Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Reese's Review of Rumpelstiltskin

Caldecott Honor Book
As a young child, I remember my mother reading fairy tales to us including Rumpelstilskin.  Though it had illustrations, the oil paintings of Paul Zelinsky are far more beautiful and detailed.  Even the end pages set the scene for the story by giving the reader an overview of the towns and countryside as if one looked out from an overlook. The title page introduces the reader to Rumpelstiltskin lounging on a shelf and hinting at is diminutive stature. The expressions of each of the characters in the illustrations especially reflect the character’s emotions adding clarity for the reader.  I also enjoyed the increasing details of the miller daughter’s clothing as she took the role of queen. Though the characters remained rather flat, as most fairy tale characters do, the illustrations still made it well worth my time.  One particular feature of great interest to me was the inclusion of a note on the text that traced the fairy tale of Rumpelstiltskin from its German roots through its many published versions.  For that reason in particular, this book will be used in my classroom as we discuss the historical background and transformation of stories.
Zelinsky, P.O. (1986). Rumpelstiltskin. New York: Dutton’s Children’s Books.

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