins with a stolen-goose-toting rapscallion named Jack to rescue her enslaved mother and end Gothel's reign of terror. Readers familiar with graphic novels will feel at home with the conventions of image cropping, text placement, and facial emotional cues. Newbies may not realize how particularly well-matched the Hales' gutsy tale is to its format, but this introduction -- with its high action quotient, immediate sensory thrills, and wisecracking heroes -- should win many converts. Illustrator Nathan Hale mixes the familiar and offbeat in his settings, transporting our heroine from Gothel's eerily deserted villa to the carved sandstone of dusty arroyos to a birch forest that's home to the Duggers, miniature miners who bring to mind the seven dwarfs. Rapunzel's maturation and growing sophistication are enjoyable to watch, as is the deepening friendship-flowering-into-romance between her and Jack (and yes, he's that Jack). With such a successful debut, one hopes to see more graphic novels from this trio.

Citation: Burkam, R. (2008). Rapunzel's revenge. Horn Book Magazine, 84(6), 705-706.

Library Activity:

Graphic novels are very popular among school age readers and young adults.  Parents and educators, however, have a hard time buying into graphic novels and often question the quality of the writing.  For a library activity, invite students, and teachers and parents, to the library for a reading from Rapunzel's Revenge.  Because it's a visual work too, be sure to project pages while reading and to allow time for the silent pages to speak for themselves.  Play western instrumental music in the background to develop a sense of the time and place.  Follow up the reading with handouts of the Rapunzel paper doll.  Shannon Hale has several other books that are well received by readers and critics, including the Newbery honor book, The Princess Academy.  Be sure to mention these as a bit of author background and to add credibility to the graphic novel genre.  
Shannon Hale's Website
Rapunzel Paper Doll