Rapunzel (Once Upon a World)

This is one of my favorite books to give for baby showers! The delightful and colorful illustrations offer a fun take on the Rapunzel story. We also love the Snow White board book set in Japan.

My three-year-old daughter loves this series. I preordered Rapunzel for her. This book is alive with color. The illustrations transport the reader to India. The story tells the full story of Rapunzel, but in just enough words to hold the attention of a toddler. I also love that all of the books in this series contain a large variety of words. When I read these books, I know that I am also introducing my child to new vocabulary. The board book is sturdy and just the right size for small hands. I cannot say enough good things about these books. I look forward to new titles.

I absolutely adore the Once Upon a World series! Chloe Perkins' retellings are straightforward but have a timeless quality that allows them to be revisited over and over again. And, of course, the culturally diverse illustrations provide bright, eye-catching, and aesthetically unique takes on these classic stories. Archana Sreenivasan's version of Rapunzel (and the beautifully illuminated world around her) is refreshing to a father who's seen every possible take on the typical blonde-haired white-girl, and will definitely become the definitive depiction my daughter will come to know and love!With as many iterations of these fairy tales as there are, I've also loved being able to build a definitive collection of boardbooks whose illustrations and writing both maintain a consistently world-class quality. Reading Rapunzel to my baby is a bedtime treat for both daddy and daughter, so now I'm eagerly awaiting The Princess and the Pea... and anywhere else these books will take us!

I teach second grade in a community that is predominately white and there is a smaller percentage of the student body that identify as students of color. When I added this book to my classroom library, two of my students who are students of color got so excited. Their faces lite up when they noticed the book. “The girl on the cover looks like me!” One exclaimed. “I never see princesses with my skin color!” The other commented. “This book is my favorite- I love it!” Representation is so important. I am grateful a book like this exists so that students can see themselves in the dominant narrative as princesses/ scientists/ humans capable of amazing things!

She loves it was immediately enraptured & glued & responding & soaking into the storyline & pictures.She's 15 months & always is fascinated with books & colors & especially well embellished details. The fact that this has referential depiction of culture & specific identifiers for ethnic characteristics revives this tale. This Version completely makes it unique & beneficial for the so far only introduction she has on this fable 😊looooove it 😄

I love all the Once Upon a World books but Rapunzel is probably my favorite. Snow White is my 3 year old daughter's favorite. The text is very simple and concise to the story, perfect for my 3 year old but after she reaches 5 I think they'll be too simple. They serve both as a great introduction to classic fairy tales (scarier parts are completely omitted) and more importantly, to build awareness of other cultures. It's refreshing to see these characters as something other than white, Anglo-European. I hope for more of these from the author; I particularly love that each book in the series has a different illustrator who comes from the background being showcased. I'd love to see one of these stories based in an African country someday.

This book is BEAUTIFULLY done. My 5 yr old loves to see people from all around the world and this gives her an incredibly beautiful view of people who are different than her. It truly celebrates our differences with a classic tale, I love it!

My kids love this book. It’s simple, but tells the story well, and is a nice alternative to the popular Disney version most people are familiar with. The Indian setting and illustrations are fun as well.