#286 of 1001 · May 13, 2021

Another Rapunzel unveiled: this time, an elegant adaptation by Barbara Rogasky and Trina Schart Hyman. The glowing watercolor scenes, surrounded by narrow, decorative borders, brim with energy, replete as they are with a rich and inviting clutter. The gaunt, piercing-eyed Mother Gothel receives a corvine motif, suggested by her cadre of crow familiars and bird skull necklace. The tower is a tumbledown spire in the depths of a sprawling birch wood. Hyman makes the fascinating choice of including a door at the base, initially operational but later boarded up, answering the perennial question of how Mother Gothel transports Rapunzel to the top of the tower to begin with. A note for folklore enthusiasts: Rogasky remains faithful to the text of the Brothers Grimm, with a few subtle alterations. Rather than make a blanket demand, Mother Gothel expresses a gender preference, stipulating that the child must be given to her “if it is a daughter”. In the original tale, Rapunzel believes the prince loves her more than her possessive stepmother does, whereas here she notes first that he is “better looking” (as well as kinder) than the witch. Finally, instead of deliberately throwing himself off the tower, the prince backs away from Mother Gothel in fright and inadvertently falls out the window. #rapunzel #garden #witch #tower #hair #prince #book #books #childrensbooks #beautifulbook #beautifulbooks #beautifulbookcovers #picturebook #picturebooks #picturebookillustration #picturebookart #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks