Ra Pu Zel and the Stinky Tofu

by Ying Chang Compestine, Crystal Kung (Illustrator)

Overview

A playful, feminist retelling of Rapunzel with a Chinese-cuisine twist

The story of Rapunzel where she’s being locked in a tower by a witch is a good one—but it’s not totally the truth.

The real story is about a young princess in China named Ra Pu Zel who doesn’t want to talk to princes or look proper. What Pu Zel wants is to cook and eat in peace, her long hair neatly braided to keep it out of her food. And when she gets tired of everyone telling her what to do, she locks herself in a tower with her dog Bao. Although princes from everywhere try to convince her to come down, it’s not until a young chef arrives with an intriguing food to share that Ra Pu Zel finally has a reason.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593533055
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	01/02/2024
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	432,382
Product dimensions:	9.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD610L (what's this?)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

Ying Chang Compestine is an award-winning author, speaker, and television host. She has written twenty-five books for adults and children, including the acclaimed novel Revolution Is Not a Dinner Party, which chronicles her experience of growing up in China during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. A leading national authority on Asian culture and cuisine and the former food editor for Martha Stewart’s Whole Living magazine, Ying is frequently invited to lecture at schools and organizations around the world. She currently lives in the Bay Area with her husband and son.

Crystal Kung is an artist from Taiwan. She has BFAs from Shih Chien University and the California Institute of the Arts, and works as a character designer at Pixar Animation Studios. She lives in the San Francisco area. This is her first book.

Editorial Reviews

12/04/2023

Affectionately told and vibrantly illustrated, this empowering “Rapunzel” retelling, set in long ago China, features a determined princess in charge of her own fate. Ra Pu Zel, who loves to cook, wears her hair in a braid. Scolded constantly by the empress for being in the kitchen and taking big bites, she locks herself in a tower and refuses to come down, appearing at the window only to draw up baskets of food the empress ties to her braid. Though the princess enjoys eating and playing her flute in peace, the delicious smells of her meals and the sound of her music attract the interest of princes, who set out to coax her down, until the scent of a unique tofu dish beckons her. Kung’s richly hued scenes shimmer with golden-hour light and communicate the protagonist’s spunk through facial expressions and gestures that, combined with Compestine’s well-paced story, makes for a tale that dishes up delight. An author’s note and recipe conclude. Ages 5–8. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

"Kung’s digital artwork is reminiscent of Chinese watercolor paintings, though with a modern sensibility and cinematic eye. The colorful, expressively detailed depictions of the princess’ attempts to conform to expectations are a hoot, and her joy in being her best self in her tower is palpable." —Kirkus Review

"Kung’s digital illustrations, which seamlessly merge traditional Chinese styles of art and architecture with dynamic Pixar design sensibilities, are well-suited for Pu Zel’s sumptuous tables and bold personality. Brimming with a love for both food and spunky girls who love food, this warm,inviting read will easily sate readers’ appetites; tofu recipes are included in the back matter for aspiring chefs." —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Affectionately told and vibrantly illustrated, this empowering “Rapunzel” retelling, set in long ago China, features a determined princess in charge of her own fate. Kung’s richly hued scenes shimmer with golden-hour light and communicate the protagonist’s spunk through facial expressions and gestures that, combined with Compestine’s well-paced story, makes for a tale that dishes up delight." —Publishers Weekly

"Kung’s vibrant depictions create a cozy background for this retelling of how stinky tofu became one ofthe most famous dishes across Asia. Kung’s dynamic illustrations take a comic approach, with close-ups o fRa Pu Zel munching and cinematic scenes of the setting that will engage readers already familiar with graphic novels. This creative retelling of “Rapunzel,” that combines feminism, fairy tales, and food, will be enjoyed by all." —School Library Journal

From the Publisher

01/19/2024

Gr 1–3—In this fractured fairy tale, the classic story of "Rapunzel" is set long ago in China and follows a determined and empowered princess named Ra Pu Zel. She is constantly being scolded by the empress for her love of cooking and is encouraged to be the perfect princess she was destined to be. In protest, Ra Pu Zel decides to lock herself and her flowing braids in her tower to eat and cook in peace. Her parents are desperate for her to leave the tower and offer her hand in marriage to anyone who can convince her to come down. When a young chef begins cooking a batch of stinky tofu beneath her window, Ra Pu Zel is compelled out of her tower to investigate and eventually falls in love with the fermented tofu and the young chef. Kung's vibrant depictions create a cozy background for this retelling of how stinky tofu became one of the most famous dishes across Asia. Kung's dynamic illustrations take a comic approach, with close-ups of Ra Pu Zel munching and cinematic scenes of the setting that will engage readers already familiar with graphic novels. Back matter includes an author's note in which Compestine describes her childhood in China in the late 1960s and how she took great joy in creating a strong-willed and freethinking protagonist in Ra Pu Zel. Also included is a recipe for pan-fried tofu. VERDICT This creative retelling of "Rapunzel," that combines feminism, fairy tales, and food, will be enjoyed by all.—Katherine Kefi

School Library Journal

2023-10-21
In this fractured fairy tale, Compestine imagines the origins of a famous dish.

Ra Pu Zel is an assertive, independent Chinese princess who loves to cook. She’s constantly scolded for failing to be a proper lady until one day she’s finally had enough and locks herself in her tower; using her long braid, she pulls up baskets of food from her mother. As she cultivates her hobbies, the delicious smells and lovely music that float out into the kingdom attract suitors from near and far. The emperor decrees that the first person who can draw the princess out of the tower will receive his marriage blessing. It isn’t until a young chef arrives, pushing a cart that emits a horrible stench, that Pu Zel is finally lured out. The chef’s stinky tofu—a delicacy in his hometown—wins her heart, and the dish goes on to become one of the most renowned in China. Kung’s digital artwork is reminiscent of Chinese watercolor paintings, though with a modern sensibility and cinematic eye. The colorful, expressively detailed depictions of the princess’ attempts to conform to expectations are a hoot, and her joy in being her best self in her tower is palpable. In the backmatter, Compestine explains that this story is “strictly from my own imagination” and includes a recipe for (non-stinky) tofu.

A delicious mashup of fairy tales and food. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews