What do you think?
Rate this book
The Beatryce Prophecy
A magical medieval tale from two masters, Newbery Medal-winning Kate DiCamillo and Caldecott Medal-winning Sophie Blackall – a fantastical meditation on fate, love and the power of words to spell the world.
We shall all, in the end, be led to where we belong. We shall all, in the end, find our way home.
In a time of war, a mysterious child appears at the monastery of the Order of the Chronicles of Sorrowing. Gentle Brother Edik finds the girl, Beatryce, curled in a stall, wracked with fever, coated in dirt and blood and holding fast to the ear of Answelica the recalcitrant goat. As the monk nurses Beatryce to health, he uncovers her dangerous secret – one that imperils them all.
And so it is that a girl with a head full of stories must venture into a dark wood in search of the castle of a king who wishes her dead. But should she lose her way, Beatryce knows that those who love her – a wild-eyed monk, a man who had once been king, a boy with a terrible sword and a goat with a head as hard as stone – will never give up searching for her. And to know this is to know everything.
We shall all, in the end, be led to where we belong. We shall all, in the end, find our way home.
In a time of war, a mysterious child appears at the monastery of the Order of the Chronicles of Sorrowing. Gentle Brother Edik finds the girl, Beatryce, curled in a stall, wracked with fever, coated in dirt and blood and holding fast to the ear of Answelica the recalcitrant goat. As the monk nurses Beatryce to health, he uncovers her dangerous secret – one that imperils them all.
And so it is that a girl with a head full of stories must venture into a dark wood in search of the castle of a king who wishes her dead. But should she lose her way, Beatryce knows that those who love her – a wild-eyed monk, a man who had once been king, a boy with a terrible sword and a goat with a head as hard as stone – will never give up searching for her. And to know this is to know everything.
247 pages, Hardcover
First published September 28, 2021
390 people are currently reading
8364 people want to read
About the author
Kate DiCamillo
163 books11k followersKate DiCamillo, the newly named National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature for 2014–2015, says about stories, “When we read together, we connect. Together, we see the world. Together, we see one another.” Born in Philadelphia, the author lives in Minneapolis, where she faithfully writes two pages a day, five days a week.
Kate DiCamillo's own journey is something of a dream come true. After moving to Minnesota from Florida in her twenties, homesickness and a bitter winter helped inspire Because of Winn-Dixie - her first published novel, which, remarkably, became a runaway bestseller and snapped up a Newbery Honor. "After the Newbery committee called me, I spent the whole day walking into walls," she says. "I was stunned. And very, very happy."
Her second novel, The Tiger Rising, went on to become a National Book Award Finalist. Since then, the master storyteller has written for a wide range of ages, including two comical early-chapter-book series - Mercy Watson, which stars a "porcine wonder" with an obsession for buttered toast, and Bink & Gollie, which celebrates the tall and short of a marvelous friendship - as well as a luminous holiday picture book, Great Joy.
Her latest novel, Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures, won the 2014 Newbery Medal. It was released in fall 2013 to great acclaim, including five starred reviews, and was an instant New York Times bestseller. Flora & Ulysses is a laugh-out-loud story filled with eccentric, endearing characters and featuring an exciting new format - a novel interspersed with comic-style graphic sequences and full-page illustrations, all rendered in black and white by up-and-coming artist K. G. Campbell. It was a 2013 Parents' Choice Gold Award Winner and was chosen by Amazon, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, and Common Sense Media as a Best Book of the Year.
Kate DiCamillo's own journey is something of a dream come true. After moving to Minnesota from Florida in her twenties, homesickness and a bitter winter helped inspire Because of Winn-Dixie - her first published novel, which, remarkably, became a runaway bestseller and snapped up a Newbery Honor. "After the Newbery committee called me, I spent the whole day walking into walls," she says. "I was stunned. And very, very happy."
Her second novel, The Tiger Rising, went on to become a National Book Award Finalist. Since then, the master storyteller has written for a wide range of ages, including two comical early-chapter-book series - Mercy Watson, which stars a "porcine wonder" with an obsession for buttered toast, and Bink & Gollie, which celebrates the tall and short of a marvelous friendship - as well as a luminous holiday picture book, Great Joy.
Her latest novel, Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures, won the 2014 Newbery Medal. It was released in fall 2013 to great acclaim, including five starred reviews, and was an instant New York Times bestseller. Flora & Ulysses is a laugh-out-loud story filled with eccentric, endearing characters and featuring an exciting new format - a novel interspersed with comic-style graphic sequences and full-page illustrations, all rendered in black and white by up-and-coming artist K. G. Campbell. It was a 2013 Parents' Choice Gold Award Winner and was chosen by Amazon, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, and Common Sense Media as a Best Book of the Year.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,925 reviews
September 30, 2021
As our world sinks more and more comfortably into a general morass of technology, it should be little wonder that recent children’s books have grown increasingly comfortable shrugging off our modern day beeps and boops in favor of (of all things) the Middle Ages. The author that digs deep into the muck of the past sometimes finds literary medals buried there. Think of recent Newbery Honors The Inquisitor's Tale by Adam Gidwitz and The Book of Boy by Catherine Gilbert Murdock. Think too of graphic novels like Queen of the Sea by Dylan Meconis. Mind you, each of these books grapple with religion in some fashion, going so far as to throw in the occasional angel for spice. In a time when there seems to be a thick wedge between books for kids that are entirely secular and those that are chock full o’ religious fervor, these types of stories that walk a line between the two are rarities. Kate DiCamillo isn’t afraid of lobbing the occasional angel at you, whether it has blue wings or smells like a sewer, but in her latest book The Beatryce Prophecy there’s something else on her mind. Pairing with the utterly lovely Sophie Blackall, the two present us with a story that has all the trappings of a fable, and all the reality of a thoroughly thrilling tale.
