Duel
Sale price
$1899
Picture Book · Ages 4–8 · 2026

Duel

Written and illustrated by Shawn Harris

Two queens send knights to fight for one hill, but who actually wins?

4.1 Goodreads · 69 ratings
40 pages· ~520L· AR ~3
$19.99Save 5%

In stock. Also at Amazon or Bookshop.

Bookroo's summary

Two queens live in two castles on one hill, and neither wants to share. They send their knights to joust for the land, but when the winner stands up in the middle of the field, nobody can tell which side he came from. Told in perfectly mirrored pictures, this funny story shows neighbors that they have more in common than they thought.

From the publisher

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?

At a glance
Format
Hardcover
Pages
40
Reading age
4–8
Audience
Picture
Lexile
~520L
AR book level
~3
The author & illustrator

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The fine print

Book details

Reading levels
F&P level
~N
Publication
Published
October 6, 2026
Edition
Language
English
Type
Picture Book
Identifiers
ISBN
9780823458738

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