#316 of 1001 · June 12, 2021

Rumpelstiltskin Week concludes with Christopher Noël and @peter.sis.art‘s whimsical and wonderfully bizarre vision of the tale. Noël maintains the Grimms’ structure, while making distinctive narrative choices of his own. The little man appears in the chambers of straw from a different entry point each day: a trapdoor in the ceiling, and loose stone in the wall, a crack in the floor. Rather than sending a servant out on her behalf, the queen takes a hands-on approach and sets off on her own (baby in tow) to discover the name she so desperately needs. As in other adaptations, Rumpelstiltskin stamps his foot into the floor when finally confronted with the secret knowledge; however, here he spins like a tornado, drilling into the earth until he disappears. Sís employs his familiar detailed style to create an ever-so-slightly eldritch visual landscape where the king’s castle perches atop a hill looking like a staring human face. Behold Rumpelstiltskin—a mad jester with a red coxcomb and a white ruff and Venetian plague doctor mask. The wicked dwarf’s popping eyes, bared teeth, and inhuman claws make him a sinister figure indeed, a disturbing monster clown waiting to pounce on anyone who falls afoul of his twisted game. #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