There was once a girl and she was covered in blood. She was found by Brother Edik, curled up asleep, wracked with fever, beside the monastery’s resident demon goat, Answelica. Though that creature had never had time for any person before, it was clearly devoted to the child. Alas, the girl, Beatryce, lost her memory. Worse still, she appeared to be capable of reading and writing. Determined to protect her, Brother Edik disguised her as a boy and shaved her head, while not far away, forces conspired against her: A king who works to stay on the throne. A murderer dying in his bed. A thief in the woods. An advisor who knows her name. At the same time, Beatryce discovered a cadre of strange and wonderful friends, in the midst of terrible times. A bee. A boy. An ex-king. And truly, no one can stand in the way of a goat, when it has a girl to protect.
It sounds so dull to declare that children must, if only on occasion, be given books with beautiful words and turns of phrase in them, so that they may have something with which to feed their multiplying little gray cells. And certainly this book has a penchant for a nicely turned phrase. When a true baddie is on the page you get words like “twisted” and “oily”. To hold a seahorse is, “light, so light that it felt as if she were holding someone else’s dream cupped in her hand.” On a beautiful day, “The grass was high and the sky was very blue, blue enough to break your heart in two.” Secrets, “are trouble and that trouble has a very long tail.” The goat’s head is, “as solid and warm as a stone on a summer afternoon.” Good lines are the expectation, not the exception, in a DiCamillo book.
I suppose I’m just relaying DiCamillo’s own lines here for you because I’m hoping that even out of context you can understand their worth. But DiCamillo’s own love of letters is only half the story here. The whole reason she’s universally lauded (seriously, have you ever met anyone who can resist her talent for long?) is that she isn’t afraid to grapple with darkness. Human darkness. Unforeseen and/or uncontrollable circumstances. It is well to remember that the best children’s authors, the true greats, have all found their own unique ways of dancing with the dark. Some brush against it, some flirt with it, and some engage with it headlong to varying degrees of effect. DiCamillo? She’s more of the dancing type, I think. It’s always on the edges of your vision but her story keeps it at bay. It never succeeds in overwhelming the larger tale. And certainly there is much that could make you sad here. Slaughtered family members, children lost and alone, and callous leaders of very little brains and too much power. This book doesn’t work without an acknowledgment of the existence of misery. If it has anything in common with DiCamillo's earlier fables, I think this is where the books of her past and the books of her present meet. She has always danced with her darkness. The Beatryce Prophecy is just playing a keener tune.
I do believe that it is a very good thing for a girl child of words to have a homicidal animal companion of some sort by her side. One of the dangers of The Beatryce Prophecy is that its scenes could easily be stolen, if one were less careful, by the goat, Answelica. Answelica, I should say, is a soul mate to a very similar guardian creature, Saracen the goose, found to be Mosca Mye’s companion in Fly By Night by Frances Hardinge. In fact, should you find yourself with a child that enjoys this book particularly, it might behoove you to consider jumping ahead in time a century or two to Hardinge’s title as well. Both books love to play with words. And both books know how thoroughly satisfying it is to watch an animal of demonic rage protect a girl through thick and thin. Answelica, I should note, is in many ways a direct opposite to DiCamillo’s usual animal companions. One has a difficult time squaring the gentleness of Mercy Watson or Winn-Dixie with this goat’s capacity for malicious forethought. My mother once pointed out to me that the same puppeteer that does Big Bird on Sesame Street also does Oscar the Grouch. “It must be so cathartic to do both,” she mused. I think Answelica serves very much the same role for DiCamillo. After years of perfectly gentle animals (punctuated by the occasional gentle superhero squirrel) it is time for some venom. Some bite (literally). Some Answelica. A creature of “fierce, uncompromising love.”
There are author/artist pairings in this world so natural that when they occur for the first time you simply assume that your own memory is faulty and that they have always been together. DiCamillo and Blackall. The jacket copy of this book has had a lot of fun with their duality. It says, “From two-time Newbery Medalist Kate DiCamillo and two-time Caldecott Medalist Sophie Blackall…” Since they had not done any books together, it would only make sense to assume that the first book they would do would not only have to be of significant importance but would fit with Blackall’s style. I say that, but aside from DiCamillo’s Raymie Nightingale series, it’s not hard to imagine Blackall doing most of Kate’s books. Each would benefit from the connection (and, were I an editor, I would seriously consider a new line of DiCamillo’s old books, re-released with Ms. Blackall’s art).
So why has Ms. Blackall decided to work on The Beatryce Prophecy? Well, several ideas come to mind. I don’t know the whole of Sophie’s career but I don’t remember her doing much with the Middle Ages in Europe before. We all know that she loves her research too. As such, surely the lure of illuminating her own manuscript was too strong to resist. And it works. Her images serve as an almost eerily perfect complement to DiCamillo’s text. In an interview with the Growing Readers Podcast about her work on this book, I sadly didn’t find any information from Ms. Blackall on her research, but she did say something about the role of the illustrator in a novel that I think is of particular interest. Says Ms. Blackall, “I always think about the person reading it [the book] and try to channel what they want to see on the page.”
