Patchwork Prince - Hardcover

Paul, Baptiste

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0593463447 ISBN 13: 9780593463444

Publisher: Dial Books, 2023

Synopsis

A joyful, empowering story of a boy made royal by his mother’s hand-stitched clothes, inspired by the author's childhood in St. Lucia, and with art by a #1 NYT bestselling artist with St. Lucian roots.

What makes a patchwork prince? A prince must be ready for adventure—ready for the night, ready to pluck the brightest, most beautiful fabrics from the scrap heap, ready to run when danger comes. With the treasures he and his mother collect, she will make him clothes fit for royalty: No flashy jewels, no crown, but a cut and drape that hug his Black shoulders just right. And in his new clothes, with chin held high, he will know he is a prince.

Together with Kitt Thomas’s beautiful, exuberant  artwork, acclaimed author Baptiste Paul brings readers a celebratory story about confidence and self-worth, and the enduring love between a mother and son.

"Joyful [and] powerful . . . So much beauty.” —SLJ (starred review)
"Artfully rendered . . . A loving portrait of a child embracing their innate value." —PW
"Filled with energy and movement, [the book speaks] to the resilience of the human spirit." —Kirkus

About this title

About the Author

Baptiste Paul (he/him) is a St. Lucian-born children's book author. He is a native Creole/Patois speaker who enjoys sharing stories of his experiences with anyone who will listen. His debut picture book, The Field, was inspired by his childhood in St Lucia, and received starred reviews from Kirkus, The Horn Book, and Booklist.

Kitt Thomas (they/she) is a first-generation St. Lucian American author/illustrator and graduate of the Ringling College of Art and Design. Kitt’s mission is to celebrate Black culture with their drawings and to encourage inclusion in all forms of art, as they found it hard to see themself properly represented in the media they enjoyed growing up. Kitt has worked with Netflix, Hasbro, and Cartoon Network. They are the #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator of Stacey’s Extraordinary Words.

Reviews

Gr 1–5—Vividly colored illustrations help tell the story of a boy who lives in the island country of St. Lucia, who learns to be a prince when his mother takes him to pull fabric out of the trash where big corporations dump the clothes. To discourage people from taking things from the trash, the drivers set it on fire. Before this happens, the narrator and his mother take a few pieces home, where she turns the fabric into clothing; he proudly describes the colors she sews into a regal patchwork robe for him: black for beauty, green for life, red for strength, and more. The boy is proud of his mother for making the clothing and happy to wear it, imagining himself to be special. The illustrations convey every joyful moment, from the adventure of the visit to the dump to the assembling of the garment and the child's love of wearing it among his peers. The story has a powerful message of pride, even in things that others might not consider beautiful. This message of pride in self is very different from the mainstream media and social media messages most children receive today, which tends to rely on branding. Yet the book offers several jumping-off points for shared discussions: recycling, waste, repurposing, imagination, kindness, and, of course, economic inequity. VERDICT When sharing, read Paul's glorious author's note first to establish that this tale from memory offers so many lessons and so much beauty in very few pages.—Debbie Tanner

Edition details

• Publisher: Dial Books
• Publication date: 2023
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0593463447
• ISBN 13: 9780593463444
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Thomas Kitt
• Number of pages: 32