- Picture Books
- Ages 4–7
- Fairy Tales
Rapunzel
Book 2 of 4 in Rebel FairytalesView the full series
Rapunzel has been in her tower a very long time, and she has plans. Woollvin's Rapunzel is not waiting to be rescued. Another sharply funny, beautifully dark subversion of a classic, with the same graphic style and the same deeply satisfying heroine-centred twist.
- Best for4–7
- FormatPicture
- Length40 pp
- Read aloud~8 min
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Conversational
- Comedic
- Literary
Tone
- Funny
- Dark
- Irreverent
- Thought provoking
- Whimsical
- Suspenseful
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
The witch has locked Rapunzel away. A prince arrives. Things proceed as expected, until they don't. Woollvin's Rapunzel follows the structure of the original closely enough to set up the joke, then subverts it in a way that is both absurd and completely logical given everything we know about this particular kind of heroine. The graphic limited-palette art style, now with a lush tower interior, elaborate hair, and a witch with satisfyingly menacing eyes, is as distinctive as the first book. The humour is slightly drier than Little Red, the pacing a little more confident; Woollvin knows her audience by now and plays them expertly. Rapunzel's particular competence, the way she has quietly made herself completely at home in what was meant to be a prison, is one of the book's great pleasures. A worthy follow-up that builds the Rebel Fairytales universe without repeating it.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
- 1
- 3
- 5
- 7
- 9
- 11
- 13
- Best fit · 4–7
- Read aloud · 4–8
- Independent · 6–8
Prose load
Light
Visual support
Very high
Reluctant-reader friendly
Workable
Read-aloud quality
Excellent
Works well for
- Reading aloud
- Reading together
Preview before sharing if a child is sensitive to: scary imagery, violence.
Bedtime suitability
2 / 5 · Better outside bedtime
Sensitive-child
3 / 5 · Mostly fine
Graphic intensity
3 / 5 · Some
Best for
- Stunning illustrations
- Feminist retelling
- Discussion starter
- Gift book
Avoid if
No common reasons to avoid this one — a rare clean sweep on the sensitivity flags.
Particularly good for children who are…
- Low self esteem
- Interested in art and creativity
- Anxiety and worry
In the classroom
How it works in school.
Bold, witty fairy-tale retellings with fearless heroines — great read-alouds for talking about fairness and stereotypes, and a fresh angle on traditional tales.
A book children love that happens to support school — never a stand-in for the texts a class is taught with. Reviewed for the classroom · June 2026.
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
The specific delight is Rapunzel's quiet competence — the witch and the tower and the prince all turning up as expected, then Rapunzel having clearly been planning this for years. The Woollvin retelling where the heroine was never waiting to be rescued.
- Trickery and cleverness
- Adventure and freedom
- Being special or chosen
- Magic powers
Why parents love it
The second Rebel Fairytales — same striking yellow-and-black limited palette, dryer humour than Little Red, the heroine-handling-it twist landing with confident pacing. Builds the universe without repeating it. Strong feminist-retelling pick for the read-aloud shelf.
- Shared humour
- Beautiful illustrations
- Conversation starter
- Great writing
In the series
Rebel Fairytales.
4 books · open the series →
About the author & illustrator
Bethan Woollvin.
If you liked this
Three ways out of this book.
If you liked this, try…
Lateral matches. Same shelf, different texture.
Come into this from…
Easier or preparing reads — perfect lead-ins.
Where to go next…
Escalation reads — a step up in scale, silliness, or stakes.
More like this…
Books that share themes and topics with this one.
Buy or borrow
Pick up a copy.
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