But I will tell you the reason that I, personally, am glad that Sophie did this book. Again, it all comes back to Answelica (I told you that goat would steal the show if you let her – she’s practically stealing this review!). Goats in children’s literature are rarely portrayed accurately. It all comes down to their eyes. Humans have a devil of a time coming to terms with horizontal pupils. So if you see a book for kids, I swear that 90% of the time, whether it’s about a goat or an octopus or a frog, the pupils are rounded out. Not so here. In this book Answelica benefits the most when Blackall not only gives her those eyeballs, but also has added some hanging teeth. The effect is deliciously unnerving. Not since Arnold Lobel’s Frog and Toad books have horizontal pupils truly gotten their day in the sun.
When you think about it, DiCamillo sort of began her career with books that read more like fables than fantasies. In time, she would transition into a remarkable kind of realism that honed her gifts and talents. To be honest, I was never the biggest fan of her fable period, but when her feet are firmly planted on the ground there is no one to match her. You can detect echoes of her past books swimming in the margins of The Beatryce Prophecy too. Here you can glimpse the dungeons of Despereaux. Over there is a farmyard, worthy of the unflappable Mercy Watson. And at the center is a friendship so unyielding and true, it smacks squarely of Bink and Golly. And there is darkness and light and good storytelling and bad men. At its heart is a girl with more smarts than the era knows what to do with and a small, very small, army of devoted friends willing to march into the jaws of danger on her behalf. There is good art. There is a bad goat. And finally there are little maple candies in different shapes that are so sweet that it’s taking all my restraint to keep from comparing them in some fashion to this title. It is, in short, a very good book, worth any kid’s time to read. And that, my dears, is the kind of book that you should probably read too.
There was once a girl and she was covered in blood. She was found by Brother Edik, curled up asleep, wracked with fever, beside the monastery’s resident demon goat, Answelica. Though that creature had never had time for any person before, it was clearly devoted to the child. Alas, the girl, Beatryce, lost her memory. Worse still, she appeared to be capable of reading and writing. Determined to protect her, Brother Edik disguised her as a boy and shaved her head, while not far away, forces conspired against her: A king who works to stay on the throne. A murderer dying in his bed. A thief in the woods. An advisor who knows her name. At the same time, Beatryce discovered a cadre of strange and wonderful friends, in the midst of terrible times. A bee. A boy. An ex-king. And truly, no one can stand in the way of a goat, when it has a girl to protect.
It sounds so dull to declare that children must, if only on occasion, be given books with beautiful words and turns of phrase in them, so that they may have something with which to feed their multiplying little gray cells. And certainly this book has a penchant for a nicely turned phrase. When a true baddie is on the page you get words like “twisted” and “oily”. To hold a seahorse is, “light, so light that it felt as if she were holding someone else’s dream cupped in her hand.” On a beautiful day, “The grass was high and the sky was very blue, blue enough to break your heart in two.” Secrets, “are trouble and that trouble has a very long tail.” The goat’s head is, “as solid and warm as a stone on a summer afternoon.” Good lines are the expectation, not the exception, in a DiCamillo book.
I suppose I’m just relaying DiCamillo’s own lines here for you because I’m hoping that even out of context you can understand their worth. But DiCamillo’s own love of letters is only half the story here. The whole reason she’s universally lauded (seriously, have you ever met anyone who can resist her talent for long?) is that she isn’t afraid to grapple with darkness. Human darkness. Unforeseen and/or uncontrollable circumstances. It is well to remember that the best children’s authors, the true greats, have all found their own unique ways of dancing with the dark. Some brush against it, some flirt with it, and some engage with it headlong to varying degrees of effect. DiCamillo? She’s more of the dancing type, I think. It’s always on the edges of your vision but her story keeps it at bay. It never succeeds in overwhelming the larger tale. And certainly there is much that could make you sad here. Slaughtered family members, children lost and alone, and callous leaders of very little brains and too much power. This book doesn’t work without an acknowledgment of the existence of misery. If it has anything in common with DiCamillo's earlier fables, I think this is where the books of her past and the books of her present meet. She has always danced with her darkness. The Beatryce Prophecy is just playing a keener tune.
I do believe that it is a very good thing for a girl child of words to have a homicidal animal companion of some sort by her side. One of the dangers of The Beatryce Prophecy is that its scenes could easily be stolen, if one were less careful, by the goat, Answelica. Answelica, I should say, is a soul mate to a very similar guardian creature, Saracen the goose, found to be Mosca Mye’s companion in Fly By Night by Frances Hardinge. In fact, should you find yourself with a child that enjoys this book particularly, it might behoove you to consider jumping ahead in time a century or two to Hardinge’s title as well. Both books love to play with words. And both books know how thoroughly satisfying it is to watch an animal of demonic rage protect a girl through thick and thin. Answelica, I should note, is in many ways a direct opposite to DiCamillo’s usual animal companions. One has a difficult time squaring the gentleness of Mercy Watson or Winn-Dixie with this goat’s capacity for malicious forethought. My mother once pointed out to me that the same puppeteer that does Big Bird on Sesame Street also does Oscar the Grouch. “It must be so cathartic to do both,” she mused. I think Answelica serves very much the same role for DiCamillo. After years of perfectly gentle animals (punctuated by the occasional gentle superhero squirrel) it is time for some venom. Some bite (literally). Some Answelica. A creature of “fierce, uncompromising love.”
There are author/artist pairings in this world so natural that when they occur for the first time you simply assume that your own memory is faulty and that they have always been together. DiCamillo and Blackall. The jacket copy of this book has had a lot of fun with their duality. It says, “From two-time Newbery Medalist Kate DiCamillo and two-time Caldecott Medalist Sophie Blackall…” Since they had not done any books together, it would only make sense to assume that the first book they would do would not only have to be of significant importance but would fit with Blackall’s style. I say that, but aside from DiCamillo’s Raymie Nightingale series, it’s not hard to imagine Blackall doing most of Kate’s books. Each would benefit from the connection (and, were I an editor, I would seriously consider a new line of DiCamillo’s old books, re-released with Ms. Blackall’s art).
