Patchwork Prince
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- $10.99
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
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
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
"I'll never forget the first time I became a prince," begins a Black-presenting child narrator heading out with their mother. After the two hide, a truck carrying colorful fabric scraps speeds past them, spilling its bounty. As the two choose bright cloths from the pile, the driver returns and sets the textiles alight, signaling that "poor families were not welcome." Back home and having arranged the garments, the child does chores so "my queen's hands could be free to do their magic"—stitch clothing "fit for a prince" out of the fabrics. Attired in a patchwork drape of many colors, the child dances with their mother by candlelight, and, "My chin held high, I smiled and waved" to peers. Using phrases that outline principles of princehood ("A prince must be ready for new adventures," "Be brave"), Paul (Climb On!) marries whimsical imaginings with a portrait of bounty created amid adversity. Thomas (My Fade Is Fresh) brings a reverence for color to the spreads, imbuing them with jewel tones reflected in artfully rendered characters and garb. It's a loving portrait of a child embracing their innate value, taught by the queen who loves them best. An author's note concludes. Ages 3–7. Author's agent: Karen Grencik, Red Fox Literary. Illustrator's agent: Chad W. Beckerman, CAT Agency.
