The Happy Prince

The Happy Prince is a timeless and touching tale that explores generosity, sacrifice, and social justice. In this beautifully retold and richly illustrated version, a young boy named Swallow befriends a statue-the Happy Prince-who sees the suffering of the city's poor and asks for his riches to be given away piece by piece. Together, they bring kindness and relief to many, until the Prince's once-golden form is deemed worthless and destroyed by the city's leaders. However, the legacy of their compassion lives on as the community they helped builds a garden and plants a fruit tree in honour of their selflessness. This powerful narrative invites children to reflect on empathy, the value of inner beauty, and making meaningful contributions to the world around them.

Educational Benefits:

• Encourages discussion of social responsibility and ethical values.
• Develops reading comprehension through complex narrative structure.
• Introduces themes of sacrifice, community, and leadership.
• Supports critical thinking and moral reasoning.

Classroom Ideas:

• Create a class debate: Should the statue have been taken down?
• Write diary entries from the perspectives of Swallow and the townspeople.
• Explore the theme of generosity through real-life examples and role play.
• Discuss symbolism in literature and create illustrations of key themes.

Information:

• Ages: 7+ years
• Format: Hardcover, 80 pages
• Dimensions: 253 mm (H) x 197 mm (W)