Rapunzel, Rapunzel: Climbing to Resilience
Once upon a time
A woman was going to have a baby. She desperately craved the rampion herb that grew on the other side of the wall, and her husband went there to get it for her, although it belonged to an old woman who probably was…a witch (or a fairy, or an enchantress, depending on the version!).
One day, the old woman caught him! She told him that his payment was their child, who was to be called Rapunzel. And after the child was born, the old woman took her away and put her in a high tower without a door.
There Rapunzel lived, seeing only the old woman who climbed her long braid every day.
Along came a prince, they fell in love, the old woman found out, and BOOM! She cut off Rapunzel’s hair and cast her into the forest. She shoved the prince down onto thorn bushes, and blinded him.
They wander “for years” until one day, the Prince hears his beloved’s voice, her tears heal his eyes and he discovers he is the father of twins. The reunited family lives happily ever after.
Can you say…trauma???
All the traumas: taken away from her parents, living alone in a tower (although the old woman/witch DOES provide for her…), punished by the old woman for having a friend, cast into the forest, popping out twins when she doesn’t know she’s even pregnant, caring for her babies in the wilds….Sheesh.
And yet: Rapunzel is resilient and overcomes all of these adversities.
It’s easy to think of her as sitting passively around, waiting for Prince Charming, but that is NOT how even the most traditional variant goes.
And in some of the many versions from around the world: she is a true bada$$!
Like The Canary Prince, from Italy (check out THAT princess’s resilience in this blog post!
The picturebook variants below offer young children some different perspectives on this widespread and enchanting tale.
And, as with most fairy tales, they offer the message of hope that we can all overcome the challenges of even the highest and most lonely of towers.
Rapunzel
Retold and Illustrated by Rachel Isadora
Simple, straightforward retelling of the well-known Grimm’s tale
Takes place in a pan-African setting
Bold colors and textures in the collage illustrations invite young artists to experiment.
Rapunzel
Retold by Chloe Perkins
Illustrated by Archana Sreenivasan
Adaptation of familiar European story, set in India.
Focus is on Rapunzel and the Prince’s friendship, not marriage
She decides to escape with the Prince so she can see the world beyond her tower.
(No mention of twins born, as in traditional versions)
Rapunzel
Retold & Illustrated by Bethan Woollvin
Rapunzel escapes solo in this updated variant: on a horse, no prince involved
Her ingenuity is the main focus
Unique and compelling graphic design: black, white and gray except for her golden hair!
Team Tower Collage
One of my most meaningful memories as a teacher was the class construction of a tower mural.
It was not something I planned.
A child I’ll call Alan connected deeply with the story of Rapunzel and asked to make one. And EVERYONE joined in.
The creation took over the course of days, and it was a magical bonding experience, especially for Alan, who transformed from isolated outsider to project manager during the process.
Here’s an adapted excerpt from the book, Happily Ever Resilient: Using Fairy Tales to Nurture Children Through Adversity that shows you one way how!
This group mural of a tower is a collaborative project that even very young children can easily help to build. Watching it grow higher, and higher, and HIGHER is part of the fun!
Suggested materials:
Bulletin board or other long paper
A variety of art materials: construction paper, newspaper or magazine clippings, markers, paint, nature materials, etc.
Books with pictures of towers for reference
Ideas to consider as you collaborate:
1. Select a wall or bulletin board where a tall tower can be displayed.
2. Cut paper to desired height. Older children can help measure the paper to fit the display space.
3. As a group, decide how to create the tower. Depending on the age of the children, this might be construction paper “bricks” or “stones,” cut or torn and decorated with markers or paint; nature collage materials like moss, sticks, and leaves; torn newspaper or magazine “blocks”; or tower bricks painted or drawn directly onto the background.
4. Have children work in small groups over several days to construct the tower. This may be done at a table or directly on the wall or bulletin board, depending on height of tower and materials used.
5. Encourage children to reference pictures of towers and discuss details such as where the window will be, should there be a door, how close together blocks should be, etc.
6. Use the finished tower as a backdrop for reading a Rapunzel story.
How it builds relationships
Many young children are used to working alone on art projects. A tower is the ideal subject for a class mural, since it is large enough for many children to collaborate.
When the children decide on the materials and methods of creating the tower it lets them share their different visions.
Working in small groups to make bricks nurtures conversation.
Sharing the sense of accomplishment in creating something large helps all children feel included and supported.
The Relationship Magic of Building
Play is the number one way children learn about pretty much everything.
Including the social and emotional skills needed for being in relationships with other humans.
And while we often think of dramatic play as being more relationship-based, construction play is also a rich source of negotiation, collaboration, and perspective-taking.
Especially when children are working together to solve a mutual problem like: How to build the tallest tower!
Does your construction/block area inspire children to build higher?
Suggestions for Materials
• Flat bases such as boards or trays for building higher towers
• Unit blocks
• Cardboard or other large blocks
• Legos
• Natural building materials like rocks, sticks, wood cookies, etc.
• Yarn, rope, string, etc.
• Simple pulleys
• Multiple yardsticks for older children to measure towers
• Pre-measured lengths of string for non-standard measuring
• Unifix cubes and other nonstandard measuring materials
• Stepstool so children can build higher towers, depending on age of children and comfort level of the grown-ups
How it builds relationships:
Working together on a shared goal or interest invites lots of conversation, negotiation, and problem-solving…especially when it’s an intriguing project like building HIGH.
In addition to the relationships children are building, block play offers a way of nurturing child-grown-up relationships, too.
A fascination with building higher is often connected to the schemas children are constructing. By providing materials, time and space for children to explore these schemas, we show kids that we are tuned in to their needs, interests and learning.
