#432 of 1001 · October 6, 2021

Here’s a tale that warns of the peril of rushing to judgment and celebrates the virtue of loyalty and devotion: Lynn Cullen and Laurel Long’s The Mightiest Heart. Llewelyn, prince of the Welsh region of Snowdonia, spends the days of his youth with Gelert, a faithful dog who remains constantly at his side. Years pass, and the monarch grows up, marries, and has a son. One night, Llewelyn discovers Gelert in the nursery with blood on his muzzle; believing for a terrible instant that the dog has killed his child, he drives his pet away in rage. Though he soon finds the baby alive and realizes that Gelert fought off a hungry wolf, it is too late: the noble hound is gone. Much time goes by before the two friends meet again in a brief but tender reunion. Though it is too late for Llewelyn and Gelert to regain the friendship they once shared, the king now possesses hard-won wisdom to pass on to his growing son. Cullen crafts a tender and emotionally affecting story, while Long provides oil paintings whose regal beauty perfectly suit the medieval setting. A note for folklore enthusiasts: Cullen has adapted her tale from an old legend of Llewelyn ab Iorwerth (also known as Llewelyn the Great), a thirteenth-century ruler of Wales. In the traditional story, rather than driving Gelert away, Llewelyn kills him outright. Once he realizes his mistake, the king buries his dog with great honor and ceremony. To this day, a burial mound stands as a tourist attraction in the village of Beddgelert (the name meaning “Gelert’s grave”). #heart #dog #loyal #loyalty #friend #friends #friendship #welsh #wales #book #books #childrensbooks #picturebook #picturebooks #picturebookillustration #picturebookart #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks