Rating: 
Summary: One Of The Most Beautiful Stories Ever To Be Written
Review: A rare book. Zelinsky tells the story of "Rumpelstiltskin", evoking a story most American children will know. Especially impressive is his tiny details. A good example of this is his spinning wheel. Many illustrated Rumpelstiltskin stories show the spinning wheel as something that Rumpelstiltskin throws straw towards, causing golden coins appear. In this edition the spinning wheel is technically correct. The miller's daughter is given empty bobbins, onto which Rumpelstiltskin spins golden threads. Zelinsky's accomplished paintings show the golden bobbins gleaming, one on top of another. The portrayal of Rumpelstiltskin himself was described in one review I read as "Rackhamesque". I don't know if this was the illustrator's intent, but he certain does seem culled from a classic European fairy tale book from the early twentieth (or even nineteenth) century. The oil paintings look Southern European, and though a story with an odd moral (if you can outwit your opponent by cheating, you're in the clear) it is an excellent book for children. Like its companion book, "Rapunzel", this too would be a promising book for storytelling.
Rating:
Summary: The most technically correct spinning wheel in kiddie lit
Review: A rare book. Zelinsky tells the story of "Rumpelstiltskin", evoking a story most American children will know. Especially impressive is his tiny details. A good example of this is his spinning wheel. Many illustrated Rumpelstiltskin stories show the spinning wheel as something that Rumpelstiltskin throws straw towards, causing golden coins appear. In this edition the spinning wheel is technically correct. The miller's daughter is given empty bobbins, onto which Rumpelstiltskin spins golden threads. Zelinsky's accomplished paintings show the golden bobbins gleaming, one on top of another. The portrayal of Rumpelstiltskin himself was described in one review I read as "Rackhamesque". I don't know if this was the illustrator's intent, but he certain does seem culled from a classic European fairy tale book from the early twentieth (or even nineteenth) century. The oil paintings look Southern European, and though a story with an odd moral (if you can outwit your opponent by cheating, you're in the clear) it is an excellent book for children. Like its companion book, "Rapunzel", this too would be a promising book for storytelling.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful, Complicated Tale with Magnificent Illustrations
Review: As previous reviews have noted, the illustrations are exquisite and quite out of the ordinary; instantly captivating and magical at first glance. My daughter is 3 and 1/2 and is riveted by the book. I feel confused at how strongly some of the readers feel about the book's "message." Yes, many of the characters are "bad" and it is morally ambiguous, but the sheer flight of fancy and imagination captured by the tale has intrigued and fascinated readers and listeners since the early 1800's. It's like a child's version of a scary movie without the macabre details, and even though Rumpelstiltskin himself is ugly and frightening even though he is actually "saving" the queen, the book and story's power coem from the fact that he is such an unusual character; not whether he is good or bad. Furthermore, the additional magical ideas of straw into gold, being locked up in a castle, servants running off in the middle of the night, and a little elfen man riding around on a spoon are bizarre and fanciful and elements like these fill much of the fairy tale genre for centuries. I say, get over the p.c. messages and concetrate on the fantasy and magic of the story that is so compelling to readers, especially with Zelinsky's magnificent pictures. Life is complicated, and so is the story - it doesn't try to answer all the questions and make everybody good/bad/punished/redeemed. That is not the point of this particular story. If you only want a story with a moral, it's true that this is not the book for you. If creative ideas and concepts that you could never think of yourself are what your looking for in a book, then it is the book for you!
Rating: 
Summary: GORGEOUS ILLUSTRATIONS
Review: I gave this one 4 stars because I think the telling of the tale could use a little "oomph", but it's worth it just for the illustrations. I ALWAYS send books to my little sisters. They're the best critics - and the first thing they notice are the pictures. The colors are so vivid they seem 3D. Rumpelstiltskin looks like a little pinched elf. He's great!!!This one began my search. I unearthed some real treasures from the shelves. Take a peek at these: Puss N' Boots - Twelve Dancing Princesses, Pegasus, Cinderella (illustrator K.Y. Craft)-The Tempest, The Sea King's Daughter (illustrator Gennady Spirin)
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely beautiful book to look at!
Review: I read this book to my 3 1/2 and 2 year old and they sat absolutely still for the whole book. Then they wanted me to read it again to them! The illustrations are breathtaking.
The story is told with easy to understand text. I would recommend this book to any parent.
Rating:
Summary: Beautifully illustrated. Adds much to the story.
