Rumpelstiltskin
Written by The Brothers Grimm, Illustrated and Adapted by Paul O. Zelinsky
Puffin Books; Reprint Edition, Copyright 1996
Traditional Literature
Plot Summary:
Once upon a time lived a miller and his daughter. They were happy, and lived a good life. One day, the miller met the King and had a conversation with him. The miller was so proud of his daughter, that he began to boast of her abilities. He added that she could spin straw into gold, which she could not. The King believed him, and ordered that the girl be taken to the castle and provided with all the straw that he had. The miller's daughter was asked to spin the straw into gold, like her father said she could. The girl is worried, for she cannot actually spin straw into gold! She fears for her life, when suddenly inside her chamber, a little man appears. Who is this little man? Can he help the girl with her problem? Will there be a price to pay? Find out by reading Rumpelstiltskin.
Illustrations: Paul O. Zelinsky gives a new life to this classic fairy tale by using oil paintings with warm hues to illustrate the story of Rumpelstiltskin. The warm hues of blush red, blue, and golden yellow give realistic characteristics to the people, places, and events happening in the story. The pictures almost seem as if they are "glowing" in order to emphasize that, while including characters that are lifelike, this story is fantasy.
I would use this book in a 3rd-4th grade reading lesson. This book is a good example of traditional literature in that it is a story passed down from generation to generation, with some varieties in different versions of the story told (or heard of) by different authors. I could introduce the genre of traditional literature to my students by showing them other examples of this story and how it varies from what we read. This story also has some good moral lessons in it. For example, the girl learns what happens when she makes a promise that she has to keep, and Rumpelstiltskin learns what happens when he is too proud and cocky-assuming that he has "won." My students will benefit from reading this book in that they will learn about the genre of traditional literature, and be engaged in reading a classic fairy tale.
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