Rapunzel (A Bilingual Book) by Francesc Bofill, illustrated by Joma Ages 9-12 32 pages Chronicle February 2006 Paperback     In this retelling of the Rapunzel fairy tale with a modern twist, the story remains the same but with added interest in a bilingual text. Rapunzel’s parents have given up hope of ever having a child. To please his wife, the husband sneaks over the fence to steal radishes for his mate, but is caught one day by the witch who owns the radishes. The man is allowed to continue purloining the radishes only if the couple agrees to give up their firstborn to the witch. Believing they will never have a child, he readily agrees. To the couple’s surprise, a daughter is born, Rapunzel, and they must give her up to the wily witch, who locks her in a tower. Each day the witch climbs up the tower, using Rapunzel’s long hair as a ladder, but one day she is seen by a handsome prince who has heard the young girl singing. By a slip of the tongue, Rapunzel reveals the visits of the prince, only to have her hair shorn and be banished to a distant place. In despair, the prince throws himself from the tower and is blinded by thorns, wandering the world, sightless, searching for Rapunzel. Much later and far away, the prince hears a mother singing to her twin sons and is drawn to the music. It is indeed his love, Rapunzel, whose tears wash his blinded eyes and restore him to sight. And the witch? She is so angry when she hears the news that she explodes. Rapunzel’s mother can enjoy as many radishes she likes until the end of her days. Each page of text is divided into the English and Spanish, contrasting the similarities between the two languages, the righthand pages illustrated with whimsical drawings of a more modern Rapunzel and her prince. Perfect for home or classroom, this familiar tale of the lonely Rapunzel and her brokenhearted prince is the perfect vehicle for bridging language skills between English and Spanish. The text is a little more complex, demonstrating sentence structure and phrasing in each language. The softcover book is of fine quality, sturdy and colorful, an excellent learning tool.       web reviews   Luan Gaines/2006 for curled up with a good kid's book   For grown-up fiction, nonfiction and speculative fiction book reviews, visit our sister site Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)