So why has Ms. Blackall decided to work on The Beatryce Prophecy? Well, several ideas come to mind. I don’t know the whole of Sophie’s career but I don’t remember her doing much with the Middle Ages in Europe before. We all know that she loves her research too. As such, surely the lure of illuminating her own manuscript was too strong to resist. And it works. Her images serve as an almost eerily perfect complement to DiCamillo’s text. In an interview with the Growing Readers Podcast about her work on this book, I sadly didn’t find any information from Ms. Blackall on her research, but she did say something about the role of the illustrator in a novel that I think is of particular interest. Says Ms. Blackall, “I always think about the person reading it [the book] and try to channel what they want to see on the page.”
But I will tell you the reason that I, personally, am glad that Sophie did this book. Again, it all comes back to Answelica (I told you that goat would steal the show if you let her – she’s practically stealing this review!). Goats in children’s literature are rarely portrayed accurately. It all comes down to their eyes. Humans have a devil of a time coming to terms with horizontal pupils. So if you see a book for kids, I swear that 90% of the time, whether it’s about a goat or an octopus or a frog, the pupils are rounded out. Not so here. In this book Answelica benefits the most when Blackall not only gives her those eyeballs, but also has added some hanging teeth. The effect is deliciously unnerving. Not since Arnold Lobel’s Frog and Toad books have horizontal pupils truly gotten their day in the sun.
When you think about it, DiCamillo sort of began her career with books that read more like fables than fantasies. In time, she would transition into a remarkable kind of realism that honed her gifts and talents. To be honest, I was never the biggest fan of her fable period, but when her feet are firmly planted on the ground there is no one to match her. You can detect echoes of her past books swimming in the margins of The Beatryce Prophecy too. Here you can glimpse the dungeons of Despereaux. Over there is a farmyard, worthy of the unflappable Mercy Watson. And at the center is a friendship so unyielding and true, it smacks squarely of Bink and Golly. And there is darkness and light and good storytelling and bad men. At its heart is a girl with more smarts than the era knows what to do with and a small, very small, army of devoted friends willing to march into the jaws of danger on her behalf. There is good art. There is a bad goat. And finally there are little maple candies in different shapes that are so sweet that it’s taking all my restraint to keep from comparing them in some fashion to this title. It is, in short, a very good book, worth any kid’s time to read. And that, my dears, is the kind of book that you should probably read too.
July 13, 2021
How does she continue to break and mend my heart so many, many times?
April 8, 2022
This was everything, this was absolutely everything…
I have no other words, except the words of Kate, Beatryce, Brother Edik, Jack Dory, Cannoc, and all the other wonderful characters swimming around in my head!
I have no other words, except the words of Kate, Beatryce, Brother Edik, Jack Dory, Cannoc, and all the other wonderful characters swimming around in my head!
September 15, 2021
The Kate DiCamillo who gifted us with The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, The Tale of Despereaux, The Magician's Elephant, and other fantastical tales is back with a new fable. I have also loved her realistic fiction titles, but it is a welcome change to discover this breathtaking new release. The illustrations are beautifully done by Caldecott-winner Sophie Blackall. This is a masterpiece! I loved reading about Beatryce, the girl of prophecy and her dear companion Answelica, the monastery goat. Of Edik the monk, Jack Dory, the boy with a sword, and so many more. This is a tale of friendship, of revenge, of justice -- a quest. This is heartwarming and inspiring. One of my favorite juvenile reads of 2021. My words can't possibly do it justice. You have to experience it for yourself.
Many thanks to Candlewick and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
Many thanks to Candlewick and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
December 12, 2021
How to make me fall in love with your book in 5 easy steps
Step 1: Begin with a quote that makes me cheer on the girl before I’ve even met her.
* A monk who sees beauty everywhere and whose words are true
* A boy with a brilliant memory who talks to bees
* A man who remembers how wonderful it is to laugh.
Step 4: Impart wisdom and, in doing so, make me highlight an absurd amount of sentences.
Bonus points if there’s a goat called Answelica who has attitude and a very hard head.
Step 1: Begin with a quote that makes me cheer on the girl before I’ve even met her.
It is written in the Chronicles of Sorrowing that one day there will come a child who will unseat a king.Step 2: Make your main character someone who loves to read, who is imaginative and brave and resilient and adorable.
The prophecy states that this child will be a girl.
Because of this, the prophecy has long been ignored.
“There are twenty-six letters in all,” she said. “You will learn each of them, and once you know them, you can mix them as you will, and then use them to form the words of the world and the things of the world. You can write of everything - what is and what was and what might yet be.”Step 3: Introduce me to characters who will live in my heart long after I finish reading. People like…
* A monk who sees beauty everywhere and whose words are true
* A boy with a brilliant memory who talks to bees
* A man who remembers how wonderful it is to laugh.
Step 4: Impart wisdom and, in doing so, make me highlight an absurd amount of sentences.
He said, “The world is not always a kind place.”
“No,” she agreed.
“But there are sweet things to be had,” he said.
“Nothing is more terrifying to evil than joy.”
She felt as though the darkness were trying to swallow her up.
She must not allow that to happen. She must stay herself.
To be brave is to not turn away.
To be brave is to go forward.
To be brave is to love.
Seemingly, the heart could hold an untold amount of things - letters and people and goats and bees.
Seemingly, there was no limit to what it could contain.
We shall all, in the end,Step 5: Include gorgeous illustrations.
be led to where we belong.
We shall all, in the end,
find our way home.
Bonus points if there’s a goat called Answelica who has attitude and a very hard head.
“I do believe the best and wisest thing we can do is to follow the goat.”Blog - https://schizanthusnerd.com
October 25, 2021
“What world is this I now inhabit, and how shall I live in it?”
Kate. Queen Kate. She knows how to tell a story that feels timeless and true and full of magic (even if there’s no, or very little, *magic* in the book) and heart and hope. She’s Queen for a reason.
Also, best last lines:
‘What does, then, change the world?
If the hardheaded goat Answelica could speak, she would answer with one word: “Love.”
And if you were to ask Beatryce of Abelard?
She too would answer “Love.”
Love, and stories.’
Kate. Queen Kate. She knows how to tell a story that feels timeless and true and full of magic (even if there’s no, or very little, *magic* in the book) and heart and hope. She’s Queen for a reason.
Also, best last lines:
‘What does, then, change the world?
If the hardheaded goat Answelica could speak, she would answer with one word: “Love.”
And if you were to ask Beatryce of Abelard?
She too would answer “Love.”
Love, and stories.’
January 30, 2024
I know this is a couple of years too late, but where are we on rising up to demand that this book be given all the awards? I remember hearing that this was everyone's pick for the Newbery a couple of years ago, which is why I put it on my to read list. I just finished reading it aloud to my kids, this gorgeous story, so full of love, and so full of hope, and so beautifully illustrated, and had to double check that it hadn't won any of the ALA awards and nothing? REALLY?
This is a quiet, tender book that, as it says itself, might have happened long ago, might not yet have happened. It feels medieval, but also magical. There are shades of King Arthur, shades of Robin Hood, and everyone in it is just so precious- except for a couple of people who do actually get what they deserve!
This is a quiet, tender book that, as it says itself, might have happened long ago, might not yet have happened. It feels medieval, but also magical. There are shades of King Arthur, shades of Robin Hood, and everyone in it is just so precious- except for a couple of people who do actually get what they deserve!
January 28, 2021
The Arthurian Legends meet CHARLOTTE'S WEB. I laughed and I cried. Answelica the goat is one of my favorite, most hilarious and wonderful characters of all time.
July 8, 2023
This is a book where light mixes with darkness.
The light of a brave soul and beautiful words, is surrounded by the darkness of a cruel world and terrifying villains. It’s exactly this juxtaposition of day and night, white and black, death and life that makes this novel so unforgettable.
This is a book where the story is only as important as the way in which it’s told. Where every word, sentence, and turn of phrase has been carefully selected and polished to perfection so that we are able to see with our mind’s eye the unforgivable reality of this imperfect world, but also the bottomless hope that moves the characters along.
But DiCamillo’s love for the written word is only half the story. The real reason why this book will so easily finds a nest in the readers heart, their mind, is the magnificent way in which DiCamillo grapples with everyday darkness. More specifically, the terrible darkness of the human soul.
The uncontrollable circumstances pushing the characters left and right are but an excuse to show us how, beyond it all, it’s us humans who make each other the most miserable with actions that are guided by greed and fear.
In this book, there’s certainly much that could make you -or a younger reader- sad. Beatryce’s slaughtered siblings, a boy lost and alone, and an invisible tyrant… Yet, all throughout DiCamillo’s is careful not to let the light be drowned by the darkness. Therefore, at any point, you see hope shining through. All along the way, a friendly hand, a brave soul, a strong goat, are never too far when needed.
To seamlessly weave all of this together is the true mark of a storyteller, and DiCamillo is one masterful one.
Now, to make things better, the book has black and white illustrations and medieval-style spot art, the handiwork of two-time Caldecott Medalist, Sophie Blackall.
The light of a brave soul and beautiful words, is surrounded by the darkness of a cruel world and terrifying villains. It’s exactly this juxtaposition of day and night, white and black, death and life that makes this novel so unforgettable.
This is a book where the story is only as important as the way in which it’s told. Where every word, sentence, and turn of phrase has been carefully selected and polished to perfection so that we are able to see with our mind’s eye the unforgivable reality of this imperfect world, but also the bottomless hope that moves the characters along.
But DiCamillo’s love for the written word is only half the story. The real reason why this book will so easily finds a nest in the readers heart, their mind, is the magnificent way in which DiCamillo grapples with everyday darkness. More specifically, the terrible darkness of the human soul.
The uncontrollable circumstances pushing the characters left and right are but an excuse to show us how, beyond it all, it’s us humans who make each other the most miserable with actions that are guided by greed and fear.
In this book, there’s certainly much that could make you -or a younger reader- sad. Beatryce’s slaughtered siblings, a boy lost and alone, and an invisible tyrant… Yet, all throughout DiCamillo’s is careful not to let the light be drowned by the darkness. Therefore, at any point, you see hope shining through. All along the way, a friendly hand, a brave soul, a strong goat, are never too far when needed.
To seamlessly weave all of this together is the true mark of a storyteller, and DiCamillo is one masterful one.
Now, to make things better, the book has black and white illustrations and medieval-style spot art, the handiwork of two-time Caldecott Medalist, Sophie Blackall.
October 15, 2021
DiCamillo has crafted a simple story with great emotion, a poignant simplicity that hints at the profound. In such a setting, I asked myself if DiCamillo might also be alluding to another well-known medieval figure, Dante’s Beatrice. As a character of goodness and light, DiCamillo’s Beatryce draws others to her, especially those on the fringes of society.
