Saladin: Noble Prince of Islam

by Diane Stanley

Forty years before the boy was born, a horde of bloodthirsty barbarians thundered out of the west and conquered his native land. They had succeeded because his people, ever at war with one another, had not fought together to defend their cities. In time the boy was destined to become the very leader that was needed, a man with the courage and vision to unite his people and face the most fearsome and brilliant warrior of the age. The time was the twelfth century; the barbarian horde was the armies of the First Crusade; the great warrior was Richard the Lionhearted; and the leader was Saladin. This is more than the other side of a familiar Western story, the Crusades. It is the tale of an extraordinary man, remarkable for his generous and chivalrous ways, a warrior who longed for peace. Courageous in battle and merciful in victory, he would be revered even by his enemies as the "marvel of his time." In her vibrant narrative and magnificently detailed illustrations inspired by the Islamic art of the time, Diane Stanley presents a hero whose compassion, piety, tolerance, and wisdom made him a model for his time -- and for ours.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Picture Books, Middle East, History, Childrens, Medieval

48 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2002

About the author

Diane Stanley is an American children's author and illustrator, a former medical illustrator, and a former art director for the publisher G.P. Putnam's Sons. Born in 1943 in Abilene, Texas, she was educated at Trinity University (in San Antonio, TX) and at Johns Hopkins University. She is perhaps best known for her many picture-book biographies, some of which were co-authored by her husband, Peter Vennema. (source: Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Nancy O'Toole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Saladin: Noble Prince of Islam is a biography of Saladin, or Salah al-Din, who lead the Muslim forces during the crusades. Because of the important role he played in the Crusades, much of the biography focuses on the particular battles he fought during this time, with a few pages dedicated to his life before and after. The book is not over the top gory, but it does occasionally touch on many of the harsher aspects of life at war, and the death that is involved. Although this book is obviously told from the point of view of Muslims, the author does not demonize Christians as a whole, instead pointing out particular Christians who did horrible things, and ones who did not. The book is illustrated by large, rather complex illustrations filled with lush colors and a lot of detail. The illustrations are so lovely that they may end up distracting children from the text. The book ends with a few pages that tell what happens after Saladin’s death, giving us more information on the individuals who played a part in his story, such as King Richard. Interestingly enough, the author chooses to end of a comment on today’s life in the middle east, pointing out how the repercussions of the crusades are still felt their today in this tumultuous area.

NOTE- This review was written for a class

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well done biography on Salah Al-din or Saladin as he is more commonly called. I was worried that it might be biased, as a lot of books on the Muslim characters in history have been in the past (esp when dealing with the Crusades). However, the author was very good at presenting both sides of the story, and actually made the Crusaders to handle things worse than the Turks/Saracens. In 1099, the Crusaders slaughtered hundreds of Muslims and you would think Saladin (who had heard the story growing up) would be incensed and want revenge, but he treated the Christian prisoners with the utmost care and respect.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE reading history books to my kids. This one was great! Such a great example of leadership to the world! I also love that Saladin is a Muslim. Not all Muslims are terrorists. The contrast of the Christian/Muslim conflict then is interesting given the state of Christian persecution in the Middle East today. So sad. Also, so far, I just love all of Diane Stanley's books.

[Astra · Rating 4 out of 5]

He was an important to people of the Islamic religion.

Saladin and his brother Richard never actually met face to face.

Also, he was ill when his wife died and so his advisors kept the news from him for three months for fear the shock might kill him.

[Shiloah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prior to this book I had never heard of Saladin. He was a worthy opponent to King Richard of England for the third Crusade. Of course, there was so much more to his life. Inspirational book.

[Christina Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came across this book at the Teachers College library. I thought it would be interesting to look through a picture book that had to do with history. While this story is a picture book (half the book is composed of illustrations), the elaborate history of the Muslim prince, Saladin is presented.

The book offers a full biography of Saladin, from his birth to the battles he fought to his later life and death. The story was mostly about Saladin, but the author did include information about Judaism and Christianity. Much of the story was devoted to telling the story of Jerusalem and how Islam, Christianity and Judaism all have religious connections to the ancient city. The author also wrote about Muslim holidays and wrote a bit about Muslim religious laws.

The illustrations, which composed half the book were elaborate and visually stunning. The artist used traditional Islamic artistic themes in the illustrations, including floral and geometric patters, traditional rug patterns, traditional artifacts and landscapes of the desert. I would definitely use this book for a class for a social studies section. There is plenty of information within this picture book, and it would be a great way to introduce religious studies.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book for older children tells the story of Saladin (Salah al-Din), the Muslim warrior who fought to wrench Jerusalem from the hold of the Christians, including Richard the Lion-Hearted, in the First Crusade.

The story is told with a compassion and understanding that is rarely present in most one-sided portrayals of the Crusades from the point of view of the Crusaders. It is beautifully illustrated, with Islamic-style art.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

More books about Saladin should be written--or at least this one should be read more often. Crusades too often told from just one point of view.

[Meribeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although picture book size and accompanied by Diane Stanley’s detailed Islamic art inspired illustrations, this book is clearly for the older crowd. The most recent in Stanley’s award winning series of famous people, this tale is an important contribution to understanding Muslim history in the land that is holy to three faiths
An extraordinarily courageous and compassionate hero-prince, Saladin was devout, tolerant and generous in his leadership. The story moves from his birth as a Kurd, through his training in the household of the Turkish sultan, to his rule in Egypt and Jerusalem.
When Saladin died of complications resulting from illness compounded by riding out in bad weather to welcome a caravan of pilgrims returning from Mecca, the people mourned him with sincere grief. From the text, “’All who came near him took him as their model.’ He would be a model for any age.”

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whew! A strong story.

3 if intended for use in the elementary grades

5 for adults

Maybe I'm in the minority, but much of this was new to me. It did trigger an old thought: Isn't 'holy war' a contradiction in terms?

... King Richard I of England—the most fearsome opponent Saladin would ever face. To finance this might effort, Richard levied a 10% tax on the possessions of all persons, called the "Saladin tithe." Elevating his fund-raising to a new level, Richard fired his public officers, then made them buy their jobs back. "I would sell London," he said, "if I could find a buyer for it."

[MindfulMuslimReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

A true hero of our history, Saladin is one of the most fascinating figures of the Medieval world. He is wise, generous, chivalrous, and knows the true meaning of justice – treating others with humility and respect even in the face of warfare. In the endless deluge of pop-culture icons and social media influencers, biographies of real-life heroes direct our children’s hearts towards admirable character traits and ideas that are worth learning.

Read more at MindfulMuslimReader.com.
“Books Worth Reading”

[Elisabeth Webber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Diane Stanley’s books are always lavishly illustrated and meticulously researched. This book does not disappoint! By telling about the crusades from the perspective of the Muslim leader Saladin, readers will enjoy nuanced insight into the epic battles of the age.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like most of Stanley’s picture book biographies, but this was quite long and I got confused and had a difficult time keeping all the different historical people Straight, so I’m sure my children had a hard time following. I skipped the middle section and read the last few pages.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book to read to young children 10 years and up.

[Regina · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was interesting to learn about Saladin and the Crusades, from his perspective as a hero. The book had one full page photo on each spread.

[Colin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A kid-friendly biography of Saladin, the famous Muslim leader at the time of the 2nd and 3rd Crusades. This book is beautifully illustrated - highly recommended for teaching kids about the Crusades!

[Nolan Brendel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it because they went to war and stuff.

[Anneke Alnatour · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit long winded in places, and very "adult" language (boring) at times. Not many other options though...

[Checkthebook · Rating 1 out of 5]

No. This contains inaccurate descriptions of the middle east, the Crusades and world religions.

[Sheelie Kittee · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations are stunning and it is so interesting, to learn more about the history of Jerusalem. Such a special place that has been through so much, continuing to evolve today.

[Karla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shockingly there are no histories on islamic leaders of the past in our town libraries. We got this one online for D's school report. It was completely age appropriate, full of exactly the right amount of detail and was pretty interesting too. Good for my kids to see history as described from a less anglosaxon perspective.

[Peshawa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have read many books about Saladin in more details, but this one is very short but raising the important station in Saladin life. He was great Kurdish Muslim nobleman which we need one like him in this terrible middle east. I think the writer mad some mistake in this book which I will point as following.
1-The writer mention that Nur al-Din is a Turkish, but actually most of the sources have been stated that Nur al-Din is from Zank family and it was written as Nur al-Din Zanky (in Arabic نورالدین الزنکی) and Zanky is one of Kurdish tribe that still leave in north and north of Iraq, Syria, South of Turkey and West of Iran.
2- Saladin is not born in a castle or in a rich house as showing in the picture on page 5 (there is no page number of this book), but he born when his family runs from their homeland to Aleppo under a tent.
3- His uncle Sherko (the name in Kurdish mean Lion spirit) teach him and make him this great man.
4- Saladin was having the greatest spy network at that time and he is the first that use code in writing letters, this is one of the most points that make him access.
5- there is no page number for the book
6- he mentions on the last page that the Kurdish land was under the Turkish control at the Saladin time, this is completely wrong, as the Kurdish land was under Kurdish control in a different sample kingdom. What Saladin did is unite these small kingdoms under one commander, and all Saladin generals were Kurd for example, Esa Hakari (from Hakari Kurdish city), Kamal Sarazory (from sharazor area) and Shkar lashen from Shkar tribe...etc
7-Th Turkish help Saladin in a special way by using them as a light armored attack way called Yazik, Yazik was a group of light armor (mainly bow and arrow) attached and moving fast to disorganize the enemy.

[Rhiannon Hubble · Rating 4 out of 5]

1. Genre: Biography
2. This biography details the life and accomplishments of Saladin. This book portrays the compassion and his rise to power during the Crusades.
3. a) Area for Comment: Illustrations
b) The illustrations in this book are so detailed and complex. With each mini chapter, Stanley produces images that portray the vast and beautiful landscape as well as the intricate details of dress, and jewelry.
c) The front cover provides intricate details in the robe that Saladin is wearing. It also provides an excellent portrayal of the dress of the geographical area and time period (such as the turban, robe, and facial hair.
Stanley also conveys the geography of the area in the image with the camel and the horse. The image shows the desert and the pyramids in the background as well as the ways in which the people of that time would dress and keep themselves cool.
These images are such accurate descriptions of the time period and Saladin, himself, that one can learn much just from the illustrations.
4. Curriculum Connection: I would use this book to teach about biographies. I would allow children to compare biographies and autobiographies and they could use this excellent example of a biography to begin the learning journey. Additionally I would use this book to teach about the geographical details of the area.

[Shelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nice additional resource when covering the Middle Ages and the Crusades in school (typically 7th grade). Unless your student has some rudimentary knowledge on these topics and some of the key people involved (such as: Richard the Lionheart, King John, and Pope Gregory VIII) this read can seem a bit confusing and would be better off being read after familiarizing yourself a bit more with the material. All in all though, a very good read that showed even in times of war compassion could be shown, even though it was not the standard.

[Deanna Sutter · Rating 3 out of 5]

This picture book was very long! The true story of Saladin occurs during the third crusade and Saladin is who the infamous Richard of Lionheart of England goes against and looses. The author portrays Saladin and very virtuous and kind. The reader is left feeling anger at those "Franks" and relief that the Muslims have won their land back. So bear that in mind if you choose to read the book, whatever your opinions may be.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

where did my knowledge of the Crusades go? I can only wonder. With this book, I got it back! It's easy to read and ever-interesting. The Crusades were complicated and mostly without heroes--filled with a heap of personalities, though... Answsers that question I had while reading Dante, "Why was Saladin deemed an honorary Christian?"

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Saladin was an amazing figure in middle-east history and an example to all. I wish that we could all learn to be more chivalrous and forgiving as Saladin was. A children's picture book, but a great intro to a great leader, making me want to read more about him.

[Fred Kohn · Rating 4 out of 5]

In an interesting twist, in this biography the Crusaders are portrayed as bloodthirsty barbarians and the Muslims as civilized. Although my knowledge of the period is limited, it seems to do this while sticking to the facts. The text is engaging, and the illustrations wonderful.

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was interested in the history I learned about Jerusalem, Saladin, and the first Crusade. I could not believe just how brutal these wars were towards Jews, Christians, and Muslims. I would use this book to teach a history lesson about Jerusalem or the first Crusade.

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Historical account of Salah al-Din's life and the battles he fought during the Crusades.

The narrative is long and would be appropriate for middle grade readers.

The gorgeous full-page illustrations are vibrantly colored and very detailed, nicely complementing the story.