The King's Equal

by Katherine Paterson

Book Overview

Who is she A dying king makes his son his heir--on one condition. Vain Prince Raphael must marry a woman who is his equal in beauty, intelligence, and wealth... Where is this woman A search throughout the kingdom proves fruitless. Then the lovely Rosamund appears at the palace, as if by magic, and Raphael is certain he has found his wife. She is intelligent and wealthy, as well as beautiful--certainly his equal, he thinks. But what does the mysterious...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0064420906
• ISBN13: 9780064420907
• Release Date: January 1999
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Length: 64 Pages
• Weight: 0.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.2" x 5.1" x 7.6"
• Age Range: 6 to 10 years
• Grade Range: Grades 1 to 5

Customer Reviews

Pages Missing

More than a few pages were torn out, so I could not read the story. Ordering again and crossing fingers.

A book I still remember

I have a vivid memory of reading this book when I was in the 2nd or 3rd grade. It is a great read, a colorful twist on the familiar Cinderella-story of a conventionally "poor" lady and her romance with a very wealthy male lead. As a child, I gained confidence in reading something called a "chapter book" and I imagine that your children will appreciate that as well, without facing the daunting consequences of reading a chapter book beyond their capabilities. For the very young, I would suggest reading with your child as I remember struggling with some of the words in "The King's Equal" when I was 9. And as other reviewers have pointed out, this is a great book for its illustrations as well. I don't know if this version is the same that I read (I remember a teal cover) but if it is, check out the page where they display some of the belles of the ball. Those ones are the most fabulous throughout.

Buy this book!

I would recommend this book if only for the beautifully detailed illustrations. This is truly a wonderful book with a great message about the value of character and friendship rather than physical beauty and wealth. Not your typical fairy tale. Has a very positive, courageous girl character.

A Review Of The King's Equal

I liked the book The King's Equal. I liked the book because Rosamund shows the prince how not to be selfish. I think people and kids should read this book because it shows how you should act and talk to people. Prince Raphael's father died and Raphael's father gave him a blessing. His blessing was,"You should be married to your own equal but if you're not then you will not wear my crown." Then Raphael searches for a wife. Up in the mountains there was a girl named Rosamund and she meets a wolf that talks then the wolf said that he was a good friend of her mother. And then he told her "Your mother gave you a blessing that you will be with your own equal". Then when Rosamund heard from the people that the prince was so selfish and took everything from the people and when she heard she felt very bad and the wolf made her a magic gold necklace. The prince saw Rosamund and said she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen and when Raphael asked Rosamund to marry him she said,"If you want to marry me then you have to go to the mountains and take care of four goats and return after one year." Then a year goes by and when he returns he brings all of the goats back and when Rosamund saw him she said, "I will marry you." I learned from this book how not to be selfish in life.

My Review of The King's Equal

I liked The King's Equal. The story had cool characters. Rosamund told the prince to be nice because the prince took everything from the town people. I think people should read this story. The story is about Rosamund and Raphael, the prince who wants to marry Rosamund because Raphael can be king then. I learned lots of things from The King's Equal, things about Rosamund, said she has no food. I learned about the wolf. I think the wolf was a magical wolf. People shouldn't be selfish. The End

There is definitely a lesson to be learned in this book

I read this book to my 6th grade class and my students loved it. They just couldn't believe Raphael's arrogance. They believe his father made that demand on purpose because as arrogant as he was they knew for sure that Prince Raphael would never find anyone his equal. His father feared his son getting his crown because he knew his people would suffer. My students really enjoyed how Rosamund turned things around and how Prince Raphael now wasn't Rosamund's equal. Prince Raphael really learned a lesson and that is that wealth, wisdom, and beauty are no substitute for loneliness and friendships. He learned that he must be kind and sensitive to others feelings and in turn people will be kind to him and he will gain friends for life.