The Girl Who Spun Gold

Bibliographic Information: Hamilton, V. (2000). The girl who spun gold. New York, New York: The Blue Sky Press.

Annotation: A version of Rumplestiltskin told with a West Indies flare.

Genre: Folktale

Grade Level: I

Readers Who Will Like This Book: Those who enjoy stories like Rumplestiltskin, of African American decent, or getting the best of someone who tricked you unfairly.

Personal Response and Rating: I rate this a 4. This was my favorite of the three folktales. The artwork was beautiful, but I found it refreshing for the main character to fight back a little. Usually, the female passively takes what has been forced upon here, in this she expresses her displeasure directly to the one who forces her to spin golden thread.

Prereading Question: What would you do if someone was mean to you?

Duffy and the Devil

Bibliographic Information: Zemach, H. (1973). Duffy and the devil. Canada: Ferrar, Straus and Giroux, Inc.

Annotation: A young girl, with the help of a devil, finds a more comfortable life and is able to trick him out of the agreement she made with him.

Genre: Folktale

Grade Level: I

Readers Who Will Like This Book: Those who enjoy trickster tales.

Personal Response and Rating: I rate this a 2. While the story was an interesting version of the Rumplestiltskin story, the illustrations didn't appeal to me.

Prereading Question: Have you ever said you could do something when you really couldn't?

Rumplestiltskin

Bibliographic Information: Zelinsky, P.O. (1986). Rumplestiltskin. New York, New York: Penguin Books.

Annotation: This is the classic tale of Rumplestiltskin in which a girl is forced to spin gold for a ruler and does so with the help of a little man. The young girl must find out his name if she is to keep her child.

Genre: Folktale

Grade Level: K-3

Readers Who Will Like This Book: Those who like fairy tales, princesses and quality illustrations.

Personal Response and Rating: I rate this book a 3. The illustrations are beautiful and help define the time period in which the story is thought to take place.

Prereading Question: Did you ever have to do something that you weren't sure you could?

Rapunzel

Bibliographic Information: Watts, B. (1975). Rapunzel. Illus. Bernadette Watts. New York, NY: Thomas Y. Crowell Company.

Brief Annotation: Taken at birth from her parents as payment to a witch, Rapunzel is locked in a tower on her twelfth birthday. There she lives until the witch discovers her romance with a handsome young prince, and she is banished to live in the deserted forest.

Genre: Folktale

Grade Level: 2 - 5

Readers who will like this story: Anyone who loves this tale, or similar stories.

Rating/Response: 3 out of 4. The language and illustrations in this version are not as engaging, but it is still a wonderful story. This version does not include a pregnancy and is, therefore, more familiar to me (and possibly many others.)

One question I would ask before a read aloud: What would it be like to be locked up, away from the world? How would you learn about the world outside?

Rapunzel

Bibliographic Information: Zelinsky, P. (1997). Rapunzel. Illus. Paul O. Zelinsky. New York, NY: Dutton Children's Books.

Brief Annotation: Rapunzel is taken from her parents at birth by a sorceress, who locks her in a tower at the age of twelve. A handsome young prince falls in love with her, and they have a secret marriage. The sorceress, discovering Rapunzel is pregnant, cuts her long hair and banishes her to live in the woods.

Genre: Folktale

Grade Level: 3 - 8

Readers who will like this book: Those who enjoy this familiar story, and anyone interested in the history of this folktale.

Rating/Response: 4 out of 4. This is the first version of this familiar tale that includes a somewhat scandalous pregnancy I have read. I also love that after the story, Zelinsky provides a history of this folktale.

One question I would ask before a read aloud: How does good survive evil?

Rapunzel

Bibliographic Information: Isadora, R. (2008). Rapunzel. Illus. Rachel Isadora. New York, NY: G.P. Putnam's Sons, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group.

Brief Annotation: Rapunzel is locked away in a tower by a sorceress. A young prince discovers her there and vows to set her free, but the sorceress discovers the secret and banishes a pregnant Rapunzel to the wilderness. (Set in Africa.)

Genre: Folktale

Grade Level: K - 5

Readers who will like this book: Anyone who is familiar with other versions of this tale, and those who like to believe that happiness comes to all.

Rating/Response: 4 out of 4. This is by far my favorite of the three versions of this tale I read. The illustrations are beautiful, and though the story remains mostly the same, the new and different setting adds deeper dimension to the tale.

One question I would ask before a read aloud: Which is more powerful, good or evil?

The Three Little Pigs and the Fox

Bibliographic Information (APA): Hooks, W. (1989). The Three Little Pigs and the Fox. Illus. S.D. Schindler. New York, NY: Aladdin Paperbacks.

Brief Annotation: This is a different spin on the folklore three little pigs. This book is written with a southern twang and is about three little pigs that are forced to leave home. Two of the three pigs are kicked out of their moms house for being too fat and aren't clever enough to outsmart the fox.

Genre: PictureBook, Folk Tale

Grade Level: 1st-3rd

Readers who will like this: Most children that enjoy picture books will enjoy this. Children that like the story of The Three Little Pigs and children that enjoy books that have someone to root for.

Response/Rating (1-4): 3; This book was written in true southern drawl. It was pretty cute. I liked that the girl pig was the more clever one and she figured out how to outsmart the fox. This was a cute way of telling the story of the three little pigs. It wasn't my favorite story of the three little pigs but it was a cute spin.

One question you would ask before a read aloud: Have you ever heard of a pig outsmarting a fox?