Medieval Feast Book

The work that goes into preparing a banquet for a King is a costly and time-consuming event today, but back in the 1400s it would have been an overwhelming ordeal. Aliki has made such an event come alive in this colorful book.

This is ideal to read aloud, and to do so more than once. The first time, it's sufficient to read the line of text on each page and look at the pictures. But if the child shows any interest in either the art or the text, it's easy to go deeper. Every detail in the pictures adds to the story of the labor, the setting, and the life style. Then, at the end of the book, there's a page of additional info for the interested reader.

For example, on page 10 ...

The text reads, They trapped rabbits and birds of all kinds, ...

The art shows people, men and women, outside using various kinds of traps to catch the rabbits and birds.

The caption built into the art reads, Serfs hid in bushes and caught birds in traps.

And the border around the heart illustrates and labels various types of birds, including sparrow, eagle, curlew, blackbird, woodcock, lark, and mallard.

We used to hear an advertising jingle about 'giving the gift that keeps on giving.' That applies to this book; there's always more to see if the reader keeps on looking.