Synopses & Reviews
Forty years before the boy was born, a horde of bloodthirsty barbarians thundered out of the west and conquered his native land. They had succeeded because his people, ever at war with one another, had not fought together to defend their cities. In time the boy was destined to become the very leader that was needed, a man with the courage and vision to unite his people and face the most fearsome and brilliant warrior of the age.
The time was the twelfth century; the barbarian horde was the armies of the First Crusade; the great warrior was Richard the Lionhearted; and the leader was Saladin. This is more than the other side of a familiar Western story, the Crusades. It is the tale of an extraordinary man, remarkable for his generous and chivalrous ways, a warrior who longed for peace. Courageous in battle and merciful in victory, he would be revered even by his enemies as the "marvel of his time."
In her vibrant narrative and magnificently detailed illustrations inspired by the Islamic art of the time, Diane Stanley presents a hero whose compassion, piety, tolerance, and wisdom made him a model for his time -- and for ours.
Review
“The beauty and sophistication of Islamic culture shine through Stanleys glorious pictures... Timely and splendid.” School Library Journal
Review
“Alive with pattern and brilliant with streaks of illumination, the art is some of Stanleys finest.” ALA Booklist (Starred Review)
Review
“[Stanley] uses color and line to create interest and to teach the eye what to see. ” Riverbank Review
Review
“Stanley has selected an unusual subject and presented him with clarity and style.” Horn Book Magazine
Review
“This compact, strikingly illustrated biography is a terrific starting point for young readers.” New York Times Book Review
About the Author
Diane Stanley is the author and illustrator of beloved books for young readers, including
The Silver Bowl, which received three starred reviews, was named a best book of the year by
Kirkus Reviews and
Book Links Lasting Connections, and was an ALA
Booklist Editors' Choice;
The Cup and the Crown;
Saving Sky, winner of the Arab American Museum's Arab American Book Award and a Bank Street College of Education Best Book of the Year;
Bella at Midnight, a
School Library Journal Best Book of the Year and an ALA
Booklist Editors' Choice;
The Mysterious Case of the Allbright Academy;
The Mysterious Matter of I. M. Fine; and
A Time Apart. Well known as the author and illustrator of award-winning picture-book biographies, she is the recipient of the Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children and the
Washington Post-Children's Book Guild Nonfiction Award for her body of work.
Ms. Stanley has also written and illustrated numerous picture books, including three creatively reimagined fairy tales: The Giant and the Beanstalk, Goldie and the Three Bears, and Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter. She lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Diane Stanley is the author and illustrator of beloved books for young readers, including The Silver Bowl, which received three starred reviews, was named a best book of the year by Kirkus Reviews and Book Links Lasting Connections, and was an ALA Booklist Editors' Choice; The Cup and the Crown; Saving Sky, winner of the Arab American Museum's Arab American Book Award and a Bank Street College of Education Best Book of the Year; Bella at Midnight, a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year and an ALA Booklist Editors' Choice; The Mysterious Case of the Allbright Academy; The Mysterious Matter of I. M. Fine; and A Time Apart. Well known as the author and illustrator of award-winning picture-book biographies, she is the recipient of the Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children and the Washington Post-Children's Book Guild Nonfiction Award for her body of work.
Ms. Stanley has also written and illustrated numerous picture books, including three creatively reimagined fairy tales: The Giant and the Beanstalk, Goldie and the Three Bears, and Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter. She lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.