The King of Capri - Hardcover

Winterson, Jeanette; Jane Ray

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1582348308 ISBN 13: 9781582348308

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books, 2003

Synopsis

The King of Capri is so greedy that he wishes he had two mouths with which to feed himself. Meanwhile, across the bay in the city of Naples, the washerwoman Mrs. Jewel barely manages to feed herself and her very skinny cat. But one night a great wind blows in and carries everything away from the King's castle, towards Naples, and into Mrs. Jewel's yard. The King is left alone and forlorn as everyone leaves Capri to visit the generous Mrs. Jewel, who has become the Queen of Naples. When he goes to make this new queen's acquaintance, the King of Capri and the Queen of Naples fall in love and they have nothing left to wish for.

About this title

About the Author:

Jeanette Winterson is a novelist whose honors include England's Whitbread Award and the American Academy's E.M. Forster Award. With her debut in the early eighties, Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit, she soon won the praise of such masters as Gore Vidal ("the most interesting young writer I have read in twenty years"). She lives in London and the Costwolds.

Illustrator: Jane Ray has illustrated many wonderful books for children including Twelve Dancing Princesses. She lives in the UK.

From School Library Journal:

PreSchool-Grade 4--The gluttonous King of Capri bemoans the fact that he has "two hands but only one mouth." His advisor reminds him that his impoverished subjects can barely feed one. As bedtime approaches, the monarch, clad only in socks and a crown, hangs his food-stained clothes on the wash line. Meanwhile, across the bay in Naples, a poor washerwoman shares her meager dinner with her cat. That night the wind wreaks havoc and fortunes shift as objects are buffeted from the island to the city. The roles are reversed and the contrast between generosity and greed are made abundantly clear. Ray uses a sunlit Mediterranean palette to depict clustered port dwellings. The deeper shades of the aquamarine sea and sky heighten the brightness of the warm colors. The artist employs a variety of papers, a range of brush techniques, and miniature gold details to decorate the scenes, creating the rich layering of cloth and textures found in a palace or laundry. All's well that ends well, and a harmonious balance is achieved for both characters. With its selfish king, heart-of-gold laborer, and preponderance of fabrics, the story is reminiscent of Jeff Brumbeau's The Quiltmaker's Gift (Pfeifer-Hamilton, 1999). Predictable, but visually quite special.--Wendy Lukehart, Washington DC Public Library
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About this edition

• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 1582348308
• ISBN 13: 9781582348308
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32