Customer Reviews

A Medieval Feast

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is a wonderful non-fiction history picturebook for children interested in Medieval times. Aliki's illustrations reflect her thorough research and attention to detail. I love this book. My children pull it out from the book shelves over and over. They love to see a lord and lady and all their servants busily preparing a magnificent feast for the King and Queen who soon will be travelling through their land and resting at their Manor. Aliki's illustrations and descriptions tell amazing amounts of information, herbs grown and used in Medieval times, the architecture, and characters wearing historically-accurate fashions. The pictures show tools, cookware, utensils, landscapes of the countryside, a brickoven, a flourmill with a waterwheel, livestock, a vineyard, a well, butterchurns, tapestries, wild animals caught for the feast, honeybeehives, vegetable gardens, and all of the servants and the lord and lady busily preparing for the king and queen's arrival. This little book is an excellent illustrated resource.

I read a review about this book given by another amazon customer who bought the book looking for recipes. Because the customer ordered without reading the description of the book first, she was disappointed to find that she had actually ordered a non-fiction history book for children. I am annoyed that this customer decided to rate this book with one star because she mis-ordered. The title isn't misleading, it describes exactly what the book is about, a medieval feast. It's wonderful.

The lord and and lady of Camdenton Manor are dismayed when they learn the King and his party are coming to stay with them, they know what a lot of work this will mean for everybody. Throughout the book you see everyone working like mad to get the manor ready in time. Delightful pictures show all the work involved in stocking up with food, hunting, fishing, harvesting, brewing, baking, men, women and children all joining in with the work. The pcitures are full of fascinating details of the lives of medieval people, nobles and commoners alike. Any child interested in history should enjoy this book, if you don't have a child, buy it for yourself. Warning: This is NOT a cookery book! (see first review)

Another hit by Aliki. Aliki has the gift of ushering the reader into another place and time when she writes of history long past. In "A Medieval Feast" she takes the reader into the life of a Lord as he prepares a spectacular feast for all the senses of his king.

We see the gorgeous fabrics for clothing, the tents & tapestries, the hunting, the house cleaning and the cooking. We sense the air of anticipation as the king finally arrives. Then we long to taste those fanciful foods we have only just read about: the Cockentrice, trenchers, and Subtleteys. Maybe we are even tempted to use our little fingers to dispense salt on our food. It is with longing we watch the feasting.

Then she ends our feast with a huge dose of reality: When the king announced he was going to visit a lord, the lord was struck with fear. To host the king meant he could quite possibly lose his entire fortune as many before him had done.

This is the beauty of Aliki, she brings the magic of the past to the present but won't neglect to remind us that it's opulence had a price and consequences. And yet the magic is not broken...it still lingers in our senses like the scent of a lovely perfume.

Wonderfully done!

Really enjoyed reading this with my 7 and 4 year old. The art work tells a story in itself and adds to the narrative. I wonderful little insight to medival life.

This book will be used to supplement our history and literature Medieval studies in homeschooling two of our grandchildren. It will not tell you how to cool a Medieval meal, but tells the story of what goes on when a family prepares for for a feast. It's a colorful book, well illustrated, and I believe the children will enjoy reading it. In looking through it, I suspect my 7 year old grandson will be able to read it on his own with a little help on unfamiliar words, but I will probably read it to the children the first time.

This is a wonderful book about mideval times for this age group!

I was expecting more recipes than was in it.
I didn't realize it was a story about a Medieval Feast, which I pretty much already knew. Otherwise it was a good book.

I somehow managed to misunderstand that this book was a kids book instead of a Cookbook! don't ask me how... but it was worth keeping anyway, I donated it to the Coffers for a prize for the children of our realm, as I have no kids right now of my own...

Its a good picture book detailing the feast held in the king's honor.

"A Medieval Feast" is a children's book on a feast held during the Middle Ages. Since I was looking for a book on Medieval Cookery, and this title came up, I purchased it. I shouldn't have. It's a picture book for young children, and it has nothing whatsoever to do with Medieval recipes or cookery. If It wouldn't cost me the price of the book in shipping, I'd send it back. However, for children who would like a story with a Medieval flare, this book is perfect for them, with lovely illustrations by ALIKI.