But in an interview with BookPage, DiCamillo tells us she had another heroine in mind, Joan of Arc. Like Joan, Beatryce is determined and brave. Like Joan, she carries hope in her heart and faith that she will find her way home, even as the king and his henchmen close in to prevent the prophecy from coming true.
Because of these allusions to Joan of Arc, some reviewers insist the story is one of female empowerment, but I find that limiting. Beatryce is not actively fighting a cultural barrier nor is she leading an army. Rather, her character and those who surround her remind me most of the Beatitudes. They are the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek and merciful, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness because each one senses that Beatryce’s life holds a greater purpose, a purpose to heal a kingdom.
Full review soon at StoryWarren.com
But in an interview with BookPage, DiCamillo tells us she had another heroine in mind, Joan of Arc. Like Joan, Beatryce is determined and brave. Like Joan, she carries hope in her heart and faith that she will find her way home, even as the king and his henchmen close in to prevent the prophecy from coming true.
Because of these allusions to Joan of Arc, some reviewers insist the story is one of female empowerment, but I find that limiting. Beatryce is not actively fighting a cultural barrier nor is she leading an army. Rather, her character and those who surround her remind me most of the Beatitudes. They are the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek and merciful, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness because each one senses that Beatryce’s life holds a greater purpose, a purpose to heal a kingdom.
Full review soon at StoryWarren.com
March 23, 2024
“What does, then, change the world? … Love, and also stories.” ❤️
November 7, 2021
My only qualm with this book is the idea of Beatryce being of noble blood and one of her adversaries not being. I know classism isn't as hot of a topic as racism, but I think it adds an unnecessary dimension that doesn't really fit in the overall gentle love this story offers.
April 30, 2022
A story about the power of believing in oneself, and the desire to learn and know, about dictatorship and the forbidden things, about love and friendship and trust.
December 29, 2021
‘It is written in the Chronicles of Sorrowing
that one day there will come a child
who will unseat a king.
The prophecy states that this child will be a girl.
Because of this, the prophecy has long been ignored.’
’Answelica was a goat with teeth that were the mirror of her soul—large, sharp, and uncompromising.’
Answelica lived on the property of the Order of the Chronicles of Sorrowing, where she seemed to take great joy in butting the monks in their backsides as hard as she could, which frequently sent them flying into the air, and biting them once they landed. They, in turn, would plot ways to have liked to have her butchered if it were not for their fear that she would then haunt them.
A good thing, as Answelica was the one who rescued the young girl Beatryce. She was found sleeping, cuddled up next to Answelica, holding onto the goat’s ear. She is feverish, and too ill to respond to any question for some time, and when she recovers enough to answer their questions, the only things she remembers are her name, and that she can both read and write, a major shock to the monks. Only those in power - men of privilege - were privy to such skills. And then they remember the prophecy.
It is too dangerous for her to remain there, especially with the discovery of her ability to read and write, and so they send her away, with Answelica to remain her protector.
Included are some wonderful black and white illustrations by Sophie Blackall that add an extra element to this story. Young readers will enjoy the addition as it is the portrayal of the story, and parents will appreciate the beauty of Blackwell’s art. All ages will enjoy the story, itself.
’What does, then, change the world? If the hardheaded goat Answelica could speak, she would answer with one word: “Love.” And if you were to ask Beatryce of Abelard? She, too, would answer “Love.” Love, and also stories.’
I’ve read several of this author’s books, and enjoyed or loved them all, but this one will have a special place in my heart. It’s a lovely balance having some trace of fairy tale-esque elements, blended with some subtle messages on equality, love, and belonging.
We shall all, in the end,
be led to where we belong.
We shall all, in the end,
find our way home.
Many thanks to the Public Library system, and the many Librarians that manage, organize and keep it running, for the loan of this book!
October 10, 2021
I was introduced to Kate DiCamillo with Because of Winn-Dixie, followed by Tale of Despereaux, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane (probably my favorite), and her lovely "Raymie Nightingale trilogy." So I'm a fan. I have a cat named Beatrice, a decades-long fascination with the medieval period and nearly lifelong love for fairy tales. So I thank Watermark Books (Wichita, KS) for joining the project to offer pre-orders of *signed* copies, and I settled down happily to mine last night.
It is sweet. It is charming. I would cheerfully recommend it to any school or public library or upper-elementary to middle grade reader. A brave, resourceful, imaginative heroine; an uncontrollable goat for comic relief, a plucky orphan boy, a lady in peril, a kindhearted "holy fool," and even a mermaid. All very good ingredients for a fairy tale. There is some wonderful writing - the dark angel who visits the dying soldier is brilliant and haunting. But (you knew there was a "but," didn't you?) somehow they don't seem to quite jell into a compelling story, though DiCamillo tries valiantly. The repeated "inspirational" mottoes and principles lie a bit too heavy: "We shall all, in the end, find our way home"; the evil prohibition on women and girls reading and writing (though elsewhere it appears that almost no one else is allowed to either). Significant conflicts are resolved just a bit too easily; characters are simplistic to the point of flatness (okay, I grant you that fairy-tale characters usually are - but not usually in DiCamillo's hands). We know virtually nothing about Beatryce's mother, so their separation and reunion don't resonate as they should. There is nothing wrong with a sweet tale of courage, loyalty, and the triumphant power of love and stories, and DiCamillo does them better than most. It's good, it's fun, but it's not her best.
