Rapunzel (Keepsake Stories)

Oh my god. First of all, the version of the story is off-putting. I respect the attempt to represent classic stories closer to the original, and the idea of allowing certain degrees of realism to remain, despite the deeply American instinct to Disney-fy powerful themes. But this all must be done artfully, with subtlety. This version smacks you across the face, not with brutality, but with clumsy buffs and boffs. The children go, "Huh? "What?" "Why?" and naturally the answers are not in the book. For example, it's clear that Rapunzel and the Prince had sex in the tower since she later is pregnant, but the book says they "got married" in the tower. "What?" The witch throws the prince off the tower but later on he is banged up but still walking around. "Huh?" Rapunzel is banished to the woods but somehow manages to survive on her own and deliver twins! "OMG, let's make her the CEO of Everything!" OK, so let's say you can deal with such ridiculousness with suppressed snickers. What about the fact that the visual representations of the characters change drastically from page to page? They change so much that my 3-year old twins did not recognize the characters one page later! WHAT??? "Who is that?" they ask. I sigh and try to show that "this man" is the same as "that man." They look unconvinced. This book disgusted the girls so much that one of them grabbed it out of my hand and threw it across the room. Then they both told me, with serious faces, "Don't read this book to us again." The book has since disappeared. I can't even find it to get rid of it. Maybe they cut it up with their toddler scissors for practice. Now that's a book review you never want to receive!

While the story was very similar to the traditional version of Rapunzel, I was very upset when the story says Rapunzel & the prince married the night they met in the tower &&&& then Rapunzel is pregnant??? At the end when the prince finds her - she has given birth to twins??? I cannot use this in my preschool any longer. So sad I purchased this particular version even if the illustrations were top knotch.

It's very difficult to find fairy tales that are appropriate for preschoolers -- either they're "uncensored" and too close to the original, dark versions, or they're too long and wordy to keep a young child's attention. This one is great because it's direct, simple, but well-written. The story isn't all sugar cones and candy canes, but it's not as brutal as the original Grimm and Andersen versions either. The pictures are beautiful. My four-year-old loves this book, and has started quoting "Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!" at the most random moments. Great find, and we have enjoyed several of the other books in this series as well.

Good book with original story Graphics were the only downfall

Great Illustrations and storyMy 2 1/2 year old loves the detailed illustrations and the story. Good book for older toddlers who enjoy a bit more words in their stories while seeing the words represented in the drawings.

Ugh. Everything is wrong with this book. First, a husband steals an herb, twice, for his pregnant wife. He makes a deal with a witch to give up his baby girl to get the herb. The witch takes the baby girl (Rapunzel) away when she's born, and her parents are sad and never mentioned again in the book. This plot line is particularly awful for foster and adopted children. Then the girl is locked away in a tower until a prince finds her, marries her the day they meet, and he impregnates her during one of his night visits. The witch casts Rapunzel away in the wilderness where she apparently gives birth alone to twins. Her prince is also cast away and blinded. Eventually they find each other and "live happily ever after". Um what? There is no good moral to this story. Do not buy.

One of many books I purchased for my grandkids.

Was exactly what I needed for my granddaughter s character parade!

Which little girl has not wanted to have long hair like Rapunzel after having read this story? This is a good adaptation except for the little shock I got at the end that Rapunzel had given birth to twins while roaming around in the forest. I'm not saying we all couldn't have guessed what she and the prince were up to alone in the tower but really...I gave the book to my three year old niece as a birthday present and her mother was as surprised at the ending as I was. She quickly went back through the book and did find a line that said that Rapunzel had given the prince her hand in marriage, so a big sigh of relief there then!

Not at all a pleasure to read. It leaves you with little sympathy for the protagonists. Sadly, my daughter seems to enjoy it, so I suffer it repeatedly but it will come in handy when she's older and I can use it to explain how to avoid making dumb life choices. Keepsake? Not for my sake, thanks.

perfect daughter loves it

still need to read this to the twins

All good, Thanks