Duel by Shawn Harris turns a disagreement over one hill into a clever picture book about sharing. As shown in the cover image below, the images on each page are mirrored. Every pair of facing pages is symmetrical, created with paint pressed between folded paper. With three starred reviews, this one is fun read-aloud with plenty of possibilities for library and art lessons.
Duel has been added to my October 2026 – New Release Spotlight list on Amazon.
Author and Illustrator: Shawn Harris
Genre: picture book
Setting: two castles on a shared hill in a fairy-tale kingdom
Themes: sharing, cooperation, conflict resolution, competition, similarities, symmetry, mirror images, painting, queens, knights, castles, jousting
Protagonist: two queens, yellowish skin and pink hair
Recommended for: PreS–Grade 2
Starred reviews: Booklist, Kirkus, and Horn Book
Publication date: October 6, 2026
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
Two queens live in two castles on the same hill, but neither wants to share. They each choose a knight to compete in a duel, with the winning side taking ownership of the entire hill.
The knights charge toward each other, and the showdown ends in a noisy collision. But with everything looking exactly alike, how can anyone tell which side won? The solution brings the two sides together in an unexpected way.
A STORYTIME THAT CONNECTS ART, MATH, AND SHARING
The mirrored artwork gives students something to notice on every spread, while the approaching knights build anticipation for the big clash.
Pair this with a fairy-tale storytime, a lesson on symmetry, or a discussion about resolving disagreements. Do the queens really need a winner when they have so much in common?
For a simple follow-up activity, students can dab paint onto paper and fold it to create their own symmetrical paintings. Harris’s technique offers an accessible way to connect the story with hands-on art.
