The Beatryce Prophecy by Kate DiCamillo

Two heavyweights of the children’s book world collaborate on The Beatryce Prophecy, a quasi-medieval tale of treachery and hope.

The Beatryce Prophecy by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Sophie Blackall. Candlewick, 2021, 247 pages

Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-10

Recommended for: ages 8-14

Brother Edik finds the girl, mute and trembling, clutching the goat’s ear as though it were her last hope. His heart immediately goes out to her, for she is obviously in trauma if not actual danger. As for the goat, well . . . Answelica is the most obstinate goat ever, with a special animus for Edik. But with a peculiar gentleness for the lost child.

As the girl appears to have no home, the only option is to take her into the monastery of the Order of the Chronicles of Sorrowing. There, she recalls her name: Beatryce. To keep her safe from whatever harm is chasing her, Brother Edik cuts her hair and dresses her in monks’ garb.

Meanwhile, in another part of the kingdom, a king and his counselor are searching for the subject of a prophesy: “There will one day come a girl child who will unseat a king and bring about a great change.” This, of course, can’t happen. The counselor already has soldiers searching for a particular girl child, and assures the king she will soon be found. In yet another part of the kingdom an orphaned boy named Jack is off to seek his fortune, while a deposed king is wandering in the forest, discovering new wonders that he missed while ruling a kingdom. The monk, the goat, the girl, the boy, and the ex-king will eventually join together as they journey toward fulfillment of the prophesy.

The story is narrated in prose reminiscent of a fairy-tale medieval setting, where chronicles are faithfully kept by men in holy orders. It’s a violent, chaotic world of greedy kings and unchecked thieves, but to some it is given to see through temporary upheaval to the world as it is and should be: “filled with marvel upon marvel, too many marvels to count.” Certain themes, such as the innocent child threatened by malevolent authority, suggest a Christ-figure, but Beatryce’s mission has more to do with social reform than spiritual renewal. Joy triumphs (for “Nothing is more terrifying to evil than joy”) although the triumph seems to come rather easily, after one journey through the woods and a swift comeuppance for the bad guys. DiCamillo’s hypnotic prose and Sophie Blackall’s appealing illustrations could make this an attractive read-aloud for ages 5-12.

Overall Rating: 4.25 (out of 5)

• Worldview/moral value: 4
• Artistic/literary value: 4.5

Read more about our ratings here.                 

Also at Redeemed Reader:

• Reviews: Lots of books by Kate DiCamillo: Franklin Endicott and the Third Key, Beverly, Right Here (and the other Raymie novels), the Bink and Gollie series, Flora & Ulysses, and (my favorite) *The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane.
• Reviews: More novels set in a quasi-medieval world: *The Book of Boy, *The Inquisitor’s Tale, and The Magic Mirror.

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