Published: July 16th, 2012
The Knight, the Princess, and the Magic Rock: A Classic Persian Tale
Retold By: Sara Azizi, Illustrated by: Alireza Sadeghian
Wisdom Tales
ISBN-13: 9781937786014
The Knight, the Princess & the Magic Rock beautifully brings to life the enchanting story of Bijan, a brave young knight from the ancient land of Persia, and his star-crossed lover, Manijeh, princess of an enemy kingdom.
Originally written over a thousand years ago, the story has been rendered into films, operas, and plays. Rich in symbolism, and filled with acts of heroism, secret potions, and the king’s all-knowing golden cup, the tale will delight children everywhere.
Review
This is the star-crossed love story of Bijan, a brave knight from Persia and Manijeh, princess of Persia's enemy. It is the story of how Manijeh saved Bijan from certain death, the kingdoms made peace and the lovers were able to spend the rest of their lives together, all because of a magic rock. I thought this was an interesting story, being that it was one that was entirely new to me. I have a mjor obsession with fairy tales and folklore, especially those from other countries (the U.S. is sort of new compared to the rest of the world!). I loved the illustrations and thought that they were definitely the focal point of the book. They had me wishing that I owned a Kindle Fire so I could see them in color. A major complaint about the story is that the author felt the need to re-tell it as a Grandpa telling it to his grandkids. Not necessary at all. The story would have stood on its own two feet well enough without that intro clogging up the beginning. Also, the style of telling was so factual that I felt a lot of the potential magic and beauty was lost. Yes, it's a kid's book and needs to be simple - that doesn't mean it can't be beautiful in its simplicity, rather than textbook. Worth reading for someone who is teaching or taking a class in folklore/myth/fairy tales or for an elementary school teacher. Also could be enjoyed by anyone who likes this sort of story and has never heard the tale before.
VERDICT: 3/5 Stars
*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book was published July 16th, 2012.*
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