Duel - by Shawn Harris Hardcover

Book Synopsis

Caldecott Honoree Shawn Harris uses mirrored images to tell the story of two queens, two knights, and a duel over one shared hill in this astonishingly symmetrical picture book.

Two castles sit on a hill, home to two queens. But the queens would rather not share, and each sends a knight to joust for the land.

Two queens is one too many for this hill, the queens concurred.
Let's hold a duel. The one who wins will rule the hill in whole.

There's just one problem--when the winner stands up in the middle of the field, no one is sure which side he came from. Maybe neighborly sharing is back in vogue! After all, they have so much in common.

The illustrations in Duel follow one simple rule. Each pair of facing pages is perfectly symmetrical, mirrored over the gutter of the book. Even the colors are the result of squish painting, wet paint pressed between center-folded paper.

Shawn Harris's self-imposed artistic dare has resulted in a visually arresting and effortlessly funny picture book that kids are sure to ask for on repeat. And to the bold, Duel whispers: what might you create, if you set yourself a challenge?

About the Author

Shawn Harris is an award-winning creator of books for kids. He received a Caldecott Honor for his debut authored book Have You Ever Seen a Flower?, which the New York Times called a "stunning tour de force." He is also the creator of the picture books The Teeny-Weeny Unicorn, Doing Business, and Let's Be Bees. His work as an illustrator includes What Can a Citizen Do?, Her Right Foot, and the Newbery Medal-winning bestseller The Eyes and the Impossible, all written by Dave Eggers; A Polar Bear in the Snow by Mac Barnett; and Everyone's Awake by Colin Meloy, among others. He lives in Northern California, where he also writes songs, surfs, and plays racquetball.