King of Rome.

Gregory Bryan is a member of the Faculty of Education at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg.

Although Dave Sudbury’s King of Rome is a popular English folksong, it does not work as the text for a picture book for Canadian children. When read in a picture book format—where the reader stops to gaze at the illustrations—the text is stilted, the rhythm is choppy, and some of the rhyme seems forced. What works as the lyrics in a song does not work here. Furthermore, some of the lower middle-class English feel of the text is not likely to appeal to Canadian readers, who might not be able to identify.

King of Rome tells the story of a pigeon race from Italy to England in 1913. Despite a storm that blew many of the racers off course, a bird called the King of Rome was able to successfully complete the race. The King of Rome’s success raised the flagging spirits of the working class men and women of Derby.

Hans Saefkow’s illustrations are a feature of the book. The artwork features some interesting use of perspective. Many of the images are presented from an elevated point of view, as if from the viewpoint of the pigeon in the story. The darkened, dreary palette works well in evoking the dismal, despondent setting for the story.

King of Rome should have an afterword that relates the story behind the book. Children will be left wondering if the story is the product of the writer’s imagination or if the story is based on historical events. Although Sudbury’s lyrics make for a nice song, and although Saefkow’s artwork is impressive, this book is not likely to appeal to children.