Joan of Arc [Hardcover]

Josephine Poole (Author), Angela Barrett (Illustrator) (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

Joan was an innocent French farm girl of thirteen when heavenly voices called to her and gave her the courage to fight for her king. She would leave her home, cut her hair and dress like a man, and journey far and wide to fight for her noble cause. But even after Joan was captured and about to be put to death by her enemies, she remained true to her beliefs and died holding on to a simple cross. She would later become one of the most revered of all saints and a heroine to young and old alike. This is the enthralling true story of Joan of Arc told by gifted storyteller Josephine Poole and magnificently illustrated by award-winning artist Angela Barrett in what is sure to be one of the finest, most beautiful picture books of the year. Included are end-paper maps and a chronology of events for readers to follow Joan on her quest.  

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

"This is a true story," Josephine Poole proclaims, as she begins to weave her lovely picture-book biography of Joan of Arc. "It happened over 500 years ago, in France." Children, of course, are immediately hooked--especially when the truth unfolds into a story as mystical, timeless, and exquisitely written and illustrated as this one. Rather than bog the narrative down with excessive political and military details, Poole aims straight for the heart of faith in this amazing story about a 13-year-old girl who hears divine voices. When she is still but a teenager, the "Voices" compel her to lead an army of soldiers and save the king of France. Award-winning illustrator Angela Barrett (The Emperor's New Clothes) paints with springy grass greens and lamb whites to portray the early innocence of Joan the farm girl. But when she is transformed into Joan of Arc, Barrett surrounds her with the murky colors of war and the grim grays of death. Likewise, the face of Joan transforms from a girlish visage to that of a young warrior woman, besieged with grief for those who have died in war. And when Joan of Arc is to be burned, Barrett once more transforms Joan into an adult woman illuminated by the protection of belief. Poole and Barrett both resisted the temptation (as others have not) to insert religious agendas when portraying Joan of Arc's conversation with the Voices and her reported conversation with the archangel Michael after she was betrayed and imprisoned in a castle. As a result, the story becomes even more authentic and spiritually satisfying, especially when Joan is burned into an eternal star: "A saint is like a star. A star and a saint shine forever." (Ages 7 and older) --Gail Hudson

From Publishers Weekly

"This is a true story. It happened over 500 years ago, in France." So begins this romantic biography of Saint Joan, the 15th-century farmer's daughter who heard voices from heaven directing her to lead the French in battle during the Hundred Years' War. The opening lines, combined with a chronology at the back of the book, establish the agenda as historical?but the tone and much of the content reflect a religious sensibility. Poole (previously paired with Barrett for Snow-white) treats the heavenly voices and Joan's visions as absolute fact: "During that dreadful time," she writes of Joan's imprisonment before her trial for heresy, "St. Michael and his angels visited her, to comfort her. The Archangel was so beautiful, so kind." After Joan is burned at the stake, Poole concludes without further elaboration: "But that was not the end. A saint is like a star. A star and a saint shine forever." More effective in portraying the simple, massive courage of Joan's endeavors are Barrett's detailed, epic-scale illustrations. Aflame with premonitory fires and flooded with the emotion of battle, they sear the imagination with their horror and beauty. Ages 8-13.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (August 9, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803701209
• ISBN-13: 978-0803701205
• ASIN: 0679890416
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 9.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #913,503 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Joan of Arc, maid of Orleans, saves France, September 21, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Joan of Arc (Hardcover)

I bought this book in my position as church librarian, seeking stories for preteens about people whose lives were changed by God. There are very few books for kids like that out there that don't send a heavy fundamentalist message. There's also the old joke that Noah's wife was Joan of ARK. I needed to set that piece of ignorance straight, too. So I found an excellent book about St. Joan in this illustrated copy. The text is preteen level with historical information like a timeline of Joan's life and map of medieval France, along with the text of Joan's life. This is a nice volume and I would recommend it if you wish to buy it for medieval history, religion, feminist issues, French history or all of the above. The illustrations are well designed and in soft colors, to express the femininity and grace of Joan.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Childrens Introduction to St. Joan, August 9, 2000

