The Faithful Friend

In this engaging folktale from the Caribbean island of Martinique, two life-long friends - Clement, the son of a wealthy land-owner, and Hippolyte, the son of the French-born widow who was hired as his (Clement's) nurse - set out together to meet the beautiful young woman whose image has caused Clement to fall in love. Performing a good deed upon their journey, the two friends eventually arrive at Monsieur Zabocat's plantation, where they discover that the lovely Pauline is just as enchanting in person, as she is in her portrait. Unfortunately, although it is obvious that she and Clement have fallen instantly in love, her uncle, reputed to be a quimboiseur, or wizard, forbids the match. When the couple, accompanied by Hippolyte, sets show more out to be married regardless, they are pursued by the evil magic of Monsieur Zabocat, and the three zombies that he has raised. Only Hippolyte is aware of the danger, and only he can save his friends: but at great cost to himself, should he ever reveal what he knows...

Chosen as a Caldecott Honor Book in 1996, as well as given a Correta Scott King Illustrator's Award Honor, The Faithful Friend pairs beautiful scratch-board illustrations by Brian Pinkney with a powerful story of loyalty and mutual sacrifice from Robert D. San Souci, who has retold many folktales over the course of his long career. I appreciated the author's detailed description of his source material - what he retained from the Martiniquais version of this story, and what he added in - and hope to track down Elsie Clews Parsons' collection of folklore from the Antilles, at some point. I was interested to see that this story likely evolved from similar European stories, such as Faithful John, from the Brothers Grimm. The Venetian tale, Pome & Peel, has a very similar plot as well. All in all, a most engaging selection, one I recommend to all young folklore enthusiasts. I only wish I could find more folktales from Martinique! show less

A 1996 Caldecott honor book, this is a dark tale set in the island of Martinique. Two friends bonded together and inseparable, Clement and Hippolyte are friends for life. When Clement falls madly in love with a princess when he sees her image. Driven to meet her and convince her to marry him, Filled with images of zombies, ghosts and based on folklore and told in many various renditions, in this tale the princess accepts Clement's proposal of marriage.

Her Uncle Monsieur Zabocat is a wizard. Understanding the bond of the two friends, the uncle lures Clement's friend Hippolyte in a trap forcing him to choose between his own safety and that of his friend. Turned to stone, Hippolyte made this sacrifice for his beloved friend.

In the end, he show more is freed from the curse because of his love of his friend.

While the illustrations are unique, I didn't like the story line. There were too many twists and turns and much darkness. show less

Readers embark on a powerful journey to the island of Martinique in The Faithful Friend, where we follow the story Clement and Hippolyte-one. This book embraces the unity of two races, white and black. The illustrations in this reading accompany the suspenseful tone, with danger lurking at each and every corner. Each picture placed alongside the text, bring more life and meaning to what is being read. I appreciated the way the author choose to let the pictures speak, not focusing on merely the text as the main component. This book reveals amazing themes, perfect for the youth population; acceptance of differences, loyalty, and the elimination of stereotypes. I appreciate that the author brought positive insight to a time in history show more where many negative experiences occurred. When journeying to find circumstances where good values and morals are present, look no farther than this masterpiece! show less

The Faithful Friend is an enchanting West Indian folktale brought to life. On the French Caribbean island of Martinique, Clement and Hippolyte embark on an adventure in hopes of Clement earning Pauline's hand in marriage. In an attempt to prevent Clement from marrying Pauline, her uncle, Monsieur Zabocat, attempts to curse the trio on their trek home. Hippolyte witnesses the inception of the secret curses, but cannot say anything in fear of turning to stone. In the end, Hippolyte sacrifices himself in order to save Clement. All ends well as the beggar they kindly buried came back to life and set all things right.
The imagery from San Souci's words paints a picture in itself; however, Pinkney's exotic illustrations make the words come show more alive.
There are many things I love about this book. One is that children would be able to be emmersed in another culture. Not only does it take place on a Caribbean Island, it depicts a cultural fusion of African and European (French) traditions.
The main reason I love this book is the inspiring lessons it teaches anyone who reads it. It is a courageous tale of true friendship, selflessness, and loyalty. show less

The writing is a little wooden and some pages are too text heavy, but this is a pretty interesting adaptation of macabre folklore from the island of Martinique. Zombies and curses and ghosts, oh my.

Robert D. San Souci's, The Faithful Friend, is a fictional picture book. This book is about the lengths that a good friend would good through to protect another friend. Clement and Hippolyte are the main characters of the book and have been best friends since they were little. Clement proposes to Pauline. Paulines uncle is a wizard and is disapproving of the marriage and casts a spell on them. Hippolyte goes through great lengths to protect his friend and his friends fiance.

I really enjoyed this book and thought it was very entertaining. The main issue that arises is how faithful a true friend should be. Hippolyte was more concerned with Clements safety than he was his own. This book makes me think about a passage from The Bible show more 15:13,14 "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. The highest human exhibition of love that earth has ever seen was this". I believe this book exhibits this. Great picture book. This book has a very important moral lesson which is loyalty to the ones you love and care for. If you don't like supernatural occurrences I would not recommend this book. show less

The bright and beautiful illustrations of this story faithfully depict life on the tropical island of Martinique in the 1800’s, providing a useful lesson in culture for the reader and a feast for the eyes. The plot of the story unfolds quickly and in an engaging manner, leading the reader to hastily turn the pages to the exciting conclusion. The main themes are “friendship means caring more about the wellbeing of others than your own” and “what you wish upon others will return to you” (a lesson in karma). The even more overarching theme is “good conquers evil”, and that theme is played out expertly with plot twists that will leave the reader wondering how the story will end. Children of all ages would be entertained by the show more story and the illustrations, and would find value from these themes. I really enjoyed this unique retelling of an old fairytale in an exotic setting. show less