Walker Books
King Alfred and the Ice Coffin | Hardcover | Children's Book on History & Biographies
King Alfred and the Ice Coffin | Hardcover | Children's Book on History & Biographies
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Step into the Anglo-Saxon world of King Alfred the Great in a lyrical retelling from a Carnegie Medal-winning author and Kate Greenaway Medal-winning former Children's Laureate.
Alfred the Great is one of the most iconic rulers in British history and the only one to be known as "Great". Not only did he mount a fierce resistance against Viking invaders, he was also a keen scholar and collector of stories. He welcomed travellers with a tale to his court, which brings in the intrepid sailor Wulfstan. Wulfstan dazzles Alfred's court with a story of shipwrecks, horse-racing and a ruler buried in ice.
Kevin Crossley-Holland has translated Wulfstan's thrilling tale from the Anglo-Saxon into a rhythmic prose poem with lavish artwork by Chris Riddell.
Awards: Young Quills Historical Fiction Awards (2025)
“truly magical book . Crossley-Holland’s prose is both lyrical, descriptive and yet accessible. Once again he has shown his mastery in retelling tales from the original Anglo-Saxon. Riddell’s characteristically detailed pencil sketches are to be pored over. ” — English 4-11
Reading age: 9 years or older
Ideal For: Perfect for 9-14 year olds drawn to the Anglo-Saxon world, and the only English king called Great.
Details: Hardcover | 88 pages | 24.8 × 17.4 × 1.6 cm
About the Creators: Kevin Crossley-Holland fell in love with the Middle Ages and Anglo-Saxon poetry while he was an undergraduate at Oxford University. He wrote his first work for children, a retelling of a medieval romance, in a London park during lunch breaks from his job as a children’s book editor. In 1985, he received the Carnegie Medal for his novel Storm . A longtime resident of the United States, where he taught at the University of Minnesota, Kevin and his wife, Linda, now live on the coast of the North Sea in Norfolk, England. Chris Riddell, the 2015-2017 UK Children's Laureate, is an accomplished artist and the political cartoonist for the Observer . He has enjoyed great acclaim for his books for children. His books have won a number of major prizes, including the 2001, 2004 and 2016 CILIP Kate Greenaway Medals. Chris has been honoured with an OBE in recognition of his illustration and charity work. He lives in Brighton with his family .
Publication details
- Published
- 2024
- Publisher
- Walker Books
