The Yeoman's Daring Daughter and the Princes in the Tower - Hardcover

Clayton, Elaine

3.57

7 ratings by Goodreads

9780517709849: The Yeoman's Daring Daughter and the Princes in the Tower

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0517709848 ISBN 13: 9780517709849

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers, 1999

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In 1483, after their father, King Edward IV's death, the princes Edward and Richard of England were locked up in the Tower of London by their uncle, Richard Duke of Gloucester, who was eager to precede them to the throne. Soon after their imprisonment, the princes vanished and, to this day, the mystery of their disappearance remains unsolved. While many believed that their uncle had them killed, the possibility remains that they got away. In this dramatic adventure written entirely in secret letters, Elaine Clayton imagines what might have happened...perhaps the daughter of a tower guard helped them escape! With lush oil paintings that dramatically convey the mood of 15th century England, this entertaining and dynamic picture book reveals one of the most intriguing secrets in the history of England's monarchy. It's spunky heroine and her daring rescue of the endangered princes will have readers cheering and may even spark an interest in history.

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From School Library Journal:

Grade 1-4The general assumption of historians has been that the two boys known as The Princes in the Tower, who disappeared in 1483, were murdered by their uncle (Richard, Duke of Gloucester) to clear his way to the British throne. Clayton offers a more appealing version of the story for young readers, while still casting Richard as the villain. After the death of their father, King Edward IV, the brothers are sent to the Tower of London for safekeeping. A friendship develops between them and Jane, the daughter of one of the Tower guards, through letters carried back and forth by the girls pet raven. When she overhears Richard plotting to get rid of his nephews, she assists in their escape, and the last letter reports that they are safely living in another country. Told entirely in letters and royal decrees, the story unfolds dramatically through Claytons oil paintings, which extend the minimal text. Colors vary from bright hues when Jane is working on Prince Edwards coronation robes to dark and brooding when the princes are in danger. The story will be confusing for children who do not have a context for the complicated historical circumstances, although an authors note gives a simplistic explanation of the background. Still, the enduring theme of children outwitting adults may appeal to some youngsters and if this book leads them to want to learn more about 15th-century British history, so much the better.Connie C. Rockman, Stratford Library Association, CT
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews:

Working with a potent mix of history and speculation, Clayton takes on the mystery and intrigue that continues to surround the disappearance of Prince Edward and Prince Richard from the Tower of London in 1483. After the death of their father, King Edward IV, the two princes were taken to the Tower of London by their uncle, Richard, Duke of Gloucester, supposedly for their own safety until Prince Edward's coronation. According to this epistolary picture book, Jane, the guard's daughter, enters into a lively correspondence with the young princes, who have seen her from their tower window. When she learns that they are in danger, she leads them to a rowboat docked nearby and they are able to escape. The hurriedly written exchanges and the shadowy settings of the illustrations offer suspense; an afterword explains that the princes' actual fate is unknown. The landmarks of 15th-century London, maps, a timeline, and a family tree that illustrates the progression of the royal line help bring the story to life; the only weakness is in Clayton's renderings of human figures, which are poorly drawn and inconsistent. The story is so delightful, and the premise so ripe that most readers will be willing to overlook the flaws of the art. (Picture book. 4-8) -- Copyright �1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

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