ACHUKA Book of the Day 12 Mar 2026
Publisher: Scholastic US
ISBN: 9781338673852
See also by Mac Barnett:
The First Cat In Space And The Soup Of Doom [ACHUKA Book of the Day 17 Nov 2023]
Twenty Questions [ACHUKA Book of the Day 6 Apr 2023]
The Three Billy Goats Gruff [ACHUKA Book of the Day 16 Jan 2023]
“[Barnett’s] sly retelling is perfectly complemented by art that at times resembles classical portraiture. Ellis also harkens back to fairy-tale images of yore with both lushly illustrated gouache pictures and small interstitial black-and-white spot art. Characters present white. Deeply familiar but infused with 21st-century smarts; expect cries for repeated reads.” KIRKUS
“Rumpelstiltskin pops out of trap doors and flaming hearths like a demonic figure from medieval or early modern theatre, his nutcracker grin obliterated by the queen’s correct guess while steam pours out of his ears at his defeat. Other historical homages—the relatively flat color palette of blues, greens, and browns, the wall tapestries in the palace—enhance the storybook feel while bringing minimalist freshness to the page.” MUSE
“Short, punchy text juices the tale’s momentum (“Deal,” the girl replies to the wily man’s offers), while portraits trace the miller’s daughter’s journey from frog-catching child to regal royal and back again in this haunting tale about the power of knowing someone’s name.” PublishersWeeekly
Rediscover a tale of gold spun with lies . . .
Once upon a time there was a clever girl with a not-so-clever father.
When her father claims she can spin straw into gold, the king forces the girl to perform this impossible task.
She has other choice than to accept a strange deal from a mysterious little man. But when he arrives and attempts to collect the debt, the fiendish trickster Rumpelstiltskin discovers that he is the one who has been tricked!
Follow Mac Barnett on
And follow Carson Ellis there too:
📣 New Podcast! "Rumpelstiltskin Reimagined From Mac Barnett And Carson Ellis" on @Spreaker https://t.co/zSYUrG0ZVo
— Arroe Collins (@Arroecollins) March 7, 2026
Told in a modern chatty style by Mac Barnett #Rumpelstiltskin illustrated by Carson Ellis @ScholasticUK is #RedReadingHub’s #picturebook of the day reviewed on the blog https://t.co/ZNQqc43L0e pic.twitter.com/ItxFgUo3ca
— Jill Bennett (@JillBennett18) March 1, 2026
Today's review…'Rumpelstiliskin' by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Carson Ellis @scholasticuk A fab retelling of a traditional tale!https://t.co/C3kxXYuoXH pic.twitter.com/qaRABZqWMr
— Throughthebookshelf (@Throughthebook2) February 28, 2026
Last night I got to see Mac Barnett and Carson Ellis read and talk about their new retelling of Rumpelstiltskin and my heart is full from hearing them share about this incredible book 💜 pic.twitter.com/Ku3f6KeJqI
— Stefan Karlsson (@stefkidlit) February 7, 2026
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