Rapunzel by Simona Sanfilipo

Rapunzel by Simona Sanfilipo
Buy Rapunzel by Simona Sanfilipo at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Category: For Sharing
Reviewer: Jo Heffer
Summary: With 'Tangled' having been a huge hit at the cinema, my daughters were delighted to pick up the story of 'Rapunzel'. There are obviously many versions of this popular traditional tale but, this one by Simona Sanflippo, has the added attraction of many lift up flaps which make the story even more enjoyable.
Buy? Yes	Borrow? Yes
Pages: 24	Date: October 2008
Publisher: Child's Play
ISBN: 978-184643249
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A poor villager and his wife are expecting a baby. However, when the man steals some rapunzel from a witch's garden and is caught, she insists that she be given the baby when it is born. That baby turns out to be a girl called Rapunzel, and as she grows up she is imprisoned in a tall tower by the witch. Her hair grows incredibly long and the witch uses this as a means of reaching Rapunzel in her room at the top. A passing prince hears her sweet singing and seeing what the witch does, also calls to Rapunzel to let down her hair. They form a friendship but before the prince can help Rapunzel to escape, the witch discovers what has been going on and cuts off Rapunzel's hair and banishes her to a lonely desert. The prince searches for her, albeit rather hazily, as he has lost his glasses. Will he find her so that they can live happily ever after? Well it is a fairy tale so what do you think?

The story is retold in simple language making it ideal for children who are just starting to build their confidence in reading. There are quite a few words on most pages though so they will need a bit of reading stamina or it might be a good idea to take turns in reading, alternating pages between you and your child. However, the font is quite large and attractive and makes you want to read it. Also, because the story is such a familiar one, the text becomes more accessible to young readers too.

There are lots of lovely illustrations which help to move the story along as well. These are quite comical as well and don't always present the typical stereotypical characters that one expects in traditional tales. This is particularly true of the prince who, although quite nice looking, is not devilishly handsome. Also the fact that he wears thick rimmed spectacles is quite unexpected too. However, having said that, he stills comes across as quite charming. Most illustrations have at least one flap to lift and these are quite clever in moving the story on. One example is when the witch is shown cutting Rapunzel's hair; flip the flap and it is gone.

My six year old daughter really enjoyed reading the story and felt confident as she already knew what was supposed to happen. It is an entertaining story and, like most children, she looks forward to a happy ending. She loves the pictures too and finds the funny looking prince quite adorable. It's a lovely book for all Rapunzel fans. The flaps are an added bonus too and she never tires of lifting these in order to change the picture.

I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.

If you are looking for lots of traditional tales, why not try The Orchard Book Of Hans Christian Andersen's Fairy Tales by Martin Waddell and Emma Chichester Clark.

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You can read more book reviews or buy Rapunzel by Simona Sanfilipo at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
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