A recently released picture book by talented friend/colleague Baptiste Paul called to mind my mother's stories from childhood in Appalachia, Kentucky. In her case, clothing was sometimes produced from various scraps, new or used, not unlike the life-inspired lyrics of Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors. Mom's (and Dolly's) emotional reactions when receiving, then wearing these lovingly created garments were similar in that they each understood their own mother's talented efforts to provide a utilitarian item with beauty and appeal that they could not provide by buying new items in a store or catalogue. In both narratives, the teasing of peers undermined the appeal, but the love stitched into every seam outweighed the taunts of kids. This blend of utility and beauty extended to the many quilts they created, too, including some I still own. Another of my mom's childhood stories was revealed to me when I shared a picture book with her, Elizabeti's Doll. I discussed that connection in a post several years ago (HERE).
PATCHWORK PRINCE, written by Baptiste Paul and illustrated by Kitt Thomas, is one of many stories that arise from Paul's lived-childhood experiences while growing up on the Carribean island of Saint Lucia. In his case, he was raised by his mother and father, sharing their tiny quarters as one of ten siblings. 
DIAL BOOKS for YOUNG READERS, 2023
Both Paul and Thomas are natives of Saint Lucia, and they made the perfect pairing for this exuberant story. Those who have traveled to this popular tourist destination will have seen its beauty and appeal, but may have only seen the vistas intended for moneyed travelers. The daily lives of locals, like the Paul family, offered different stories, but not without celebrations of play and nature and family and love. In this tale the patchwork clothing his mother created was an enormous source of pride, in its color and vibrance and "newness", as opposed to the mis-sized, hand-me-down rough-wear that made up everyday life. When it came to Sundays, Baptiste and his siblings would proudly don custom-made capes and other clothing from his mother's talented and determined hands.
The story itself is an homage to the very special relationship Baptiste had with his mother, leaving his siblings out of th is particular story until they appear in the author note after the main text. It is a royal romp through the many steps involved in obtaining those scraps to generate such glorious regalia. The adventure of this process begins with predawn sessions in which young Baptiste and his mother made their way to the dump. There, the local clothing manufacturer discarded truckloads of scraps and unused fabrics from the nearby clothing factories, intending to burn every bit before anyone local could "steal" the useless materials. Between dumped loads, the boy and his mother would race into the pile, gathering armfuls of vibrant swatches, as many as they could manage, and then dart back behind nearby greenery. Sometimes a friendly driver would take a little longer than needed to allow locals to gain some ground and retrieve even more. Even then, factory managers would signal from a nearby window to get on with it, and the un-saved fibers soon erupted in flames.
This is only the start of the mother/child partnership Paul describes. The pieces were color-sorted, scrubbed, hung in the tropical sun to dry, and then organized in readiness for the ultimate sewing projects. In a recent interview, Paul added that the excess/unused washed fabrics were stored in the small room shared by eight brothers. Those fabrics would be stacked and scattered across the floor of that room as sleeping mats each night. That, too, reminded me of Mom's family quilting tradition, minus the stitching!
The illustrations celebrate the colors of a spilled crayon box, presenting a joyful family, a boy whose memories of his mother spark smiles. The text is equally lively and vivid, rich with figurative language of simile, metaphor, and inspiration. The boy calls his mother a queen, and she in turn says,
"Each piece tells a story,...
Black for beauty.
Gold for royalty.
Blue for dignity.
Green for life.
Red for strength."
In the end his mother, his Queen, produced undeniably royal attire, fit for a patchwork Prince.
The language is as masterful and action-packed as the images, filled with dance, emotion, and qualities like patience, watchfulness, gratitude, and joy. The story resonates with a majesty of its own. Even so, I urge you to read the back matter, the author's message that reveals some of the details shared here about the way Paul's life unfolded throughout his childhood. He makes clear that finding and repurposing items (or scraps of items) holds a rich history in his life and continues to offer a deep sense of satisfaction when making full use of the potential they can provide to our Earth. The value of seeing within discarded items those hidden treasures has stayed with him long after it was no longer a necessity of his circumstances. It is also clear that he never lost his loving mother's message that he was (and still is) a prince, and that each reader of this book is, too.
This is a lively book that will launch many stories, inspire good stewardship of every available resource, and celebrate self-acceptance, inner strength, and beauty.
This is a picture book blog, but I recently read a teen/YA contemporary novel that features a very different/similar situation of a family with limited resources, a need for repurposing and valuing "maker" skills, and a much more conflicted/challenged but loving mother/son relationship. That new book is GATHER, and I reviewed it on GOODREADS, HERE. The writing is utterly page turning, the voice is unique and genuine, and the characters, including the dog GATHER, are unforgettable. I highly recommend it.
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