Hale, Shannon and Dale. Rapunzel's Revenge. Ill. by Nathan Hale. 2008. New York: Bloomsbury. ISBN 9781599900704
Husband and wife team Shannon and
Dale Hale give the classic Rapunzel fairy tale a cowboy twist that will lasso young
readers into graphic novels. Set in a storybook Wild West,
"Punzie" escapes her evil witch mother, Gothel, finds her real mother
(enslaved), and teams up with a dashing but cocky
bowler-donned Jack (as in the beanstalk).
Together they set out through the territory of Gothel's Reach to right the
wrongs brought on by Gothel's greed.
“Rich
with humor and excitement” (Booklist),
some of the adventures and
mis-adventures of this vigilante duo include rescuing a kidnapped spoiled
brat, a horrific battle against ferocious beasts,
and a spine-tingling ride with a giant sea
serpent. In each episode we see Rapunzel’s long
braided hair used as a whip or a rope to get them out of trouble--not your traditional
damsel in distress.
Nathan Hale (no relation)
illustrates the action in vibrant color.
The word bubbles are clear and easy to read. The pages are beautiful to look at and not
too cluttered. It is easy to follow who
is good and who is evil, and the good guys are likable enough to make us care
what happens next. The fantasy world is
easy to buy into aided by the cartoon format of the book.
Tie
in a few other classic tales such as Snow
White, Sleeping Beauty, or Little Red
Riding Hood, give them a Texas twist, and watch the creativity grow as fast
as Rapunzel’s hair. With any luck, you
just might find new meaning to “let your hair down.”
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