A Weave Of Words [Hardcover]

Robert D. San Souci (Author), Raul Colon (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up

A reworking of Armenian folktales in which a lazy prince learns to read, write, and weave to win his love only to have these very talents later save him from a three-headed monster.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-5?On the watch for a traditional tale with a strong female figure? This Armenian story features a weaver's daughter who requires the idle prince who courts her to become both literate and skilled at a craft. He does, weaving a unique carpet to prove his achievement. She herself learns to ride and wield a sword, so they are prepared to reign, but also ready for changes in fortunes. When Vachagan is imprisoned by a greedy demon, his skill at the loom saves his life, and also enables him to send a coded message to his queen-wife. Anait reads the pattern and rides at the head of an army to rescue her king-husband. If the patterning of the story is a bit too geometric (the prince's initial reform is quite abrupt), the story is still a lively adventure with the satisfying shape of fairy tales. In the pictures, too, a simple but romantic style and a touch of the marvelous place readers firmly in the world of the tale. Col(the prince's initial reform is quite abrupt), the story is still a lively adventure with the sat of green and lapis. Like the delicate frames around each picture, they are not weighted with detail but suggest the exotic. A faint flavor of the 1930s film style links this Armenian story with its new American audience.?Patricia Lothrop-Green, St. George's School, Newport, RI
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ages 6^-9. While hunting in the forest, Prince Vachagan meets and falls in love with Anait, a weaver's daughter, who refuses to marry him because he can neither read nor write nor make his living by his hands. Taking her words to heart, the prince shuns his lazy palace ways, earning her hand by learning to read and write, and weave a beautiful carpet. Years later, those skills enable Queen Anait to find and save King Vachagan after he is captured and imprisoned by a monstrous, three-headed dev. Drawn from many sources of Armenian folklore, the story weaves strong characters, an adventurous plot, and underlying wisdom into a fabric as beautiful as the carpet King Vachagan weaves to save his life. Rich with subtle colors and strong composition, Colon's textured paintings create a fantasy world that reflects the tale's subtlety and its dramatic force. Readers tired of princes rescuing princesses will have the added pleasure of seeing a queen rescue her beloved king. A fine picture book to read aloud. Carolyn Phelan

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic; First Edition edition (March 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0531300536
• ISBN-13: 978-0531300534
• Product Dimensions: 11.5 x 8.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,224,663 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful tale which swept me off my feet!, March 31, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Jackson Hole,Wyoming USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Weave Of Words (Hardcover)

What a refreshing twist of folklore! In this tale not only is the princess young and beautiful, but full of wit and strong-willed too! She's a wonderful role-model for any woman in love! Not only does she save the prince from his own ignorence but she rescues him from death as well. Together, they build the foundation of true love and what life-long commitment truely means. I am a children's librarian and couldn't pick a better book to demonstrate what love is any better. I WILL have this book read at my own wedding.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars OUTSTANDING!!!!, May 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: A Weave Of Words (Hardcover)

The author of this book spins a fabulous tale. The story stirs the imagination and captures the heart. It should inspire many young women to have high standards and to never accept anything less. After reading this book, I couldn't wait to own it. I have shared the book with my class this year and will continue to do so in the future. Both the boys and the girls in my fourth grade class loved this intriguing weave of words!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THIS ONE NOW IS ON MY ALL TIME FAVORITES LIST, April 5, 2010

By 

D. Blankenship (The Ozarks) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Weave Of Words (Hardcover)

What a romantic and delightful folk tale Robert D. San Souci has woven for us with this offering!

Before we get started with a summation and review, the reader should be aware of the fact that while this is billed as an Armenian tale which is being retold; this is not strictly speaking the absolute truth. The author has indeed taken a basic tale of Armenia, but has inserted bits and pieces of from the various cultures near and around the Caucasus and indeed, Russia. This is all well and good and certainly does not distract one bit from the overall work, but I feel it is a bit of knowledge that should be considered when reading it. Be that as it may...

A young price, named Vachagan, a basically nice follow, has spent his life dong really nothing but living in a boring state of mind and has spent his entire time dressed simply and does nothing but hunt. The lad is a good hearted lad, handsome, bright and likable. One day as he is hunting he comes upon the home of a weaver and meets a young woman whose beauty and bearing, spirit and intelligence sweep him off his feet. He instantly asks her hand in marriage!

Anait, the young lady of his passion is a rather head strong young thing who has a mind of her own and when she finds the young prince cannot read, write or earn a living by his own hand, rejects his offer. He, she feels, is not worthy of her...which is probably a good point. I have to agree with the young Miss on this one. To be honest, there is not much not to like about this young lady.

The prince, completely love stricken and rather heartbroken, departs and begins to study and study with a singly mindedness to learn to read and write. He also teaches himself the art of weaving.

When all of this is accomplished the young prince returns to Anait and this time she accepts him for her husband. They are married, have a wonderful life, and eventually become King and Queen of the land. All is well until the young King is captured by an evil demon, is forced into slavery and since he has skills, is forced to weave for the demon.

How he manages to get a message back to his wife in a nice part of the tale, a key part, and I will not give it away here. Suffice to say that when his wife the Queen receives his secret message, she mounts her black stallion, leads an army to the rescue and in single combat defeats the demon (neatly removing all three of his heads with her mighty sword), and frees her husband.

This work features a very strong and able female character and the entire story is wonderfully told in the folk story mode.

The art work in this book by Raul Colon is beautifully executed and fits the mood of the story completely. The softness and golden overcast tend to highlight the wonderful details. Each painting illustrates the story perfectly.

This is truly a lovely tale and this work goes onto my stack of all time favorites.

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks