LitPick Review
Part of the Thinking Girl's Treasury of Real Princesses, "Qutlugh Cerkan Khatun of Kirman" by Shirin Yim Bridges and illustrated by Albert Nguyen focuses on a Persian woman. The book gives an account of Qutlugh's war-torn exile, her being sold into slavery, her beauty, her marriages, her rulings, and concludes with an act of compassion on her death bed. Some culture is given, though this is most succinct for being in a short children's book. Food, clothing, and infrastructure are discussed. This tale of a beautiful girl who becomes a beautiful queen is nothing short of fascinating.
Opinion:
With full color pictures and glossy pages, this book is great to hold. The font is large, and the language is simple. Not all pictures have captions, but most are clear and need no explanation. However, due to the controversial nature of some issues, this book may not be suitable for very young readers. Violence and kidnapping are touched upon, as is forced marriage. In terms of images, there is a silhouette of a girl in chains and an un-captioned imaged of two Persians performing some sort of torture to a man who has blood trickling down from his forehead. History isn't always pretty, but readers should use discretion for deciding whether or not to pick this book up.
