The golden statue of a prince stands in the city square, regarding his city with bejeweled eyes and a leaden heart. In life, the prince was renowned for his happy demeanor and joyful personality. Now, immortalized in a gold and jewel encrusted statue towering over his city, the prince is saddened by the poverty and pain his citizens experience every day. Unable to move, he enlists the help of a migrating swallow to deliver a jewel to a street urchin. Over the next few days, the bird picks the precious metal from the statue and distributes it to the poor throughout the city. Touched by the prince's compassion, she forgoes her migration to keep her new friend company during the winter, a decision that ultimately ends her life.
Poet and playwright Oscar Wilde penned this touching tale of social conscience, love and loyalty in 1888 as part of a collection of children's fables. Featuring The Selfish Giant, The Remarkable Rocket and The Nightingale and the Rose, Wilde's prose is beautifully constructed and the characters explore issues of loneliness, pain and responsibility. Many have been turned into animated classics, but the true passion in these stories is only found when they are read aloud. In fact, the book is also available as an audio CD with the tales read by Anton Lesser, a classically trained Shakespearean actor of considerable talent. The CD is a wonderful change to the usual fare of children's entertainment available for long car trips, but beware of the lump that forms in your throat as the story unfolds.
Wilde's stories are classic examples of how children's literature doesn't have to be childish. The Selfish Giant, for example, presents a character whose physical separation from the world parallels the emotional walls he constructs to prevent others from hurting him.
The stories are brilliantly told, intricately layered, and deal unflinchingly with important issues. They are as enjoyable to read as they are to hear, and have engaged generations of young readers.
