Rumpelstiltskin by Paul Zelinsky

BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Zelinsky, Paul O. (1986). Rumpelstiltskin. New York, NY: Scholastic, Inc. ISBN 0590056999
PLOT SUMMARY
   This is a pleasing and beautiful retelling of the Rumpelstiltskin tale. Wanting to impress the king, the poor miller claimed his daughter could spin straw into gold. She was immediately summoned to the castle, led to a straw-filled room by the king, and instructed to spin the straw to gold by the next morning or she would die. Distraught and frightened, the poor miller’s daughter began to cry. Soon a tiny, empathetic man entered the room and offered to spin the straw into gold for her in exchange for her necklace.
   The next morning, delighted by the spools of gold, the king led her to an even bigger room filled with even more straw. Once again, he told her to spin the straw into gold by morning “if she valued her life.” Again, the tiny man returned and spun the straw into gold for the girl’s ring. The king was amazed and filled with greed when he saw the “piles of golden spools glow[ing] in the morning light” and offered to marry the girl as he took her to a huge room filled with piles of straw.
   The tiny man appeared and once again offered to spin the straw. Unable to give him anything, the girl promised to give him her first child as he requested. The king and the girl were soon married and a year later had a baby son. Having long forgotten about the tiny man, the now queen was surprised by his sudden appearance. The tiny man had returned for the baby boy. The queen cried and pleaded with the tiny man. Taking pity on her, the tiny man offered the option to keep her child should she know his name after three days.
   The queen thought about all the names she knew, found out new names from “inquiries made in town”, and sent a servant to find and spy on the tiny man. Upon hearing his name, Rumpelstiltskin angrily shouted “The Devil told you that!” and quickly flew away never to be seen again.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
   Paul Zelinsky creates an incredibly appealing book with his elegantly written story and equally refined illustrations. The extraordinary color and detail offered by the full-page, Renaissance-style oil paintings offer a breathtaking background for the story, especially the expanse of the straw filled rooms, the elf-like, bizarre depiction of Rumpelstiltskin, and the gleaming yellow glow of the straw and gold throughout the book. One of my favorite illustrations also reflects the gleaming yellow glow, only this time in the golden flames of Rumpelstiltskin’s cooking fire when he is discovered singing and “riding on a cooking spoon” by the queen’s servant.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
1987 Caldecott Honor Award
AMERCIAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION (ALA) Notable Book
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL Best Book
AMAZON.COM review - “A delightful book worth its weight in gold!”
PUBISHER’S WEEKLY review – “[A] sophisticated work that adults will marvel at, and that children will joyfully embrace.”
CONNECTIONS
*Teachers can read the story for enjoyment (!) and discuss story elements.
*Students can extend their learning by writing an alternate ending.
*Students can explore the meaning of their own names.
*More award winning books adapted and/or illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky:
Zelinsky, Paul O. Rapunzel. ISBN 0525456074
Zelinsky, Paul O. Swamp Angel. ISBN 0140559086
Zelinsky, Paul O. The Wheels on the Bus. ISBN 0525446443