Review: I've known the story of Rumplestiltskin since I was a child. I could never understand the concept of "spinning straw into gold". The first time I saw the Zelinsky edition, this became incredibly obvious - the wisps of straw were spun into golden threads wound on spools. This had always been mystifying to me - I pictured straw becoming gold coins. Zelinsky's illustrations, in addition to being beautiful paintings in their own right, add a level of clarity to the story that, I don't know, that even an adult can understand!
Rating:
Summary: Review by an 8 year old
Review: If you like books with great pictures and a great story...Rumplestiltskin is the book for you. It is retold and illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky. I'm only eight and I can whiz through the book with no trouble at all. It is good for all ages. I was enchanted by the old fairytale. Even though you know it is fake it sounds like it really happened. I think you would be enchanted by the book. My friend and I read it for expressive reading to our class and our whole class loved it!
Rating:
Summary: A feast for the eyes!
Review: No wonder his illustrations have won so many honors. These pictures are so beautiful you could frame them. The colors practically glow -- the gold on its spools, the details in the castle rooms, the landscapes. It reminds me of Zelinsky's "Rapunzel," but without the uncomfortable plot point of that one. He also goes into the story's history at the end, which explains a bit of the unfamiliar wording. Without going into that page, the rest is highly suitable for reading out loud to a small group of children. And this is enhanced by the oversize pages, which helps when you hold them up for the kids to see.
Rating:
Summary: Beautifully illustrated and good retelling of classic
Review: Rumpelstiltskin is a classic fairy tale and this is a beautiful retelling. The illustrations are lush and full of detail that adds to the story. The retelling is easy to read but does not talk down to children. My daughters who are five love this book and we have read it dozens of times. I highly recommend this for fairy tale lovers. I was attracted by the illustrations which are beautiful but stayed for the story.
Rating:
Summary: Zelinsky Paints a Beautiful Picture of Rumpelstiltskin
Review: The Grimm Brothers wrote one of their most famous tales,"Rumpelstiltskin", over a century ago and others havetranslated and retold it many times since. Paul O. Zelinsky retold"Rumpelstiltskin" based on one of the Grimms' earliest versions of the story. He was also the illustrator. The illustrations in Zelinsky's version are oil paintings. This allows him to create an exceptional antique setting for the story, as well as striking characters. There is such detail in each illustration that there is almost an individual story with in each picture. The intense use of shadowing combined with a kaleidoscopic amount of colors also makes this story's pictures peculiarly realistic. Zelinsky clearly portrays a distinct and more exciting way of seeing the classic tale, "Rumpelstiltskin". The first thing that makes these illustrations so life-like was the individual characters combined with the ornate and detailed backgrounds. The expressions on the characters' faces are drawn in such detail that the reader can easily see what they are feeling at a glance. The reader can also predict whether a character is good or bad from the detail of his/her face. The queen's (miller's daughter) large, gentle eyes and delicate, ivory skin demand the reader's compassion, even though she broke her promise to Rumpelstiltskin that saved her life. Rumpelstiltskin's tiny body accented by his pointy nose and chin gives off a sinister aura. The little details with in each picture make them all unique. An example is when the king is walking into the room where the miller's daughter is with all the spools of gold. There are rays of sunlight coming throughout the window reflecting off the spools that it hits. The colors used makes the room look warmer and more comfortable than when she had entered into it the night before. You can see some of the gold thread unraveling off various spools. The wrinkles in the miller's daughter's clothes shows that she is not in a very comfortable position as she sleeps one of the piles of gold. These are all such minor details that you might not even notice in a photograph. The title page and end papers even include detailed artistry. They show a petite village that is surrounded by a range of mountains and an ocean. The narrow, dirt road winding down to the tiny community gives out the idea that the village is relatively secluded from the rest of the world. I think that the title page and the end papers are a great way to covey the setting and atmosphere to the reader right away. The component of Zelinsky's illustrations in, "Rumpelstiltskin", that made them seem so life-like was his use of shadowing. A good example of this is when the queen sent her servant into the woods to look for Rumpelstiltskin. In this picture the only light the reader can see is from the servant's lantern and the few feet it shines on around her. The reader can also see the moon's reflection in the ocean. This use of shadowing makes these illustrations look not only life-like, but like photographs too. In Zelinsky's version of "Rumpelstiltskin", the illustrations were very realistic, because of his use of shadowing, complex use of colors, and phenomenal detail. Zelinsky's pictures are so effective that the words are practically unnecessary to tell the classic tale of "Rumpelstiltskin".
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