The Hidden Prince
Retold by Jeffrey E. Burkart
Illustrated by
Patrick Whelan
Picture Book, Allegory, King
This book has more words than your average picture book, with content that also is more appropriate for a slightly older audience. The emotions and character development combined with the realistic illustrations really draw the reader in, making it a powerful piece.
Synopsis
The stage is set with a kingdom wherein the people have blocked the king from a relationship in their hearts, but the King longs for a loving relationship. What ensues is a story of the Prince asking permission to leave the castle (something he'd never done before). He leaves but quickly realizes he can't build true or meaningful relationships with the people in the land if he is labeled boldly as royalty. He creatively and boldly resolves this issue, which makes the rest of the story. Without giving away too much, I will say there are very mild romantic elements.
What I Love
I love the depth of emotion and detail in the story that make it a deep, engaging read. The story is clearly heavily allegorical, but I thought quite tasteful. Even my 6yo was gripped by the tension and emotion in the story and enjoyed reading it, but I do think some of the content and meaning went over his head.
Weaker points
At times the allegory got heavy handed, leaving gaps in the believability of the story. Overall I didn't mind this since the writing and plot were so appealing. The climax also comes to a very fast, somewhat limited conclusion, which I found a tad dissapointing, but it may have just been in the interest of length and scope.
Details
Age: 7-14
32 pages
About the Authors
This is a retelling of a folk tale, originally credited to Soren Kirkegaard. Burkhart also has released a longer version for an older audience. Jeffrey Burkhart is an author and musician and is dean and professor at Concordia University in St. Paul.
Where To Find
This book may be out of print. Check your church library or used book stores, such as Abe or Thrift.