It is sweet. It is charming. I would cheerfully recommend it to any school or public library or upper-elementary to middle grade reader. A brave, resourceful, imaginative heroine; an uncontrollable goat for comic relief, a plucky orphan boy, a lady in peril, a kindhearted "holy fool," and even a mermaid. All very good ingredients for a fairy tale. There is some wonderful writing - the dark angel who visits the dying soldier is brilliant and haunting. But (you knew there was a "but," didn't you?) somehow they don't seem to quite jell into a compelling story, though DiCamillo tries valiantly. The repeated "inspirational" mottoes and principles lie a bit too heavy: "We shall all, in the end, find our way home"; the evil prohibition on women and girls reading and writing (though elsewhere it appears that almost no one else is allowed to either). Significant conflicts are resolved just a bit too easily; characters are simplistic to the point of flatness (okay, I grant you that fairy-tale characters usually are - but not usually in DiCamillo's hands). We know virtually nothing about Beatryce's mother, so their separation and reunion don't resonate as they should. There is nothing wrong with a sweet tale of courage, loyalty, and the triumphant power of love and stories, and DiCamillo does them better than most. It's good, it's fun, but it's not her best.
September 7, 2021
My kind of weird. A monk, a former king, an evil goat, an orphan boy and a bald girl who can read and write.
Read
October 23, 2021The Kate DiCamillo who gifted us with The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, The Tale of Despereaux, The Magician's Elephant, and other fantastical tales is back with a new fable. I have also loved her realistic fiction titles, but it is a welcome change to discover this breathtaking new release. The illustrations are beautifully done by Caldecott-winner Sophie Blackall. This is a masterpiece! I loved reading about Beatryce, the girl of prophecy and her dear companion Answelica, the monastery goat. Of Edik the monk, Jack Dory, the boy with a sword, and so many more. This is a tale of friendship, of revenge, of justice -- a quest. This is heartwarming and inspiring. One of my favorite juvenile reads of 2021. My words can't possibly do it justice. You have to experience it for yourself.
* Reviewed by Darla from Red Bridge *
* Reviewed by Darla from Red Bridge *
October 1, 2022
Rather than write a summary of this story and my thoughts about it, I thought I’d let my favorite quotes from the book speak for me and recommend it. I just want to add that I decided to read this book because of Ann Patchett’s book of essays, These Precious Days: Essays. In one essay, she spoke reverently about Kate DiCamillo after discovering her work by chance as an adult. I had read a couple of Kate DiCamillo’s books in the past and enjoyed them, but somehow, I forgot to read more, and this seemed like a good time to remedy that, beginning with this book.
There will one day come a girl child who will unseat a king and bring about a great change.
I am Beatryce. I have friends in the world. I no longer have hair. But I have friends.
She looked down at her hands. There were dark places on the thumb and forefinger of her right hand—ink stains. That is where the words come from, she thought, those dark places.
What world is this I now inhabit, and how shall I live in it?
What does it mean to be brave?
To be brave is to not turn away.
To be brave is to go forward.
To be brave is to love.
And shouldn’t home be the place where you are allowed to be yourself, loved as yourself?
We shall all, in the end, be led to where we belong. We shall all, in the end, find our way home.
There will one day come a girl child who will unseat a king and bring about a great change.
I am Beatryce. I have friends in the world. I no longer have hair. But I have friends.
She looked down at her hands. There were dark places on the thumb and forefinger of her right hand—ink stains. That is where the words come from, she thought, those dark places.
What world is this I now inhabit, and how shall I live in it?
What does it mean to be brave?
To be brave is to not turn away.
To be brave is to go forward.
To be brave is to love.
And shouldn’t home be the place where you are allowed to be yourself, loved as yourself?
We shall all, in the end, be led to where we belong. We shall all, in the end, find our way home.
November 2, 2021
I read this book two weeks ago, and I'm struggling to come up with anything to say about it. There's nothing wrong with it, but there's nothing all that distinguished, either.
I think it's a bit edgier than a lot of DiCamillo's earlier books. People are murdered and the characters are traumatized.
The central conflict has a lot to do with a kingdom in which girls are not allowed to read. When the contemporary conversation is centered around the concept of gender itself, a story about old-fashioned gender roles feels oddly quaint.
I appreciate the goat Answelica. I think DiCamillo's last three books did not go heavy enough on animal characters.
I guess my main thought is that it wasn't weird enough to stand out to me. I haven't read anything in 2021 that really jumps out at me for Newbery contention. My current favorite is probably still Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre.
I think it's a bit edgier than a lot of DiCamillo's earlier books. People are murdered and the characters are traumatized.
The central conflict has a lot to do with a kingdom in which girls are not allowed to read. When the contemporary conversation is centered around the concept of gender itself, a story about old-fashioned gender roles feels oddly quaint.
I appreciate the goat Answelica. I think DiCamillo's last three books did not go heavy enough on animal characters.
I guess my main thought is that it wasn't weird enough to stand out to me. I haven't read anything in 2021 that really jumps out at me for Newbery contention. My current favorite is probably still Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre.
October 31, 2021
Gorgeously illustrated book with a beautiful message of friendship.
March 2, 2022
I'm going to send my grandkids a copy of this book. I loved it truly.
January 22, 2025
Beatryce intrigued me in my search for a buddy read with granddau. . . although I loved it, I lean harder into fairytales and religious speak than she does, so probably won't land on this one for the b-read, but I enjoyed the characters, the storytelling, and the goat.
Anything by Kate DiCamillo is its own reward.
25|52:21c
Anything by Kate DiCamillo is its own reward.
25|52:21c
January 25, 2022
Kate DiCamillo can really, really write. Wow.
