The Secret Room - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0374465967 ISBN 13: 9780374465964

Publisher: A Sunburst Book Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR), 1996

Synopsis

While traveling in the countryside, a king asks a gray-haired man why his beard is black. "Because my head is older than my beard," he replies. The king is so impressed with the man's clever answer that he soon names him treasurer of the kingdom. But the chief minister is jealous of the influence this outsider has over the king and accuses him of stealing. In order to prove his innocence, the new treasurer must be wise as well as clever.
With jewel-tone watercolors, this simple but rich story by the Caldecott Medalist is sure to become a folktale favorite.

About this title

From Kirkus Reviews:

Another provocative fable from a Caldecott medalist whose most recent book was Toddlecreek Post Office (1990). When a king meets a man who explains that his beard is black while the hair on his head is white because ``my head is older,'' the king decrees, ``You must not tell this to anyone until you have seen my face ninety-nine times.'' When the king's wily counselor tries to trick the man into breaking this edict, the man asks for only 99 copper coins in return--but they bear the king's likeness. Impressed with his cleverness, the king makes him treasurer; later, after again outwitting the jealous counselor by coming up with an honest and modest rebuttal to his false charges, he's appointed counselor in his place. Shulevitz's art--richly saturated colors, simple, angular forms, strongly energetic compositions, adroit caricatures--are a particular pleasure here, while the tale's classic structure and gentle wisdom especially recommend it for storytelling. (Picture book. 4-10) -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

From School Library Journal:

Grade 3 Up-A picture book of riddles, wordplay, and royal intrigue. When the king rewards a wise man's cleverness by appointing him treasurer, a villainous counselor accuses him of stealing gold and hiding it in his house. A mysterious secret room turns out to be where the treasurer goes to reflect on his good fortune and not get "too full of" himself. The writing is economical and concrete. Unfortunately, the gentle message about tempering gratitude with humility doesn't seem to fit with the rest of the tale and isn't one that will be comprehensible (or of interest) to youngsters. Shulevitz's artwork is superb. Bright, angular, stylized figures move in a timeless, dreamlike atmosphere and his use of light, shadow, and color to convey mood is extraordinary. Since this effort is unquestionably an artistic and literary success, many libraries will want to buy it. But is it a book children will like? Probably not.
Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: A Sunburst Book Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 0374465967
• ISBN 13: 9780374465964
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Uri Shulevitz