Castle

Macaulay, D., Egolf, R. L., Houghton Mifflin Company., & Dr. Robert L. Egolf Collection. (1977). Castle. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.

This book is a Caldecott honor book.

Exposition: This is the story of an imagined castle being built in Wales in the years from 1277-1305.  Lord Kevin is the owner.

Conflict: The Welsh people do not want King Edward I of England to rule them, and have been attacking, so the castle is defensive.

Rising Action: Lord Kevin hires many different kinds of workers to build the castle, and the reader sees the workers, their tools, and their methods. 

Climax: The castle is finally completed and the town grows around it.  King Edward comes to visit the town, and there is a great feast.

Falling Action: The Welsh continue to rebel, but the castle fortifications hold, and the people are safe.

Resolution:  The Welsh people continue to rebel against the English for years.  The castle eventually falls into disrepair.

The illustrations are well done.  They are dated by the fact that they are black and white line drawings.  I think that today's children will crave color.  The level of detail is amazing, and children can spend hours analyzing the drawings and learning about castles - the drawings really reinforce the text.