I. BIBLIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION
De Haan, Linda and Stern Nijland. 2000. KING AND KING. Berkeley: Tricycle Press. ISBN 1582460612
II. SUMMARY
When the Queen is tired of being queen, she demands that her son marry and become King. They put out a search far and wide, but the princesses do not catch the prince’s attention. Finally, Princess Madeleine and her brother Prince Lee visit the palace. The prince fall sin love with Prince Lee and the two marry.
III. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
KING AND KING is a retelling of a Cinderella story with a homosexual perspective. The prince says to his mother “I’ve never cared much for princesses” in the beginning of the story, making the reader aware that this is not going to be a traditional fairytale. The story is similar in format to tradition fairy tales in its sequence of events. The text is narrative and ends predictably with the phrase “everyone lives happily ever after.”
The illustrations in this picture book are vivid, brightly colored multimedia collages. The pages are sometimes overly busy with the collage effect. The expressions on the characters are drawn and sometimes seem unattractive and somewhat sloppy. The interpretations of the princesses are somewhat stereotypical. The opera singer is huge and the princess from Mumbai is dark black, tall and thin. These exaggerations may add to the humor of the work, but some readers may be offended by them.
There are some markers that add to the authenticity of this work as a representative gay or homosexual picture book. The story itself is a timeless classic with a twist. The reader should understand the concept from the title. KING AND KING is clearly not a traditional tale. As the story progresses, it is clear that the prince does not care for princesses. The subject is not addressed subtly, and some children may be put off by the abruptness with which the prince changes his mind. This takes away from the authenticity of the story, and may seem insensitive to the issue of homosexuality.
Overall, the illustrations in this work are distracting and cluttered. The story is a unique take on a traditional fairy tale, but it is not particularly interesting or compelling within the narrative. This is not the best example of a picture book with a gay or lesbian perspective.
IV. REVIEW EXCERPTS
“Unfortunately, the multimedia collages are cluttered with clashing colors, amorphous paper shapes, scribbles of ink and bleary brushstrokes; the characters' features are indistinct and sometimes ugly. Despite its gleeful disruption of the boy-meets-girl formula, this alterna-tale is not the fairest of them all.”—Publisher’s Weekly
“The book does present same-sex marriage as a viable, acceptable way of life within an immediately recognizable narrative form, the fairy tale. However, those looking for picture books about alternative lifestyles may want to keep looking for a barrier-breaking classic on the subject.”—School Library Journal
V. CONNECTIONS
**Include the book in a display promoting awareness of “Banned Books Week.”
De Haan, Linda and Stern Nijland. 2000. KING AND KING. Berkeley: Tricycle Press. ISBN 1582460612
II. SUMMARY
When the Queen is tired of being queen, she demands that her son marry and become King. They put out a search far and wide, but the princesses do not catch the prince’s attention. Finally, Princess Madeleine and her brother Prince Lee visit the palace. The prince fall sin love with Prince Lee and the two marry.
III. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
KING AND KING is a retelling of a Cinderella story with a homosexual perspective. The prince says to his mother “I’ve never cared much for princesses” in the beginning of the story, making the reader aware that this is not going to be a traditional fairytale. The story is similar in format to tradition fairy tales in its sequence of events. The text is narrative and ends predictably with the phrase “everyone lives happily ever after.”
The illustrations in this picture book are vivid, brightly colored multimedia collages. The pages are sometimes overly busy with the collage effect. The expressions on the characters are drawn and sometimes seem unattractive and somewhat sloppy. The interpretations of the princesses are somewhat stereotypical. The opera singer is huge and the princess from Mumbai is dark black, tall and thin. These exaggerations may add to the humor of the work, but some readers may be offended by them.
There are some markers that add to the authenticity of this work as a representative gay or homosexual picture book. The story itself is a timeless classic with a twist. The reader should understand the concept from the title. KING AND KING is clearly not a traditional tale. As the story progresses, it is clear that the prince does not care for princesses. The subject is not addressed subtly, and some children may be put off by the abruptness with which the prince changes his mind. This takes away from the authenticity of the story, and may seem insensitive to the issue of homosexuality.
Overall, the illustrations in this work are distracting and cluttered. The story is a unique take on a traditional fairy tale, but it is not particularly interesting or compelling within the narrative. This is not the best example of a picture book with a gay or lesbian perspective.
IV. REVIEW EXCERPTS
“Unfortunately, the multimedia collages are cluttered with clashing colors, amorphous paper shapes, scribbles of ink and bleary brushstrokes; the characters' features are indistinct and sometimes ugly. Despite its gleeful disruption of the boy-meets-girl formula, this alterna-tale is not the fairest of them all.”—Publisher’s Weekly
“The book does present same-sex marriage as a viable, acceptable way of life within an immediately recognizable narrative form, the fairy tale. However, those looking for picture books about alternative lifestyles may want to keep looking for a barrier-breaking classic on the subject.”—School Library Journal
V. CONNECTIONS
**Include the book in a display promoting awareness of “Banned Books Week.”
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