A Valentine Fantasy
Author:
Carolyn Haywood 
Illustrator:
Glenys Ambrus, Victor Ambrus
Publication:
1976 by William Morrow & Company
Genre:
Fairy Tales, Fiction, Folk Tales, Picture Books
Pages:
28
Current state:
This book has been evaluated and information added. It has been read but content considerations may not be complete.
Book Guide
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Of all the holidays, Valentine's Day has become one of the most popular for children. Now one of their most popular storytellers presents an imaginative version of the childhood of Saint Valentine and how the custom of sending valentines originated.
Carolyn Haywood pictures the young Valentine growing up in a royal kingdom where castles and towns are surrounded by forests and wild creatures. Perhaps because of his gentle nature, Valentine considers the birds and animals his friends and even comes to know the rarest of all birds, the golden bluebird, believed to have a heart of gold. But the day comes when the king asks for the bluebird's golden heart to win the princess that he wants to make his queen, and then Valentine is faced with a hard choice indeed.
Glenys and Victor Ambrus have furnished a rich medieval setting for this tender fable. The colorful Renaissance costumes and the authentic period detail of each scene make the book ideally suited for the observance of this holiday that celebrates love and friendship.
From the dust jacket
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Carolyn Haywood
1898 - 1990American
Carolyn Haywood was born in Philadelphia and now lives in Chestnut Hill, a suburb of that city. A graduate of the Philadelphia Normal School, she al... See more
Victor Ambrus
1935-Hungarian/British
Victor Ambrus was born in Budapest, Hungary, and Glenys Ambrus in London, England. Both are graduates of the Royal College of Art, in London, and a... See more
Glenys Ambrus
c.1935 -British
Victor Ambrus was born in Budapest, Hungary, and Glenys Ambrus in London, England. Both are graduates of the Royal College of Art, in London, and a... See more
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Resource Guide
Podcast
Episode 70: Why Read Fairy Tales?
Released in 2020 by The Literary Life
Available formats: Streaming Audio
Length: 1 hr. 29 min.
View on the The Literary Life site
"Angelina Stanford and Cindy Rollins tackle the topic of fairy stories, discussing the what, why and how of reading them. Angelina shares the distinctive characteristics of fairy stories in contrast to other types of stories, such as myths. They deal with the question of whether fairy tales are 'escapist', the influence of the Grimm brothers scholarly work on interpreting fairy stories, and allowing the story to unveil its deeper truths without forcing meaning onto it.
Angelina gives an illustration of how to see the gospel messages in fairy tales by talking us through the story of Sleeping Beauty. She refutes the ideas that fairy tales are about human romance or are misogynistic. She also highlights some of the Enlightenment and Puritan responses to fairy tales that still linger with us today. Cindy and Angelina also discuss some common concerns such as the magical, weird, or scary aspects of fairy tales. Angelina also makes a distinction between folk tales, literary fairy tales, and cautionary tales."
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