The Princess' Blankets - words by Carol Ann Duffy, paintings by Catherine Hyde

Total Enchantment
review by Maryom

This is a gorgeous little number I treated myself to when I met Catherine Hyde, the artist behind the illustrations, at Art in Action last month. I've been a fan of her paintings for a while but have neither the money nor the wall space to indulge myself in buying all those I like. I knew she'd painted the illustrations for this book but had been unable to find it anywhere in a bookshop and, wanting to see and handle it first, didn't want to buy it over the web.

The story by Carol Ann Duffy tells of a princess who is always cold and of the hard-eyed stranger who attempts to warm her - with devastating consequences. A fable for modern times, set in the timelessness of fairy-tale but with a pertinent message about destruction of the environment.
Interpreted throughout by Catherine Hyde's wonderfully atmospheric paintings - highlighted in foil with spot varnish to make them shimmer and shine, it isn't possible to reproduce the beauty of the illustrations via the web.
The Princess' Blankets is a real treasure of a book, a thing of beauty in itself, that will appeal equally to children and adults. I could imagine reading it to an entranced toddler at bedtime but fortunately don't have one to try to claim MY book off of me.

Maryom's review - 5 stars
Publisher - Templar
Genre - Picture book? Children's? - yes, but so much more than a mere bedtime book.

Buy The Princess' Blankets from Amazon