Traditional Literature: Rumpelstiltskin

Rumpelstilskin
By Paul O. Zelinsky

Zelinsky, Paul O. Rumpelstiltskin. New York, NY: Puffin Books, 1997. 9780613005036

Plot Summary

One day, the poor miller tells the king of his beautiful daughter who can spin straw into gold. The king, who loved gold, calls for her immediately and tells her that if she cannot spin the straw into gold, she will be put to death. The miller's daughter begins to cry, but suddenly a little man appears before her and says "What will you give me if I spin it for you?" The miller's daughter gives the strange man her necklace. The king, impressed with the miller's daughter, takes her to a bigger room that is filled with more straw and demands that she spin all of the new straw into more gold. Again the strange little man appears and asks "What will you give me if I spin this straw into gold for you?". This time the miller's daughter gives him her ring. The king, satisfied once more with her talent, takes her into an even larger room filled with straw and demands that she spin the straw into gold. If she succeeds, she will become his wife. Once more the little man appears and asks "What will you give me if I spin for you yet once more?" but this time the miller's daughter has nothing left to give. The strange little man tells her that he will spin the straw into gold if she promises to gift him her firstborn child once she is the queen. The miller's daughter accepts, the straw is spun, and she becomes the queen. After a year, she gives birth to a baby boy and the strange man appears, demanding her son. She pleads with him to spare her, so he makes a deal. If she can guess his name in three days, she will keep her child. For two nights, the queen guesses every name that she can think of, but none of the names are correct. On the third day, the queen's maid goes out to search for the strange man and finds him in the woods singing "O lucky me! For no one knows that Rumpelstiltskin is my name!" She rans back to the queen, and when the strange little man arrives that night, the queen guesses his name and gets to keep her child.

Analysis

Paul O. Zelinsky has brought the story of Rumpelstiltskin to live in a beautifully rendered way. His illustrations, which resemble a Renaissance style, are full of detail and expressive. He has taken the time to illustrate the landscapes such as the sea, the mountains, and the houses behind the castle, as well as smaller details such as Rumpelstiltskin's door to his house in the tree, a pitcher beside the fire that he dances around, and the individual spools of gold thread.

He includes a note on the text briefly explaining the history behind the story of Rumpelstiltskin as well as some minor tweaks and changes that he made. This story contains more words, some of which might be challenging for young readers, but his illustrations help bring the story to life in their own way, like in the face of the miller's daughter as she interacts with Rumpelstiltskin. The story follows a pattern, where the king demands more gold, Rumpelstiltskin offers more help, and then demands higher valued gifts in return.

A reviewer from Publisher's Weekly claims that "One of the most exquisite picture books of the season, Zelinsky's Rumplestiltskin will have strong appeal for children and for adult picture-book collectors alike ... Zelinsky has retold the narrative himself; he has captured the magic and frightening wonder of the tale while incorporating elements from a number of 19th century Grimm versions. The spare story flows beautifully, and the illustrations are extraordinary."

“Children's Book Review: Rumpelstiltskin: From the German of the Brothers Grimm by Paul Zelinsky, 1987. https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780525442653. 

Awards

Caldecott Honor - 1987

Redbook Award, Society of Illustrators and AIGA Certificates of Merit, Bratislava Biennale Selection, ALA Notable Book, SLJ Best Book, Parents' Choice Award, Book-of-the-Month Club selection, and White Raven Book selection of the International Youth Library.

Connections

On Paul O. Zelinsky's website, there is a link that includes some teacher's guides for this book, which would be helpful in planning a story time that involves reading this story aloud. It would also be fun to include props such as golden thread that can be passed around for children to examine.

Other books written or illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky that would interest readers:

Isaacs, Anne: Swamp Angel. 9780140559088

Zelinsky, Paul O.: Rapunzel. 9780525456070

Lesser, Rika: Hansel and Gretel. 9780525461524