Rapunzel by Bethan Woollvin

Rapunzel by Bethan Woollvin
Buy Rapunzel by Bethan Woollvin at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Category: For Sharing
Reviewer: Ruth Ng
Summary: Never mind the handsome Prince, how about a girl who is smart enough to defeat the wicked witch by herself? Funny and empowering!
Buy? yes	Borrow? yes
Pages: 32	Date: June 2017
Publisher: Two Hoots
External links: Author's website
ISBN: 9781509842674
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Ah Rapunzel, how well we all know about her long golden hair and her difficult-to-escape tower! Here, however, the story is told with a twist, because there is no handsome Prince who comes riding by to save Rapunzel from her incarceration. No, instead we see Rapunzel is smart enough to figure her own way out, defeating the witch, and going on to a successful witch-hunting career.

Although we have the usual locked tower situation here in this Rapunzel story, we soon see that Rapunzel has figured her own way out of the castle, and that she is then working on a way to defeat the witch (who has threatened to cast an evil spell on her if she ever escapes). Rapunzel spends time in the forest, when the witch is away, making friends with the animals and reading books like 'How to defeat witches'! From this, she soon discovers how she can kill the witch, and escape from the tower to go on and lead what we can only assume will be a happy and successful life!

The illustrations have a very distinctive style, all black and white, apart from the yellow of Rapunzel's hair. I liked their simplicity, and the way that Rapunzel looks like an entirely normal girl, just with super long hair! The witch is drawn in a stereotypically witch way, with her pointy black hat and pointy black boots, but actually she does look rather friendly throughout most of the story, so this isn't a nightmare-inducing story! On one picture we actually see the witch's long underpants, covered in yellow moons and stars, which makes her seem a lot more human!

There are sweet little birds hiding around and about in some of the pictures, and a rather strange-looking horse. I wanted to like the horse, because he's helpful to Rapunzel and has a sweet smile, but his neck is a bit short whilst his bottom is a bit big! Still, I do like at the end when he's wearing his eye mask, like Rapunzel's mask, and they are hunting down other evil witches together!

This is simply done, but very effective. It's always nice to be able to share an alternative version to a traditional fairy tale, especially when that alternative version gives an empowering story line for girls, rather than another dashing rescue by the man of the moment.

Further reading suggestion: For another great retelling of Rapunzel, you could also try How the Library (Not the Prince) Saved Rapunzel by Wendy Meddour and Rebecca Ashdown or Rapunzel by Jutta Ash.

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You can read more book reviews or buy Rapunzel by Bethan Woollvin at Amazon.com.

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