King Alfred and the Ice Coffin
Kevin Crossley-Holland
Illustrated by Chris Riddell
Candlewick
November 12, 2024
Age 10-14

In a time when news and entertainment were shared by tellers welcomed to a fireside, King Alfred the Great sought to both bring in the views of outsiders and share the legends of his people. A soldier and scholar, known collector of stories, he invited travelers to share their adventures and tales with the West Saxons. From the trader, Wulfstan, they learned of the land of Maarahvas, its generous people, their curious funerary custom—ice coffins. Wulfstan regales the King and crowd with a harrowing story of his survival at sea and his return with a beautiful wife, a bag of gold, and a tale to tell. As a gesture of thanks, King Alfred would continue sharing Wulfstan’s “wonder-story” with his translation of other Latin stories to broaden the knowledge of his people.

Kevin Crossley-Holland, renowned for his work with folktale and myth, brings life to this blend of history and myth with lyrical language and humanizing perspective. Giving Alfred a thoughtful and curious demeanor, that strictly informational historic texts might not cover, offers a more intimate portrait of the man he may have been. Set in times after his battles against the Vikings, when he would have been able to expand on his goals of literacy and learning for the Saxon people. Uncomplicated vocabulary (other than character names) helps mellow the dramatic concept and complex sentence structure for middle grader readers. Poetic prose blends seamlessly with Chris Riddell’s delicate, yet detailed pencil illustrations. Watercolor and pastel give a soft-focus feel that enhances the fairytale-like qualities of the story. Sepia tones in the main story lend another level to the depth to the medieval setting, while he uses dramatic blues to set off Wulfstan’s story within a story. A fast-paced and lovely addition to folktale collections and a wonderful history-based recommendation for Arthurian legend seekers.