Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde: The Young King and the Remarkable Rocket

With brilliant illustrations by a master of comic art, this book of two of Oscar Wilde’s fairy tales brings his lyrical prose to life. In the first tale, the Young King is taken from humble origins and revels in the finer possessions of his new, lofty position. However, a series of dreams reveal to him the suffering his people must go through to make the extravagant belongings for him. Casting them off, he finds paradoxically that he may be alienating the very people he wants to help. In “The Remarkable Rocket,” a vain little rocket figures itself above all others and still manages to see glory in its dismal end. Perfect for middle school students as an introduction to the world-famous author, the dazzling illustrations in this book suit the timeless writings of Wilde.