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Maine Samplers Part 1V The King's Equal by Katherine Paterson |
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Illustrated by Vladimir Vagin Summary: As a beloved king is dying, he realizes that his arrogant son is not fit to succeed him. On his deathbed he proclaims that the son may not be crowned until he finds a wife who is as intelligent, beautiful and wealthy as he. The prince is furious and sends his counselors on a world-wide search which, of course, does not yield any one "good enough." With a mentor's help a wise, beautiful, but poor woman is able to back up the claim that she is the "King's Equal." Level: Grades 2-6 Themes:
Activities: 1. A. Pre-reading: Have ready a collection of folktales and fairy tales. What elements define this traditional literature? Ask groups of students to study at least five books and talk about elements that all have in common. As a class identify the parts of a story that would signify that it is a fairy tale. (See Huck or Norton for a full look at traditional literature.) List these on the board. Answers may range from "It usually begins with a 'Once upon a time...' to 'good always wins.'" Also mentioned may be elements such as the number three and the use of repetition. After reading The King's Equal ask the students to reflect on the list and compare and contrast. Is this a piece of traditional literature? Why or why not. B. Ask small groups of students to list elements of this book on the left side of a large sheet of paper. (For example, personality of main character, supernatural helper, setting, qualities admired, dominant plot, conclusion. Along the top of the page write titles of traditional tales with similar themes. (See bibliography.) Build a comparison chart. C. Does Katherine Paterson cite her references? (For your own information, see the articles in School Library Journal about the importance of tracing a story's sources.) With the collection of fairy tales in Part A, ask students to draw conclusions about tracing sources. 2. A. Study the costumes and hair styles in Vagin's illustrations. Invite the students to research the time period and place a date and a region for the setting. (The Gorsline book is especially good. Pay special attention to sleeves, collars and cuffs.) Ask students to compare in their reading journals the costumes of the court to the clothing of Rosamund and Raphael in the mountains. Include reasons for the difference and either a commentary on the expense (time and money) of elaborate styles or a short written piece from the point of view of a palace valet. Research the distinction between folktales that originate in the upper class and those that come from the peasant class. (See Donna Norton's chapter on Traditional Literature.) How would you classify The King's Equal? Discuss in small groups how the illustrator added to Paterson's description of setting. B. Discuss how the setting contributes to the telling of the story. Have students re-write the plot as if it took place in ancient Egypt or in rural United States. (Some students may object to a US locale because we do not have kings and queens. Demonstrate ways of getting around this by watching some episodes from the video series of From the Brothers Grimm.) C. Study the background of the illustrations. Ask students to share with a partner what they've discovered in the borders and backgrounds that further illuminates the story. e.g. It's raining in the kingdom as the king is dying - rain often symbolizes tears. Read Here Comes the Cat which is also illustrated by Vagin. Compare illustrations and style. 3. Ask students to invent a background for the unusual wolf. Include in the story answers to questions such as: Why did the wolf get involved? (i.e. Did he have a hidden agenda?) What does the wolf do next? The wolf briefly "tricks" both Rosamund and Raphael. What other examples of trickery can students find in the collection of folktales? (Do the ends justify the means?) Some students may wish to pursue the image/reputation that wolves have in various cultures.
4. Ask students to use a variety of baby naming books to determine the "meaning" of their names and "Rosamund" and "Raphael". Do students believe that Paterson chose the names with these meanings in mind? How and why? Ask students to browse through these reference books to select names/ meanings that appeal to them. Have students keep a list of favorite names in the front of their writing folders for further use. 5. How does a royal person find a spouse? Compare and contrast the media attention given to the British and Japanese royal families as they searched for the perfect match. 6. The prince fell in love with Rosamund immediately upon seeing her beauty. Although this often happens in fairy tales, what is the harm being done to young females everywhere? What does it say about male values? How does Paterson redeem this standard ploy? This book could also be named Rosamund's Equal. Have students write a play and perform it for younger students. Re-name it. 7. Ask students to do a QuickWrite on the criteria it takes to be a prince. As a whole class, look at characterization in folktales. (The "oral tradition" of fairy tales didn't allow time for fully rounded character development.) Have the students select one incident from The King's Equal and write a short piece which demonstrates a greater depth of character. Interested students may wish to read Beauty (McKinley) which fleshes out the characters in Beauty and the Beast. 8. Fairy Tales have roots in the oral tradition. Organize a storytelling program with adults or high school students who have demonstrated talent. Discuss with your students before hand that the intent of the program is twofold: to enjoy the tales and to watch for storytelling techniques and tips. Afterwards list on the board strategies that the storytellers used to enhance the telling and that lead to better suspension of disbelief. Also list things that detracted from the story. Make this into a criteria guide with which students may use to evaluate their peers. (Example below.) Have groups of students practice telling The King's Equal to their peers or to younger students. (Discuss what elements of this book lend themselves to telling the story. For example, the repetition: "ancient law that cannot be changed.")
9. Lightly reenforce the concept of stories having a beginning, middle and end. Have the students write, in their journals, predictions of how they think the story will proceed at each point. Resources:
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