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: 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: 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: A great classic
Review: The illustrations helped support and great tale. My daughter loves it. I know that there are many different versions but I was slightly disappointed that the ending was different from the version I remembered as a child. In this version Rumpelstiltskin flies off on a spoon. The version from my childhood is where Rumpelstiltskin is so mad that he jumps so hard he goes through the floor. Even w/the slightly updated version it's still a classic and must have for nay household.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful, Complicated Tale with Magnificent Illustrations
Review: This is a nearly verbatim rendition of the Grimms' story, and it's hard to understand why Zelinsky would use his talent to illustrate it for children. Even harder to figure out is how the American Library Association could award its Caldecott Medal for distinguished American picture book for children to any rendition of this dreadful tale: The king threatens to kill the miller's daughter if she can't spin gold from straw. Rumpelstiltskin saves her life by spinning gold for her, but extracts a necklace, a ring and, on the third night of spinning, a promise of her firstborn. She then marries the king, whom Zelinsky depicts as young and handsome. When it comes time for the queen to hand over her newborn, Rumpel agrees to relent if the queen can discover his name. She sends a servant to follow him into the woods and discover the name. So the king, though he looks good, is greedy and brutal. The queen is a victim who agrees to give over a future infant to save her own life, and then depends on an anonymous, unrecognized "servant girl" to save the child. And Rumpelstiltskin, shown as physically unattractive and (the message seems to be) therefore bad, is the one who saved the future queen from execution and then relents on the payment he bargained for. A weird, twisted story that offers nothing for kids, illustrated with Renaissance-style pictures that accentuate the perversity by making the bad guy look good and the guy who saved the damsel in distress look bad.
Rating:
Summary: A beautiful presentation of a famous tale.
Review: This is a retelling of the famous children's "fairy" tale, first presented by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm in the early 19th century. A young mother has to guess a gnome's name (he had been spinning straw into gold for her) in order to prevent him from taking her new-born babe. This book was a 1987 Caldecott Honor book (i.e., a runner-up to the Medal winner) for best illustrations in a book for children. Paul Zelinsky did considerable research to follow the original version of the tale and his art reflects the time period of the story. It is a beautiful book.
Rating:
Summary: Beautifully illustrated
Review: This re-telling of the classic tale is absolutely stunning in its illustrations. The storyline definately needs explaining to small children. My 3 year old son wanted to know why the small man could take the Queen's baby away. Of course, Rumpelstilskin never actually takes the baby because the Queen learns his name. However, the premise of the story is unsettling to small kids. Nevertheless, I would not go overboard with political correctness as the story is a classic and so long as you explain the story, your children should enjoy it. I also recommend Mr. Galdone's other books as his illustrations are absolutely wonderful!
Rating:
Summary: A Confusing Grimm Brothers Tale with Beautiful Illustrations
Review: This version of Rumpelstiltskin is based on the second edition of the Grimms' work in 1819, with some language from later versions and a few additions by Mr. Zelinsky. All of this is detailed in the author's note at the end of the book. The high points here are the matchless, detailed illustrations that mimic oil paintings in delicate, detailed pastels. These images create a majesty and power that add to the mystery of this most powerful story. This version will leave some unsatisfied for the apparent foolishness of the miller and the needless cruelty of the king. The miller visits the king and brags that his daughter can spin straw into gold. The king sends for her, and bids her to do this overnight, or be killed the following morning. She is locked up with a spinning wheel and straw. She weeps in despair because she has no idea of how to do that . . . until a little man comes in and offers to help. She trades her necklace for his aid, and soon the straw becomes golden bobbins of thread. The king likes this and demands that she do it again the next night. The little man again offers to help. She trades her ring this time for his assistance. The king then comes and says she must do it a third time or die. If she succeeds, he will marry her. With nothing left to pay the little man, she has to agree to his request for her first born child. After the child is born, the little man returns for his reward. She persuades him to give her three days to guess his name. If she succeeds, she does not have to give up her child. A servant follows him into the woods and hears him say, "Rumpelstiltskin is my name." The queen "guesses" correctly and he rides off on a spoon never to be heard from again. This story always bothered me when I was a child. Why were the men all so unreasonable? I still find myself feeling that way 50 years later. I avoided reading this story to my children when they were little. I didn't think it had the redeeming values of most folk talkes. The reason for reading this book is to enjoy the illustrations, so I recommend that you get it for yourself (rather than for your child) if you liked the story as a youngster. If you didn't like the story, even the illustrations won't save it for you. The book won a Caldecott Honor for its illustrations. After you finish reading the book or thinking about the story (if you don't read it), I suggest you consider your own conduct to locate any places where you make promises or say things that create problems for others. Be sure you aren't acting like the miller. Act honorably, and inspire that in others!
Rating:
Summary: Zelinsky brings depth and beauty to a frightening fairy tale
Review: When I was a child I remember being frightened by the story of Rumpelstiltskin. A miller's daughter is ordered to spin straw into gold or the king will have her executed. An odd little man appears and offers to help her in exchange for her first born child. Finally, she makes a deal: she will be able to keep her child if she can guess the little man's name. Through stealth, she does so, and the angry little man flies away on a cooking spoon. All fairy tales have an odd element to them, but this one was so bizarre it was scary. And every character in it is despicable, including the greedy king, who the miller's daughter marries (was that supposed to be a happy ending?). Paul Zelinsky hasn't altered a single detail of the odd story, but his illustrations, based on Italian Renaissance oil paintings, make the tale clearer and far less frightening. His control of gesture and facial expression is marvelous, and as you watch the miller's daughter's face change from innocence to wariness to fear for her child, to intelligent calculation, and finally to triumph, it is obvious that this is a story of a young woman making her way from complete innocence, where she is at the mercy of others, to an intelligent (if crafty) control of her own life. The best picture in the book is the final one: the miller's daughter, now queen, looks down on her baby with love, while the greedy king stands looking on, a little dumbfounded, a little awed. There may be hope for this relationship after all. This is a book my daughter asks me to read over and over, and I'm more than happy to do so.
|
