The Happy Prince

LoveReading4Kids Says

A gorgeous 21 st century retelling of the classic story from Oscar Wilde, touchingly illustrated by the winner of the British Book Awards Nibbie for Children’s Illustrated Book of the Year and the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize.

While staying true to the original text, the transformation of Swallow from a bird to a homeless boy, gives the moral tale more poignancy and relevance to the modern audience. The delicate and emotional drawings that enhance each page have lots of inclusive detail to pick out and which enhance the strong message of community too. The paradise that Swallow finds at the end is here on earth, rather than in heaven above, as the citizens of the community join together to create a garden that they can all enjoy. There is also a very topical political element with the community deciding to topple the statues of those who ‘just wanted to remind them of their power and authority’.

This could be an opportunity to talk about recent events and what statues signify about our society. Oscar Wilde’s story always did have a strong anti-capitalist message about society looking after the poor and needy and this version brings that more to the fore. Printed entirely in purple and with gold foiling to the cover this is a sumptuous edition that will enhance any library or home collection.

Joy Court

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