#311 of 1001 · June 7, 2021

Today’s version of Rumpelstiltskin comes to us from Paul Galdone, who illustrates the tale with detailed scenes in thick, loosely drawn lines and bright hues. With many bales of straw, the finished spools of gold, and the cascading blonde hair of the heroine, yellow dominates the color palette of almost every page. To the traditional cast of characters Galdone adds a court jester who hovers near the king, leering and smirking at the miller and his daughter. The little fool bears an uncertain significance in the story, prominent in the art but unmentioned in the text. Curiously, with his diminutive stature, long, pointed noise, heavy-lidded eyes, and hairy brows, he sports more than a passing resemblance to Rumpelstiltskin himself. A closer inspection reveals that the jester even seems to be wearing Rumpelstiltskin’s gold-buttoned blue jacket at the royal wedding. Has Galdone slyly inserted the antagonist of the tale into parts of the story where he does not belong? That may be up to readers to decide—but note that the two bizarre little men never appear together on the same page. #spin #spinning #wheel #gold #queen #baby #name #book #books #childrensbooks #beautifulbooks #picturebook #picturebooks #picturebookillustration #picturebookillustrations #picturebookart #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks