Rumpelstiltskin (Rabbit Ears We All Have Tales)

In this popular Grimm’s fairy tale, a king tells a young woman that she must spin a roomful of straw into gold by morning—or die. To complete this impossible task, she is forced to promise her firstborn child to a mysterious little man in return for his gold-spinning ability. Years later, he returns to claim what is his—only to find that he has underestimated the power of a mother’s love. This is a haunting and heartfelt retelling of the classic German tale. Illustrated by Peter Sis. Ages 6 and up. Part of the award-winning Rabbit Ears series "We All Have Tales." CD and DVD versions are narrated by Kathleen Turner with original music by Tangerine Dream. Winner of Chicago International Film Festival Award; The Children’s Music Web Awards special judges’ citation. DVD and digital video downloads are available at Amazon's Disc on Demand and Amazon Instant Video. The audiobook is available at Audible.com. Hardcover, library bound edition is available at www.rabbitears.com.

Paul O. Zelinsky, 1998 Caldecott medalist for Rapunzel, also has three Caldecott Honor Books under his belt: Hansel and Gretel, Swamp Angel, and this fine edition of Rumpelstiltskin. Zelinsky's oil paintings are perfectly suited to the strange saga of the little man with the secret name who knows how to spin straw into gold. The golden light infusing the late medieval setting subtly reinforces the theme.

The visual characterization of Rumpelstiltskin is a triumph: an odd elfin man with bulbous eyes, a gigantic, flat black hat, impossibly skinny arms and legs, and long, pointed black shoes. This Rumpelstiltskin is not scary or horrid, but rather mischievous and weird. When the young queen finally guesses his name, and thus is able to keep her baby, he flies off on his huge cooking spoon (with a pout), true to the Grimms's 1819 version of the story. (Zelinsky provides notes on his text in the back of the book, indicating his careful research into various editions of the original Grimm tale.) Zelinsky's retelling is straightforward and smooth, with only a few lines of text on each page to complement the truly magnificent full-page illustrations. A delightful book worth its weight in gold! (Ages 3 to 7)