Module 13: Graphic Novels

Rapunzel’s Revenge by Shannon and Dean Hale

Summary: Rapunzel is raised by her mother Gothel in a magnificent villa with lots of guards and a very, very high garden wall.  One day curiosity gets the better of Rapunzel and she climbs over the garden wall to see a shantytown of miners.  While exploring the mines Rapunzel discovers that Gothel had kidnapped her when Rapunzel was a baby.  Imprisoned for disobedience, Rapunzel escapes from her tower and runs off to free her real mother with the help of Jack (of the Beanstalk fame).

My Impressions: I thought this was a cute version of the traditional fairy tale.  Rapunzel is definitely more high-spirited than the traditional version; she isn’t waiting for anyone to come and save her.  Because of this, the Wild West is a perfect setting for the story.  It’s hard not to want to pull for Jack and Rapunzel as they are both very likeable characters.  I felt like Rapunzel probably should have been a bit less street-smart, but overall it was a well-done graphic novel that I can see students enjoying.

Review: 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. Young Rapunzel lives a lonely life, never knowing what lies beyond the high garden walls of her mother’s royal villa until one day she climbs the wall to see what’s on the other side. When she finds that the world outside is a dark place oppressed by her mother’s greed for power and uncovers the real secret of her own birth, she is imprisoned in a magic tree tower. In her years of captivity, she learns a lot about self-reliance and care for her exceptionally long hair, and eventually she is able to escape, vowing to bring down her mother’s cruel empire. 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. — Tina Coleman

Library Use: As a librarian, I could see using this book in a partnership with either the art teacher or English teacher by planning a unit on graphic novels and then having students take a story and turn it into their own version of a graphic novel.  The student written graphic novels could then be put on a book display with those that were initially used to teach the lesson.

References:

Coleman, T. [Book review of Rapunzel’s Revenge by S. and D. Hale]. Retrieved from www.booklistonline.com

Hale S, and Hale, D. (2008). Rapunzel’s revenge. New York, NY: Bloomsbury