Genre 6 - RAPUNZEL'S REVENGE by Shannon and Dean Hale

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Hale, Shannon & Dean. 2008. RAPUNZEL’S REVENGE. New York: Bloomsbury. ISBN 15999070X

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Based on the classic story of Rapunzel, Shannon and Deal Hale bring Rapunzel to the Wild West in a graphic novel that depicts a quite capable young heroine with a bit of a temper, but an pure and loyal heart. After saving herself (a new twist) from her prison high up in a tree, Rapunzel ditches the egotistical prince and, instead, forms a friendship with Jack (from Jack and the Beanstalk). Through a series of favors for favors, Rapunzel and Jack make their way across some treacherous terrain with the ultimate goal of freeing Rapunzel’s true mother and teaching the evil witch (pretending to be her mother) a lesson.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
In this new take on an old tale, the magic is still present. An evil witch with amazing growth power, tree prisons, magical beans, and lassoing braids all combine to create an adventure that is difficult to put down. In true graphic novel form, RAPUNZEL’S REVENGE is a nonlinear illustration of a determined heroine and her loyal friend and sidekick. Mixing the classic storyline with adaptations and new elements, the Hales craft a fresh new story that leaves the reader wondering what will happen next.

Characters that most readers are familiar with, take on new roles and new attitudes with hints of sarcasm and modern language. Trickery, jokes and fun, and friendship are all themes throughout the story which culminate to present the ultimate theme of good versus evil. This book appeals to both boys and girls with the female protagonist and an equally spunky male sidekick. The characters’ actions and motivations are understandable and most readers can empathize with the feelings that drive them.

Mixing the fantastical castle with the outside Wild West gives the book a bit of a more modern feel—this is accentuated with Rapunzel’s eventual denim and boots “get-up.” With each frame of the graphic novel, readers are sucked into the fictitious world and adventure that Rapunzel and Jack are a part of. This is a truly delightful and enjoyable tale, and one that is extremely difficult to put down.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Starred review from SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “While the witch's castle is straight out of a fairy tale, the nearby mining camps and rugged surrounding countryside are a throwback to the Wild West and make sense in the world that the authors and illustrator have crafted. The dialogue is witty, the story is an enticing departure from the original, and the illustrations are magically fun and expressive.”

From BOOKLIST: “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… 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.”

5. CONNECTIONS
* Have students/readers try their own hand at adapting a well-known fairy tale into a more modern graphic representation.
*Compare and contrast RAPUNZEL’s REVENGE to that of the traditional fairy tale Rapunzel.
*Read in correlation with other Shannon Hale books and/or other versions of Rapunzel.