This is from the beginning of chapter four:
This is a concise, contained story, beautifully written, thematically elegant, completely impressive:
To me this doesn’t pack the punch of the great DiCamillo contemporaries, because there’s something wish-fulfillmenty about it, about a medieval setting with this ending… But if you read it as a fairy tale, it’s almost perfect.
This is from the beginning of chapter four:
In the dim barn, it was hard to gauge subtleties of emotion, particularly in the eyes of a being who had seldom before evidenced subtleties of any sort, but Brother Edik thought he recognized the flicker in the goat’s eye.There’s writing which doesn’t talk down to kids, and then there’s this.
This is a concise, contained story, beautifully written, thematically elegant, completely impressive:
Where, Brother Edik wondered, was the prophecy for all of this?It’s a medieval setting where the grimness is balanced by some fairy tale elements: a king, and a prophecy, and a jail cell, and an oily tutor, and a boy with a king’s sword - and bees, and mermaids, and goats.
To me this doesn’t pack the punch of the great DiCamillo contemporaries, because there’s something wish-fulfillmenty about it, about a medieval setting with this ending… But if you read it as a fairy tale, it’s almost perfect.
June 22, 2022
‘It is written in the Chronicles of Sorrowing
that one day there will come a child
who will unseat a king.
The prophecy states that this child will be a girl.
Because of this, the prophecy has long been ignored.’
’Answelica was a goat with teeth that were the mirror of her soul—large, sharp, and uncompromising.’
Not a review yet... but I am loving this book! Answelica may become one of my top 10 characters of all time. Thank you, Candice for recommending this. Buddy read with Jenn. The audible narration is superb!
All the stars!!!!!!!! I am gonna read all of Kates books now! Love!
that one day there will come a child
who will unseat a king.
The prophecy states that this child will be a girl.
Because of this, the prophecy has long been ignored.’
’Answelica was a goat with teeth that were the mirror of her soul—large, sharp, and uncompromising.’
Not a review yet... but I am loving this book! Answelica may become one of my top 10 characters of all time. Thank you, Candice for recommending this. Buddy read with Jenn. The audible narration is superb!
All the stars!!!!!!!! I am gonna read all of Kates books now! Love!
October 21, 2021
Aren’t young readers lucky to have Kate DiCamillo’s books? I feel lucky, too. I think about her stories long after I turn the final page. This beautifully written book is a gentle reminder of the importance of love and forgiveness, and the power of stories to enrich our lives. I hope this one is a serious contender for the Newbery Medal.
January 5, 2022
Had me from the first sentence: “Answelica was a goat with teeth that were the mirror of her soul — large, sharp, and uncompromising.” The medieval-ish story has elements of folktale feel, a goat, some monks, royalty and a mermaid or two. What more does one need to be entertained?
I enjoyed the audiobook and will have to look up the print version to see the illustrations.
I enjoyed the audiobook and will have to look up the print version to see the illustrations.
January 1, 2025
{December 2024 Reread}
still luminous
{Original June 2022 Review}
Ms. Katrina Elizabeth DiCamillo, ladies and gentlemen
still luminous
{Original June 2022 Review}
Ms. Katrina Elizabeth DiCamillo, ladies and gentlemen
April 11, 2022
My new favorite Kate DiCamillo book! Maybe my favorite MG this year! Love, love, love. I kind of want to go back and reread it right away. There’s so much depth, beauty, symbolism and nuance in this short book.
“We shall all, in the end, be led to where we belong. We shall all, in the end, find our way home.”
The prophecy speaks of a girl who will unseat a king. It doesn’t mention a goat. Answelica is that goat, prone to violence, maybe possessed, a source of fear for all the monks in the Order of the Chronicles of Sorrowing, so Brother Erik is surprised to see the goat tenderly caring for a young, sick girl. The girl is Beatryce and she will change the world. After Brother Edik nurses her back to health and discovers her secret, she is sent back into the world where she meets Jack Dory and Cannoc. This rag tag band of found family then has to travel to find Beatryce’s mother and maybe fulfill her prophecy. But what is prophecy? Is it even important?
This is an absolutely beautiful, powerful book about fate, family, the importance of words, the power of reading, and the magic of stories. This might be my favorite MG this year - unforgettable characters, beautiful language, unique setting, amazing symbolism. I’m not adequately conveying how much I loved it. This would be a great book to teach vocabulary, folk tales, model sentences, and characterization. Truly fantastic.
“We shall all, in the end, be led to where we belong. We shall all, in the end, find our way home.”
The prophecy speaks of a girl who will unseat a king. It doesn’t mention a goat. Answelica is that goat, prone to violence, maybe possessed, a source of fear for all the monks in the Order of the Chronicles of Sorrowing, so Brother Erik is surprised to see the goat tenderly caring for a young, sick girl. The girl is Beatryce and she will change the world. After Brother Edik nurses her back to health and discovers her secret, she is sent back into the world where she meets Jack Dory and Cannoc. This rag tag band of found family then has to travel to find Beatryce’s mother and maybe fulfill her prophecy. But what is prophecy? Is it even important?
This is an absolutely beautiful, powerful book about fate, family, the importance of words, the power of reading, and the magic of stories. This might be my favorite MG this year - unforgettable characters, beautiful language, unique setting, amazing symbolism. I’m not adequately conveying how much I loved it. This would be a great book to teach vocabulary, folk tales, model sentences, and characterization. Truly fantastic.
February 13, 2023
Kate Dicamillo writes the most beautiful books, and this one does not disappoint. A lovely story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,925 reviews