Rumpelstiltskin.

Bibliography
Zelinksy Paul O. 1986. Rumpelstiltskin. By Paul O. Zelinsky. New York: NY. Puffin Books. ISBN 9780140558647

Plot Summary
In this variant of Rumpelstiltskin a poor miller tries to impress his king by claiming that his daughter can spin straw into gold, which is not true. The king sends for the miller’s daughter who is to spin straw into gold by the next morning or she will die. The girl begins to cry because she does not know how to turn straw into gold, in that instant a peculiar little man appears out of nowhere and offers to help her if she will give him something in return. She agrees to give him her necklace the first night, her ring the night and her first born child the third night he spins all the straw into gold. On the third day, the king is impressed at her abilities and marries her and they eventually have a child who Rumpelstiltskin comes to claim. Rumpelstiltskin gives the queen three days to find out what his name is and if she guesses correctly by the third day, she can keep her child. In the end the queen sends her servant to spy on Rumpelstiltskin. The servant overhears him chant his name and the queen gets to keep the baby while umpelstiltskin is never to return and the queen and king lived happily ever after.

Critical Analysis
In this variant of Rumpelstitskin it is easy to see the basic story elements of protagonist, problem, antagonist, climax, and resolution. The protagonist, the miller’s daughter, finds herself in a bit of trouble when she is asked the magical task of turning straw into gold, soon the antagonist, Rumpelstitskin is presented. He quickly offers a solution to the problem but not without a heavy price. At the climax of the story the antagonist returns for the queen’s first born unless his name is discovered. At the conclusion of the story, the problem is resolved when the queen’s servant discovers Rumpelstiltskin’s name and he disappears to never return again. Also, the significance of the number three is found throughout the story when the girl makes gold for three nights and then has three days to figure out Rumpelstiltskin’s name. This is typical in European stories where things usually occur in threes. (Vardell, p. 93)

It is easy to see why Zelinksy’s variant of Rumpelstiltskin was chosen for the Caldecott Honor. The illustrations have a painting like style that creates a memorizing background to the story such as in the royal wedding scene and the pages where the queen reveals Rumpelstiltskin’s name to him. The expressions in the characters and the detail to the castles walls and floors are flawless. The rich colors of the character’s medieval costumes and the piles of spools of gold thread shine and glistened as if they were real and in front of the reader. The illustrations give so much depth and detail that it will make readers want to reach out and touch every page in the book. The characters facial expressions are full of life for example when Rumpelstiltskin rejoices in the woods that no one knows his name. The illustrations are so full of life that they carry the story. I found myself turning pages without even reading the story. The Caldecott Honor Book was given to Paul O. Zenlinksy’s variant of Rumpelstitskin because it is truly a perfect example of a traditional tale in picture book form.


Review Excerpt(s)
*School Library Journal-“Zelinsky’s smooth retelling and glowing pictures cast the story in a new and beautiful light.”
*The Horn Book-“Truly a tour de force.”
*The New York Times Book Review-“Children love the story for its mystery and familiarity.”

Connections
*Other Caldecott Honor Books by Paul O. Zelinsky: Swamp Angel
* Compare and Contrast with other versions such as the Rumpelstiltskin story from West India were Lit'mahn spins thread into gold cloth for the king's new bride, Quashiba.
*Integrate with other subjects such as math with the version of the Multipliyng menace: the revenge of Rumpelstiltskin by Pam Calvert.

Vardell, Sylvia M. 2008. Children's Literature in Action. Libraries Unlimited. Paperback: ISBN 13: 9781591585572