By 

Sheldon S. Kohn - See all my reviews

This review is from: Joan of Arc (Paperback)

Regine Pernoud, the most respected twentieth-century biographer of Joan of Arc, noted that everyone can find a reason to love this saint. This book helps children begin to understand why she still haunts us 500 years after her death. I bought a copy of this book for my three-year-old son to introduce him to Joan of Arc's story, and it has been a pleasure for both of us. Now that it is available in an affordable paperback edition, a lot of parents will want to add it to their child's library.

Angela Barrett's illustrations are striking and memorable. In particular, I like the painting of the English bombarding Orleans, as it shows what a siege was like in those days. The cover picture (displayed above) shows Joan on her horse surrounded by the hopeful residents of Orleans who wanted to touch the maiden that God sent to liberate them. Without being heavy-handed, the fire engulfing the banner hints at Joan's ultimate fate, and her face reminds us that she was in many ways a child. This was a true incident, and Joan was said to have been masterful in guiding her horse to water to douse the flame. There is also an outstanding two-page illustration of Charles' coronation, in which Joan is shown standing in a position of honor as befits the liberator of the kingdom. The depiction of angels visiting the imprisoned Joan while she was on trial at Rouen captures the spirit of her faith in God and certainty in her quest. Remember that this uneducated peasant girl held her own for two months in a contest of wits with masters from the University of Paris. The illustrations alone make this book worth having.

Any biographer of Joan of Arc must find a way to explain the inexplicable. Josephine Poole's text is good, beginning with the simple statement that this is a true story. Ms. Poole offers Joan's story more-or-less at surface value. As is appropriate for her audience of children, she simply relates that Joan was a country girl working in a field when she heard voices that filled her with overwhelming happiness. The author includes some details of Joan's story that one could quibble with, but overall the text is solid as biography. I was frankly glad that she did not go into details of Joan's terrible death, concluding instead that a saint, like a star, lives forever. Indeed, Joan of Arc will always live in the hearts of all of us who love her.

Perhaps my son's actions speak loudest about the value of this book. We never go on a trip without "Joan of Arc," and I have heard him tell his friends, in his own way, that Joan of Arc tried to warn Classidas to go home, but that she ended up having to shoot and was sorry when he died. This book has helped my son begin to love St. Joan, and that is the strongest recommendation for it that I know how to make.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Joan of Arc as a saint, who like a star, shines on forever, January 20, 2004

By 

Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Joan of Arc (Paperback)

Josephine Poole and Angela Barrett's provide a compelling portrait of an ardent and spiritual Joan of Arc in this illustrated juvenile biography of the 15th-century peasant girl who led a French army to victory against the English and was later burned at the stake for witchcraft. Author Poole emphasizes that this is a true story, which is what makes the story of Joan's courage and humanity more compelling, especially with Barrett's illustrations, which provide a sense of both the time and the import of the story. Poole does an especially nice job of presenting the political complexities of the time in simple terms, yet provides a poetic touch to her text. What comes across is a story of a simple girl who was empowered by her beliefs to accomplish great things, that treats the triumph and the tragedy in equal measure, and underscores how after her martyrdom Joan went on to be named a saint by the Church.

Young readers will understand how Joan's beliefs could inspire her troops at the siege of Orleans, but they will have trouble understanding why there were those who abandoned her or why the English made sure she would be convicted at her trail. However, ultimately this look at "Joan of Arc" is more interested in providing a look at the story of her life without really trying to explain the motives of anyone beyond Joan. Within that context, the illustrations by Barrett make it clear that although she is dressed up in armor and carrying a colorful banner, Joan was a young girl. Young readers will definitely have a sense for why the story of this particular young girl has been a dramatic and compelling one for centuries.