Customer Reviews

Raucous Royals: Test your Royal Wits: Crack Codes, Solve Mysteries, and Deduce WhichRoyal Rumors are True

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If you're trying to sneak some history into your kids' reading time, give this book a whirl. They'll learn lots of fun facts about ding-dong royals like Henry VIII - including whether his witchy wife Anne Boleyn had six fingers (both before and after she lost her head!). While entertaining and utterly engaging thanks to Beccia's fun illustrations, the book also offers parents a launching point in which to discuss the damaging power of rumors. What? You thought that Marie Antoinette actually said, "Let them eat cake!"??? Off with your head! HA!

The Raucous Royals is given life by the prodigiously talented Carlyn Beccia, who wrote, illustrated and designed it. Accordingly, the book has a remarkable integration between text, design and art. The book is designed to look like part tabloid magazine, part graphic novel, part Ye Olde Master homage. Frankly, I'm amazed to learn that this is only Beccia's second picture book; her debut was Who Put the B in Ballyhoo?, a circus-inspired alphabet.

(Yes, technically these are picture books marketed to children. But I think they're really for any age -- beautifully illustrated books are ageless -- though The Raucous Royals is definitely slanted to an older audience than Ballyhoo. Figure kids over eight.)

The core of The Raucous Royals is how history is "a Distillation of Rumors."* Beccia writes: "Once a rumor is born, it never truly dies. Before television, tabloid magazines, and the Internet, rumors about royalty were started by clever jingles, silly cartoons, small books called pamphlets, and simple word of mouth." From there, she deconstructs over a dozen rumors from the last five hundred years, starting with Vlad the Impader and finishing with England's unfortunate George III.

It's a fun romp, made all the livelier by Beccia's knowing wit and clever art. All the wives of Henry VIII are there, including Anne Boleyn and her supposed sixth finger. Elizabeth and her cousin Mary Stuart are presented in a Rashomon-like format. I especially liked Beccia's explanations of some of the stranger health obsessions of times past, such as "The Boil Butt Beautifier." Apparently Louis XIV was prone to nasty boils on his... well, you get the idea!

A few rumors are lightly glossed over because of the juvenile market constraint. For example, Beccia plays coy in her presentation of Catherine the Great's supposed death-by-horse. The rumor she offers: "Catherine the great empress of Russia, died after being crushed by her horse." Um, well, only half the story there. But how else could you explain this to a G-rated audience without tipping toward a racy R rating? It's a tricky thing -- and this is one tale from history that is just too juicy to leave out.

I think The Raucous Royals would make a delectable gift for any history fan, especially if they're on the younger side. I know if I'd had this book as a kid, I would eaten it up like coffee ice cream, my favorite childhood treat. So highly recommended for the holidays, birthdays and beyond. I can imagine many a juicy school report being fueled by it.

* Quote from Thomas Carlyle, 1795 - 1881.

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Kris Waldherr is the author of DOOMED QUEENS: Royal Women Who Met Bad Ends (Broadway Books, $14.95).

Rumors about royalty are nothing new. The bread and butter of English tabloids, rumours concerning the royal family often make it to the cover pages of our very own trash papers here across the pond. You may be surprised to learn that some rumours concerning royalty - hundreds of years old - have been accepted into the general body of historical knowledge as fact. In Raucous Royals, author Carlyn Beccia leads readers on a fun filled, factual romp to discover the truth that lies behind this antiquated mud-slinging.

Delving into the truths behind statements concerning an assorted cast of royal characters, Beccia encourages young historians to dig into the facts behind commonly espoused beliefs on the appearance, character, and behaviour of these famous figures. A select group of thirteen royals from the fifteenth through nineteenth centuries are included in this 64-page picture book.

Did Marie Antoinnete say, "Let them eat cake."? Was Empress Catherine the Great killed beneath her horse? Did Richard III kill his nephews? Was Queen Elizabeth I afraid of mice? These questions amongst others are examined in light of the available facts, removing hearsay from the picture entirely. Some of the answers might surprise you - I was shocked to learn that some of the historical "facts" my father had passed on to me as a girl were patently untrue; in fact, they were very persistent pieces of rumour mongering. Through Beccia's careful examination of the facts, readers will discover whether these - and many other - reports are true, false or unconfirmed.

Far from descending into dry, eye-rolling accounts, Beccia has created a uniquely engaging history resource filled with irreverent illustrations, trivia, quizzes and secret codes. A variety of creative visual techniques are employed to present historical facts in a captivating manner; illustrated graphs, letters, timelines, and authentic portraits are combined with Beccia's original artwork for a sumptuous visual presentation.

Yes, you read that right. Not only did Beccia write the text of Raucous Royals, she also designed and illustrated the book. In addition, then, to being a talented author and amateur historian she is a gifted artist as well. Her oftentimes-comedic interpretations of the royals combined with off-colour historical facts left me laughing out loud on more than one ocassion. Did you know that in seventeenth century France wealthy men and women would rub puppy urine on their faces to improve their complexion? Pair this factoid with an illustration of a smiling woman holding a bewildered puppy near her face and see if you can avoid laughing - I couldn't. Indeed, an assortment of such indispensable historical facts can be yours to add to your trivia repertoire to keep on hand for lulls in conversations.

Being familiar with some of the ribald behaviours of royalty, as well as having had some raunchy rumours whispered into my ear, I was somewhat concerned with the presentation of risqué subject matter in this title. Beccia exercised tact and caution, politely rephrasing and rephrasing the wildest of the accusations to keep this book appropriate for young children. As a parent, I'm deeply grateful that the Raucous Royals managed to be educational and entertaining without passing into PG-13 (and far beyond) territory.

