San Souci, Robert D. Brave Margaret: an Irish adventure. Illustrated by Sally Wern Comport. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 1999. ISBN: 0-689-81072-5
Awards: Best Children’s Book of the Year, Bank Street College of Education, 2000.
Author Website: None
Illustrator Website:
Media: Dark colored pastels on paper.
Use of Simile: (p.2) “skin white as milk,” “cheeks ruddy as fire glow,”
Use of Rhyme: (p.22) “Fee, fum, fo, fay, What foolish mortal comes this way?”
Use of Onomatopoeia: (p.8) “The monster hissed but hesitated.”
Detailed Artwork Discussion: Comport’s dark and dramatic pastel illustrations bring the adventure and romance of Margaret’s story to life and signify that this picture book is for older readers. A close-up illustration of Simon and Margaret shows Simon’s hand gripping Margaret’s arms. Margaret is staring into Simon’s eyes and it is clear from the picture that the two are in love and that they are fearful of being separated. Without the illustration, the intensity of the pair’s relationship might not be visible to the reader. In another illustration, Comport depicts Margaret attacking the giant with the magic sword and the reader can see just how gigantic the hideous the giant is. The illustrations are filled with shadowy movement and are scary at times, conveying the emotions of the characters in ways that words alone cannot. I think that Margaret is truly on display as the fiery, red-haired heroine that she is in this artwork.
Annotation: In Brave Margaret, Caldecott Honor writer Robert San Souci brings alive a West Irish folktale reminiscent of Arthur and the Sword. Red-haired Margaret is hungry for adventure and convinces Simon, the son of a King, to take her on board his ship. Margaret proves to be a worthy sailor and wins Simon’s heart, as well.
Personal Reaction: This folktale would be appealing for 5th and 6th grade fans of mythology, the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan or Julia Golding’s The Companion Quartet. Margaret’s bravery and magical ability to defeat the giant and wear the silver ring that comes with a sword are similarly appealing to the characteristics of heroes in current popular fiction. I like that Margaret is the champion who defeats the giant, but that she is still free to express her love for Simon. Although this is an old folktale, the story has a modernity in that Margaret is free to be both a strong and feminine woman.
