
Reach for this book when your child is processing a major falling out, the weight of a mistake that cannot be easily undone, or the confusing nature of big adult emotions like jealousy. This retelling of Shakespeare's classic play handles the heavy consequences of a father's unfounded suspicions with a masterful blend of intensity and whimsy. It is a story about how actions have ripples, but also about the beautiful, slow work of redemption and the power of time to heal old wounds. While the story touches on grief and the loss of a child, it is ultimately a romance filled with magic and surprise. It serves as an excellent bridge to classic literature for elementary schoolers, offering a safe space to discuss how feelings like jealousy can twist the truth. Parents will appreciate the focus on sincere apologies and the enduring strength of friendship, making it a profound choice for kids navigating complex social dynamics or family changes.
A baby is left alone in a wild place; characters must flee for their lives.
Themes of infant abandonment and the long-term consequences of false accusations.
The book deals directly with the death of a child (Mamillius) and the abandonment of an infant. These events are portrayed as the tragic results of the king's madness. The resolution is deeply hopeful and secular, though it feels like a fairy tale miracle.
A thoughtful 9 or 10-year-old who enjoys complex fairy tales and is beginning to understand that people are not all good or all bad, but can make terrible mistakes and still seek to change.
Preview the scenes involving the Oracle and the death of Mamillius. The concept of infidelity is handled with age-appropriate vagueness (the disease of jealousy), but parents should be ready to explain what a false accusation is. A child might ask, Why did the daddy throw the baby away? or Why did the brother die? These are tough questions about adult fallibility.
Younger children (7-8) will focus on the magic, the princess in hiding, and the happy ending. Older children (11-12) will catch the nuances of Leontes's psychological breakdown and the heavy price of his redemption.
Unlike many retellings, Coville does not sanitize the intensity of the king's jealousy, but LeUyen Pham's illustrations provide a visual lushness that makes the difficult themes accessible.
King Leontes of Sicily becomes irrationally jealous of his friend Polixenes and his wife Hermione. His accusations lead to the death of his son, the apparent death of his wife, and the abandonment of his newborn daughter, Perdita. Years later, Perdita is found living as a shepherdess, and through a series of coincidences and a touch of magic, the family is reunited and Leontes finds forgiveness.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.
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