Faithful Friend

On the lush tropical island of Martinique live Clement and Hippolyte, two inseparable friends. When Clement falls in love with the beautiful Pauline, Hippolyte agrees to join his best friend on his journey to propose marriage. But when Pauline accepts Clement's proposal, it enrages her uncle Monsieur Zabocat — reputed to be a quimboiseur, a wizard. To prevent the wedding, the old wizard lures Hippolyte into a deadly trap, forcing him to choose between his friend's safety and his own.

Robert D. San Souci and Brian Pinkney again combine their talents in this beautiful retelling of a traditional tale from the French West Indies. The result is an extraordinary story of romance, intrigue, and incomparable courage in which the truest of friends remain faithful to the very end.

Publishers Weekly

Set in Martinique, this impressive supernatural tale, which won a 1996 Caldecott Honor, "neatly distills the flavor of the French West Indies," said PW's starred review. Ages 5-8. (Jan.)

Brian Pinkney is one of the most celebrated talents in children's publishing. In his career he has won two Caldecott Honors, a Coretta Scott King medal, a Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, and three Coretta Scott King Honors. For Simon & Schuster he illustrated The Faithful Friend, which won the Caldecott Honor and Coretta Scott King Honor, Sukey and the Mermaid, which won the Coretta Scott King Honor, and The Adventures of Sparrowboy, which won the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award. He lives with his wife and two children in Brooklyn, New York — which is where this story takes place.