The Parrot

Children's Literature - Trina Heidt

A beautiful maiden is unknowingly threatened by an evil old king when her merchant father must leave town and leaves her alone and unprotected. Unbeknownst to her, a young prince from a neighboring kingdom also loves her and in an attempt to keep her safe turns himself into a parrot and begins to charm the young maiden with an enchanting tale which he threatens to cut off if interrupted. So enthralled is the maiden by this wondrous tale that she ignores the insistent attempts by the kings soldiers to lure her away from her safe haven. Before any harm can befall her, the father returns and she is once again safe. With richly magical and highly detailed paintings, Lazlo and Rafaella Gal have more than done justice to this classic Italian folktale.

School Library Journal

Gr 1-3In this retelling of an Italian folktale, the Gals have written and illustrated a romantic, if nonsensical, tale within a tale. A prince who loves a merchant's beautiful daughter from afar worries that the evil king will take advantage of her when her father is away, so he asks a sorceress to give him the power to become a parrot. In that form, he tells stories to the girl and promises her an even more wonderful story if she refuses all interruptions. She agrees, and he spins a tale of a beautiful princess and her identical doll, an evil king, and a loving prince. The king's messengers knock on the door in vain; the young woman cares only for the story and will not let them in. Finally, her father returns and the prince explains his ruse. Everyone, in both stories, lives happily ever after. The parrot and his fanciful fabrications appear in full-color illustrations done in oils, tempera, and colored pencil, while the merchant's daughter and other realistic elements are drawn in pencil. While some of the figures are stiff or contorted, a Renaissance flavor is conveyed. Both "stories" require a huge suspension of belief and the storytelling fails to weave enough of a spell to make readers really care. Better romantic folktales are plentiful in most collections, making this one nonessential.Anne Connor, Los Angeles Public Library