Module 2 The Book of Three

Bibliographic Citation

Alexander, L. (1964). The book of three. New York: Henry Holt and Company.

Summary

This book is the first in a series of five books that takes place in the Land of Prydain.  It is an imaginary land where Taran, Assistant Pig-Keeper, sets out on a search to find a pig named Hen Wen who escaped from her pen.  Along the way Taran meets Prince Gwydion and they are both captured by Achren and imprisoned in Spiral Castle.  Taran manages to escape with the help of a girl named Eilonwy and they are joined by Gurgi, Melyngar, Flewddur Fflam, and Doli on another mission to warn the people of Caer Dathyl of the attacks being made by the Horned King.  They arrive there just in time after a few mishaps along the way.  The Horned King is killed with the help of a gwythaint and Hen Wen, who was found.  All the heros are rewarded by Prince Gwydion, who was not dead. Then all of Taran's new friends return home with him.

Impressions

I was not sure I was going to like this book when I started reading it.  Immediately I recognized the characters which were from The Black Cauldron book.  It was a story of making new friendships, helping one another, and finding adventures while on a mission to help others.  It reminded me of The Lord of the Rings because both books have a mission or a task to complete.  The main characters are joined by their friends to help each other along the way to complete what they set out to do.  The story continues in the series with new adventures for these same characters in their imaginary lands.

Suggestions For Use in a Library

1. Draw a picture map while doing a read aloud to use as a review since the whole book could not be read aloud at one time.
2. Character pictures or design puppets since there are no illustrations

Reviews

Taran is an assistant pig keeper, looking after a pig called Hen Wen.  One day, Hen Wen runs off and Taran sets off to find her. Teamed up with a princess, a creature, a bard, and a dwarf, Taran must find the pig and save the country of Prydain from Arawn, the king of Annuvin.  I would recommend this book to adventure lovers and seekers. It's a book filled with magic, learning and understanding. Trust me, once you pick it up, you won't put it down!

Kapil, Shalini. (2007). The book of three. Storyworks, 15(3), 7.


Prydain is an imagined territory, somewhat like Wales and peopled with characters whose genealogy stretches back to Welsh legend. The Book of Three takes up Prydain's history during a wonderfully uncertain time -- perhaps at the end of the Dark and the start of the Middle Ages. Mankind was still in the process of "becoming" in Prydain then. For instance, there are two characters here who begin to cross the line into humanity -- Gurgi, a near animal, comic in his cowardice and irresponsibility, who begins the change by responding to kindness through serving with no ulterior motive for once; Doli, a dwarf who left his enchanted underground world behind because he had forgotten the trick of making himself invisible. In fact, the people of the time were forgetting, too. There were still those who could control occult power, but the methods of invoking it were not being systematically handed down; some was lost and some hoarded for evil ends. Taran, young boy, dubbed "Assistant Pig Keeper" to satisfy his dreams of glory, is the central character. A ward of the wizard, Dallben, he is in charge of an oracular pig, Hen Wen. His search for her after a raid by the horrible Horned King brings him to such strong fantasy characters as: Gwydion, a prince who teaches him the first principle of leadership -- self control; Eilonwy, a runaway junior witch, and Fflewddur, an incompetent bard. If these characters don't suggest T.H. White's treatment of the Arthurian legends, they should. The author draw his figures with the same touches of irritability, doltishness and contrariness that leavens with high good humor the high fantasy. The major theme is good against evil-- black magic against white -- but (give thanks for creative restraint) only to a draw. Hopefully, Prydain's history will be continued.

The book of three. (1964).  Kirkus Reviews Issue.