Synopses & Reviews
When the prince child is born, all of the animals of the forest must decide what gifts they will bring to him. The heron brings a song, the snow cat brings a crystal ball, and the gerbil brings flowers. How are they to know what the prince wants most of all?
Review
Publisher's Weekly (01/10/2005):
"In this team's gently wry debut, a series of eerily realistic animal portraits illustrate one-page profiles that tell what each character will bring to a party for the Prince. Like aboriginals at a secret dance, van der Linden's animals adorn themselves for the gathering with cowrie shells, tusk-like teeth, daubed-on paint and feathers … Even children who've seen dozens of animal photographs will pause to look at these - the hyena, for instance, waits and watches with a face tattooed Maori-style; he sports a fantastic basket-woven hat from which strings of beads dangle. In each of Rinck's short vignettes (which appear on the left, with the full-bleed portraits on the right), animals uncertain of the worth of their gifts receive tender encouragement, while over-confident animals get gentle rebukes … In a quiet moment of fairy-tale parody, the Prince turns out to be a tiny frog ("Has anyone brought what the prince wants most? Has anyone brought him a kiss?"). This creation is itself a marvelous gift to bring to any party."
Review
Kirkus Reviews (10/1/2004):
"Rich paintings tell the thoughtful tale of animals preparing for theprince's party. … The animals' costumes evoke world-wideindigenous cultures. The young prince, appearing finally on the last page, is (surprisingly) a tiny, delicate frog sitting on a lily pad wearing aminuscule gold crown. His wish for a certain particular gift implies agentle link with a famous fairy tale, but knowledge of that tale isn'tnecessary for enjoyment of this lovely piece."
Review
Hornbook Guide to Children (01/01/2005):
All the animals bring gifts to a new frog prince, and in an allusion to the well-known tale, it seems as if he wants a kiss, but no one has planned to give him one. The text is often pretentious, but the haunting images, depicting animals wearing hats and jewelry of varied natural materials, are intriguing and accomplished. (Copyright 2005 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
Synopsis
When the prince child is born, all of the animals of the forest must decide what gifts they will bring to him. How are they to know what the lily pad prince wants most of all? Full color.
Synopsis
Maranke Rinck studied music and dance in secondary school. She graduated in interactive skills and now teaches people who are going to be teachers. She also writes stories. The Prince Child is her first picture book story.
About the Author
Publisher's Weekly (01/10/2005):
"In this team's gently wry debut, a series of eerily realistic animal portraits illustrate one-page profiles that tell what each character will bring to a party for the Prince. Like aboriginals at a secret dance, van der Linden's animals adorn themselves for the gathering with cowrie shells, tusk-like teeth, daubed-on paint and feathers … Even children who've seen dozens of animal photographs will pause to look at these - the hyena, for instance, waits and watches with a face tattooed Maori-style; he sports a fantastic basket-woven hat from which strings of beads dangle. In each of Rinck's short vignettes (which appear on the left, with the full-bleed portraits on the right), animals uncertain of the worth of their gifts receive tender encouragement, while over-confident animals get gentle rebukes … In a quiet moment of fairy-tale parody, the Prince turns out to be a tiny frog ("Has anyone brought what the prince wants most? Has anyone brought him a kiss?"). This creation is itself a marvelous gift to bring to any party."
Kirkus Reviews (10/1/2004):
"Rich paintings tell the thoughtful tale of animals preparing for theprince's party. … The animals' costumes evoke world-wideindigenous cultures. The young prince, appearing finally on the last page, is (surprisingly) a tiny, delicate frog sitting on a lily pad wearing aminuscule gold crown. His wish for a certain particular gift implies agentle link with a famous fairy tale, but knowledge of that tale isn'tnecessary for enjoyment of this lovely piece."
Hornbook Guide to Children (01/01/2005):
All the animals bring gifts to a new frog prince, and in an allusion to the well-known tale, it seems as if he wants a kiss, but no one has planned to give him one. The text is often pretentious, but the haunting images, depicting animals wearing hats and jewelry of varied natural materials, are intriguing and accomplished. (Copyright 2005 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)