A friendship is tested by love and magic in this beautiful retelling of a traditional tale from the French West Indies.On the lush tropical island of Martinique live Clement and Hippolyte, two inseparable friends. When Clement falls in love with the beautiful Pauline, Hippolyte agrees to join his best friend on his journey to propose marriage. But when Pauline accepts Clements proposal, it enrages her uncle Monsieur Zabocatreputed to be a quimboiseur, a wizard. To prevent the wedding, the old wizard lures Hippolyte into a deadly trap, forcing him to choose between his friends safety and his own.

 

This book was recognised in the Illustrator category by the Coretta Scott King Award. Presented annually since 1970 by the American Library Association to books by African-America authors and illustrators, this award recognizes excellence in promoting a deeper understanding of the African-American Experience.

This book has been graded for interest at 5-8 years.

There are 40 pages in this book. This book was published 1999 by Aladdin Paperbacks .

Andrea Davis Pinkney is the author of many acclaimed picture books and young adult novels and works for Scholastic Publishing. Brian Pinkney has illustrated numerous books for children and he has written and illustrated several of his own books. Robert D. San Souci is the critically acclaimed author of many popular books for young people. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.