Rapunzel: A Rebel Fairytale

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I had read many fairy tale retellings where the female protagonists (usually, “Rapunzel,” “Cinderella,” “Little Red Riding Hood”) are rewritten as strong protagonists who are able to get themselves out their horrible situations using their wits and action skills. So, when I stumbled upon this new children’s book on Edelweiss called “Rapunzel” by Bethan Woollvin, which is also about Rapunzel becoming an action girl, I just had to get this book and man was this a truly interesting book!

How would you envisage teachers using your book in their classrooms? Do any activities or ideas spring to mind?Bethan Woollvin previously won the Macmillan Prize for Illustration for her first book, Little Red, which was also named a New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book. This book was recommended to me by our school librarian as an empowered Rapunzel. Though I would certainly consider myself to have a fascination with fairytales now, I don’t think I did as a child. I actually found them for the most part, to be rather dull! I was a confident child, who didn’t make time for stories about passive (female) characters. I loved intense stories with vast worlds and well written characters, but to my annoyance, most of these characters were males. Well, my first book Little Red began it’s road to publication while I was still at university. I had just turned 20. Still a student, I was still studying full time, while also working professionally with a publisher to get my book finished. And this wasn’t just the first publisher I was working with, it was the first professional relationship I had within the creative industry. It was a really big deal to me, and I had no idea what I was doing half of the time! I was learning on the job, and trying to pass off that I knew all of the publishing terminology, while secretly googling it later. Creating Little Red was truly a delight, and the chance to do this, full time – as a job, was too good of an opportunity to let pass by. All I could be was resilient! I worked, and worked and worked. I graduated university with first class honours, and my book Little Red was published a few years later. I still have no idea how I pulled it all off!

This illustration from Hansel and Gretel really made me laugh! I love the children’s surly body language! Can you talk a little bit more about how you develop your stories through the characters’ body language and facial expressions? You can buy Hansel and Gretel, which is published by Pan Macmillan, here!The traditional Japanese folktale about a stonecutter who seeks ever greater prominence and power is retold in a modern, flippant version. There are so many little hidden gems in the illustrations, like when we see Rapunzel reading a book entitled "How To Defeat Witches." I love those kind of details that make a book special! Once the children have had time to talk about or to hear the original story, ask them to retell the story to one another orally. Following this, allow the children time to create story-maps to capture their oral retelling. Bethan Woollvin's version [of Little Red Riding Hood] has a far darker ending - and I loved it. The talented illustrator and writer has taken a childhood niggle as her premise for this bold feminist version of the story: would our caped heroine really have been taken in by a wolf in a bad grandma disguise? ... I won't spoil the ending but let's just say Little Red wraps it up nicely (and warmly) and it has my three year old son thrilled at every read, begging for more. The Times How would you describe your style of artwork? Are there any artists and illustrators who have particularly inspired you?