#735 of 1001 · August 5, 2022

Today I’m inspired by the magic and mystery of Eric A. Kimmel and Trina Schart Hyman’s Iron John. Walter is the youngest son of a king. In his father’s royal menagerie is a wild man covered in matted gray hair, a fearsome being known to all as Iron John. When Walter’s ball flies into the creature’s enclosure, the two of them strike a bargain—the ball for the key to the cage. The young prince, fearing his father’s wrath, asks to go away with Iron John. The two of them live together in the woods for many years, and the boy is tasked with guarding a magical spring, which eventually turns his long, flowing hair to gold. Walter grows to adulthood, and eventually returns to civilization, where he gains employment in the garden of a king. He attends a royal ball, jousts in a royal tournament, and engages a band of robbers in battle, all thanks to clothing and equipment supplied by Iron John. Finally, he marries a young woman who has always loved him despite his rough exterior. Kimmel’s elegant text and Hyman’s regal illustrations make a worthy and engaging fairy tale adaptation. A note for folklore enthusiasts: this story is adapted from the Brothers Grimm tale “Eisenhans”, literally “Iron Hans”. Since Hans is a diminutive of the German name Johann, the title is often rendered in English as “Iron John”. #iron #wild #prince #forest #woods #gold #golden #knight #magic #book #books #childrensbooks #picturebook #picturebooks #picturebookillustration #picturebookart #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks