Rumpelstiltskin

Retold and Illustrated

By: Paul O. Zelinsky

Summary: A miller wanted to be more important than he was so he boasted that his daughter could spin straw into gold. The king hearing this summoned the daughter of the miller. She was led into a room filled with straw, after crying her eyes out a dwarf appeared. He told her what you would give me to make the straw into gold she gave him her necklace, next day the ling saw the gold spools and wanted more! The next time she gave the dwarf her ring, again the next day the room was filled with gold spools. The king told her if she could do it again he would marry her. The dwarf told her if he did she must give up her first born! Time passed and she had a child, he re-appeared and demanded her child. She offered him all the wealth in the castle but he refused. He told her if you guess my name on the third day you can keep your child. She sent out her spies who found out his name and on the third day she told him. He yelled and left never to be seen again.

Illustration and Art: Paul Zelinkey’s artwork is from 19^th century era. He uses oil paintings to infuse the light of the straw and the spools of gold. He uses full color paintings of various artists to show the style and techniques of European portraits and landscapes. He also uses the medieval settings to reinforce his theme throughout the book. Here Zelinsky keeps true to Renaissance style using oil glazes over black and white tempera paintings. He uses illustrations of the dwarf like: bulbous eyes, flat black hat, skinny arms and legs, and long pointed black shoes. There are only a few lines of text on each page to keep it simple for a child to read. In the interior scenescape shows a powerful and frightening background with rooms full of heaps of straw, and baskets of empty spindles. The illustration of the dwarf is mysterious, at times comforting, devious, furious, and powerfully mystical. There is a strong sense of give and take throughout the story.

Evaluation by Genre: Folk tale, fable, myth, short story. Rumpelstiltskin is a children’s book that first appeared in the book “Brothers Grimm” in 1812. Over the years it has been revised many times. This tale is well-known throughout Europe. The theme is:  an impossible task, a hard bargain, a secret name, greed and deceit. It has been adapted to opera, stage, film, and ballet. Major Conflict: The girl is trapped in false spinning abilities and she has to spin gold or die; Rumpelstiltskin gives her what she wants but wants her first born in return.

Motivational Activities: Display the book and ask the children to tell you everything they know about the story of Rumpelstiltskin. Write who are the characters of the story on the board. Have the children reach in a hat and pick out a character to write about. Then have the children get into groups and re-write the ending.

Reader Response Questions: Introduction questions (1) Does anyone know the story of Rumpelstiltskin? (2) Is it alright for people to tell a lie? (3) Can people really spin straw into gold? (5) Is magic real or fake? Discussion questions (1) was the father right to tell the king that his daughter could spin straw into gold? (2)Is Rumpelstiltskin a good or bad dwarf or both? (3) Why did Rumpelstiltskin want the baby? (4) Why did the king want more gold? (5) Did the queen ever tell the truth to the king? (6) If you were the queen what would you have done? (7) If you were Rumpelstiltskin would you have sung your answer out loud for someone to hear it?

About the Author: Paul O. Zelinsky grew up in the town of Wilmette, Illinois; he is the son of a mathematics professor and a medical illustrator mother. He drew compulsively from an early age, but did not know until college that this would be his career. As a sophomore in Yale College, he enrolled in a course on the history and practice of the picture book, co-taught by an English professor and Maurice Sendak (creator of: Where the Wild Thing Are). This experience inspired Paul to point himself in the direction of children's books. His first book appeared in 1978, since which time he has become recognized as one of the most inventive and critically successful artists in the field. He now lives with his wife in Brooklyn, New York. They have two daughters.
Awards and prizes he received: The 1998 Caldecott Medal for his illustrated retelling of Rapunzel, as well as Caldecott Honors for three of his books: Hansel and Gretel (1985), Rumpelstiltskin (1987), and Swamp Angel (1995).

Personal Comments: I have to say I have loved this children’s tale since I was a little kid growing up. I was always scared of Rumpelstiltskin coming into my room and taking one of my dolls. Over the years the story had changed quite a bit. I have seen the 1996 version which scared the crap out of me. In this story he is trapped in a rock of Jade for 500 years until a woman purchases him in an antique shop. The woman makes a wish and he is released! He then tries to steal her baby. In Shrek the third, which is my grandson’s favorite, Rumpelstiltskin makes an appearance as a member of the fairy tale villains. I bought the original version because it is much nicer than the newer versions. All-in-all I love the story.

Folk tale Characteristics: They represent traits such as cleverness, bravery, or supreme silliness. Characters are delineated economically. Plot lines are direct and uncluttered by side issues. Stories contain very little ambiguity. Conflict is identified early and resolution is decisive. Themes express the values of the people who create them. Language is a direct, vivid vernacular. Setting and time are vague, other than as depicted in illustrations (Galda, figure 5.2, and pg184).

Cited

Zelinsky, Paul O., Jacob Grimm, and Wilhelm Grimm. Rumpelstiltskin. New York: Puffin, 1996. Print.

Whitman Galda, Lee, Bernice E. Cullinan, and Lawrence R. Sipe. "Literature and the Child." , 7th Edition by Lee Galda, Bernice E. Cullinan, Lawrence R. Sipe (9780495602392). Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, n.d. &, 1998. Print.

Post by: Terry M. Wheaton