Printed as a sturdy hardcover with reinforced binding, Raucous Royals is ready and willing to withstand repeated use in the home by both the intended age group (9-12 years), younger siblings who are fascinated by the artwork, and parents. I had a number of chuckles, and caught my husband reading it a few times as well, after which he shared some new facts he'd learned with me. It should also withstand many readings in school, public, and classroom libraries where it is sure to become a staple.

With an extensive bibliography and Beccia's recommendation to search out primary sources for themselves before believing a historical rumour, a newly enlivened interest in history is sure to result for many young readers.

This is just a delightful book--full of adventure and historical facts presented in an accessible and attractive way. I laughed along at the many winks in this book, while my niece marveled at the incredible illustrations. I loved how the book really sparked our imaginations. We've had many interesting conversations arising from this book, and I expect we'll have more as we dip--again and again--into this treasure trove. And visually, it's just gorgeous--lots of things to look at. A real find!

What a completely fresh approach to history; a thoroughly enjoyable book! We stumbled upon this at the library and now we will hunt down more by this author. Never again will your children think that history is dull (although, mine rather enjoy history anyway). The matter-of-fact, yet humorous style, illuminate outrageous facts (and outright lies) that will surely keep the interest of just about any child (or adult, for that matter!). The organization of the book is well-designed, and the illustrations are eye-catching. I think this will encourage children to look a little deeper and consider that there are two sides to every story - even the textbook story. Definitely a step up from the "You Wouldn't Want to Be a ______" series and other similar series. "Bravo!", Ms. Beccia!

I really loved it. The book is very intersesting and had facts that I didnt know. I would highly recommend it to history lovers of all ages.

Trust your feeling-You'll be right on.

Instantaneously this book will grab your attention with its gorgeous cover, regal writing, royal colours and cleverly amusing illustrations. A deliciously tempting visual fest, The Raucous Royals is filled with the most outrageous historical rumors that instantly captivate the interest. Your child will want to find out -Did that happen? That's so funny! That didn't happen!...Or, did it? No way to find out but to keep on reading; and that's what will happen cause your child won't let you put it down.

Carlyn Beccia (check out her blog)is a fantastic author! She has devised a sure way to whet a child's appetite for history. The book is filled with guessing games, secret codes, experiments, quizzes and the most hilarious, almost caricature-like illustrations ever. And that's only the half of it...the best part is savored in the history! That's where you discover whether King Richard really did murder his nephews; or whether Anne Boleyn had six fingers; if Mary Queen of Scots plotted to assassinate her cousin Elizabeth I-or- if King Louis XIV took only three baths in his life! What?!

All rumors? Or fact? You won't be misled. Everything is explained with clarity, fun, and complete accuracy. Carlyn Beccia's work reveals itself as intelligent, witty, creative and well researched. The Raucous Royals is filled with interactive, thought provoking questions and topics that trigger the mind. Your child will love using his detective instincts to search and find out the truth while learning interesting historical facts. I just can't say enough about the presentation and content of this book. Well written and beautifully illustrated; the book will captivate young children, while being sophisticated enough to keep older teens just as enthralled.

The perfect blend between historical accuracy and splendor in creative entertainment, The Raucous Royals depicts history through an amazingly unique and enticing approach that will have kids falling in love with the past.

Kids are invited to sleuth through history revealing wild true stories and uncovering false rumors in this 64-page illustrated book. The "story" is presented first and after turning the page, the "conclusion" True, False or Unconfirmed follows. Although the illustrations are digital art, they have the textured feel of acrylics. I was reminded very much of the work of Diane Stanley. I also liked the yellow antique paper treatment on all the pages, and the faux gilt leather design on the cover. There's a fair touch of humor, with wacky sidebars and speech bubbles over historical figures with silly comments. For example, King Henry, peering at Anne of Cleves portrait is saying, "Ahh, yes. I will marry her. She is beautiful... I think?" My favorite page was the contest between dueling historians each making their case for Peter the Great, "Peter was a monster" vs. "Peter was a saint" the best device I've seen yet for teaching critical thinking. I see so many kids who are used to memorizing and spitting things back out for the test, and the format for this book seems perfectly geared for forcing kids to really think about things. The book ends with a copious bibliography, and there's even an accompanying website[...] for those who want to explore further.

I really, really enjoyed THE RAUCOUS ROYALS, which is funny since I don't enjoy historical books all that much. But author Carlyn Beccia has turned this book into an interactive experience, and it was so much fun to learn that the things I had always taken as truth weren't always true after all!

For example, I had always heard (even in school!) that Napoleon Bonaparte was short. But using today's measuring standards, he'd be 5'6", which although isn't the height of an NBA starter, definitely isn't short!

Many people attribute the line "let them eat cake" to Marie Antoinette, since philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau had claimed in 1766 that Ms. Antoinette had suggested, quite flippantly I might add, that the poor who had no bread should instead eat cake. Not true! No one really knows why this saying has survived throughout history, but poor Marie has been getting a bad rap for ages!

Henry VIII had six wives, and it's been said that he liked to behead them with an ax. The truth, though, is that only one of his wives, Kathryn Howard, was actually beheaded this way. Although, if you ask me, one beheaded wife is more than enough!

Anyone with an interest in history, royals, or just plain old fun historical detecting is sure to enjoy THE RAUCOUS ROYALS. With clues, games, trivia, and much more, this is one book that's more than just a dry history text. A perfect book for either a classroom or personal library!

Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"