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RAPUNZEL By Paul O. Zelinsky 1998 Caldecott Award

"Have mercy on me," the man begged. " My wife is carrying our child.  She has seen your rapunzel from our window and conceived such a longing for it that she will die unless she can eat some. What am I to do?"

Zelinsky, Paul O. 1997. Rapunzel. New York: Dutton Children's Books. ISBN 0-525-45607-4.

Drop whatever you are doing and rush out to the bookstore to purchase Paul O. Zelinsky’s Rapunzel.  This book was awarded the 1998 Caldecott Medal and once you set eyes upon this masterpiece, you will understand why.  The story is simple.  A pregnant woman covets some of the fresh rapunzel growing in the yard of a sorceress.  Her husband attempts to steal some for her.  He is caught and agrees to give the sorceress his child if she gives him the rapunzel.  The sorceress carries the baby away, names her Rapunzel and places her in an elegant tower.  A prince discovers the tower and calls for Rapunzel’s hair.  They fall in love and he visits her every night   When the sorceress realizes that Rapunzel is pregnant, she throws her out into the wilderness. The Prince falls from the tower when the sorceress tells him that Rapunzel is gone.  He is struck blind and wanders the wilderness looking for Rapunzel.  He finds her, her tears clear his vision and they live happily ever after. The illustrations are the major attraction here.  They give immense detail to an otherwise direct tale.  Readers are shown the elegance of Rapunzel’s tower, the agony of betrayal, and the consequences of greed.  The romance of Rapunzel and her prince is more intense and the wilderness more realistic with the help of Zelinsky’s illustrations.  Kids will jump for joy when Rapunzel and her Prince are reunited.  This is a must have for any collection.

What the Critics Have to Say... Children will be captivated by the magical story and evocative pictures and adults will delight in the fresh feel of a well-loved legend. - Amazon.com Ensconced for years in a tower, young Rapunzel meets the prince, ``marries'' him immediately, is cast into the wilderness when her own dress begins to tighten, gives birth to twins, and cures her husband's blindness with her tears at their long-awaited reunion. Suffused with golden light, Zelinsky's landscapes and indoor scenes are grandly evocative, composed and executed with superb technical and emotional command. - Kirkus Reviews One of the most original and gifted of children's book illustrators has once again brought forth a unique vision for an age-old tale. - Ingram By filling his illustrations with visual fine points and making them historically specific, Zelinsky also reminds readers of the idea that this story, or something like this story, actually could have happened - New York Times

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