Skip to main content

Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin


Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin
By Liesl Shurtliff
Alfred A. Knopf, 2013. Fiction.

Twelve-year-old Rump, who lived in town were your name determined your destiny, lived up to his name. He was short and unremarkable but he knew if he could figure out his true full name—the name his mother intended to give him but was unable to finish saying before she died giving birth to him—he could be somebody. One day he discovers his mother’s old spinning wheel and his ability to turn straw into gold. What he thought would bring relief to his dire conditions, giving him a way to provide for his sickly grandmother and to him, only brings complications when he has to turn his gold over for any price given—including a princess’s baby. When his grandmother dies, he goes in search for his real name and to find a way to end his curse of the gold to his mother’s homeland and comes across other interesting fairy tale creatures along the way that also get a bad reputation in fairy tales.

Humorous leisurely take on the Rumpelstiltskin fairy tale that makes him the hero, not the villain. Fans of fractured fairy tales and Shannon Hale’s works will be pleased to add this to their reading list. Maxwell Glick’s narration has the perfect tone and pace for Rump’s character and is available to listen to on Overdrive.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Dude, That's Rude! (Get Some Manners) by Pamela Espeland & Elizabeth Verdick

If there's one book today's kids need to read, it is Dude, That's Rude! (Get Some Manners) . The authors provide a fun format for teaching etiquette to children. They discuss proper behavior at home, at school, at other people's homes and in public places. The information is completely up-to-date with cellphone manners and netiquette included. Fun, cartoony illustrations are on practically every page giving the book great visual appeal. This book is perfect for boys and girls in the fourth grade or older. WARNING: Bodily functions are discussed.

Faces of the Moon by Bob Crelin

Faces of the Moon by Bob Crelin Illustrated by Leslie Evans Charlesburg; 2009; unpaged Faces of the Moon is a short nonfiction book that describes the different phases of the moon and why the moon appears like it does on certain nights. This book is short and sweet so even the youngest of moon lovers will enjoy it. The layout is simplistic and easy to follow. I don’t know much about the moon so I found it very interesting.

Books That Take You There: Egypt

My parents are currently planning their first visit to Egypt. And they’re going without me . Like many of you, I’ve always found Egypt fascinating, whether learning about the gross details of making a mummy or eating delicious Egyptian food eaten by people who live there today. And if we can’t all go to Cairo with my parents, we can at least take a little trip through a few books that can take us straight to Egypt! Tail of the Mummy Cat  Written by Chas! Pangburn  Illustrated by Nic Touris  Miami, FL: Papercutz, an imprint of Mad Cave Studios, 2024. Comic. 132 pages.  Nana and Otto are siblings who visit Egypt with their travel-blogger mom. Nan loves learning about Egypt and its history, while Otto wishes he could’ve stayed home. However, both of their plans change when they accidentally let a mummified cat loose from a Pharaoh’s tomb. This graphic novel lets you see both of the sibling’s perspectives through this adventure —and their stories don’t always agree! This...