An adaptation of the writer's original fairy tale features a gilded statue of a prince that mourns the hardship and misery of the land that surrounds it and the gentle swallow that performs the helpful deeds that the statue cannot do itself.
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Ray's (Magical Tales from Many Lands; The Story of Christmas) folksy, gilt-laden artwork graces this somewhat formal abridgment of Wilde's tale about an enchanted statue. The Happy Prince, who had lived a happy life and died a happy man, is now immortalized high above the city as a golden and bejeweled statue. For the first time the royal sees the suffering, poverty and misery of the common people. Sharing his sympathetic view with a sparrow, the prince persuades the bird to postpone its migration and instead to deliver his gold leafing, his sapphire eyes and ruby belt to those who need them. Soon the sparrow dies of cold and the prince, now shabby, is removed from its pedestal and melted down. Though young readers may appreciate the lessons of selflessness and sacrifice here, the telling may seem to them stilted and even occasionally disjointed. Ray's characteristically rich palette and her delicate borders and backgrounds provide the visual magic that keeps this sentimental tale afloat. Ages 7-up.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3?Ray has done a masterful job of retelling and illustrating one of Wilde's more accessible fairy tales. Using most of the author's words and all of his intent, she has omitted the more flowery and verbose prose and subplots. The result is a tightened tale that expresses compassion in a simple, heartfelt story of a statue and a little bird. Alternating full-and double-page illustrations with panels, Ray has put enormous detail into her paintings, and each one is burnished with a kind of verdigris gold. Readers will especially appreciate the pictures that depict the wonders of Egypt. Not piteous or sentimental, The Happy Prince is a balanced tale; in fact, Leo Lionni's modern classic, Tico and the Golden Wings (Knopf, 1975), seems to revisit its universal themes.?Harriett Fargnoli, Great Neck Library, NY
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
a sad ending,
By Aloha (Tampa, FL, USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Happy Prince (Hardcover)
Although the editorial reviews do a good job of describing the story and beautiful illustrations, I feel they left out a couple of important details. First, the ending is SAD...the bird dies and the prince's heart breaks in half. And second, the last page talks about God and his angels. This seemed out of place to me as the rest of the book did not have a religious tone. I thought a potential buyer might like to know that.
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