Day: January 11, 2010

The King and the Seed

| Tasha

The King and the Seed by Eric Maddern, illustrated by Paul Hess

King Karnak has no heir and is coming to the end of his reign.  So he puts out a call for anyone who wants to be king to come and join in a competition.  Knights come from across the land, ready for the battle to begin.  But the king surprises them all by handing each one of them a seed and asking them to bring it back in six months to show what they have grown.  A boy, Jack, who came only to witness the competition, gets a seed for himself.  Jack tries and tries to make his seed grow, but nothing works and six months later he heads back to the castle.  There he finds the knights with armloads of plants, huge flowers, all different from one another.  Jack doesn’t want to admit his defeat to the king, so what’s a boy to do?

Maddern’s storytelling has a great flair, filled with small touches and humor that really bring the story to life.  The book has a strong message that is not overdone.  It also has a classic folk tale format that is mixed with a modern storytelling style, creating a very engaging book.  Hess’ illustrations are bright-colored and offer interesting perspectives on the action.  They will work well with a group.

Ideal for reading aloud, this book is a great modern folktale that emphasizes the importance of honesty.  Appropriate for ages 4-8.

Reviewed from library copy.

All Kinds of Families

| Tasha

All Kinds of Families by Mary Ann Hoberman, illustrated by Marc Boutavant

Bottle caps, gingersnaps, buttons, or rings

You can make families from all sorts of things!

Explore the idea of family as a broader thing.  People are families, animals are families, but also socks, marbles, thimbles and more!  The idea of family is embraced here, going far beyond our everyday concept of it and allowing children to find families everywhere.  In the book, the human families are also celebrated and children’s roles in them are highlighted.  This flowing poem even has you seeing families in fingers and toes.  A celebration indeed!

Hoberman’s rhyme here is great fun, offering lists of items that are families and inviting readers to add their own ideas.  The highlighted text above nicely finishes each verse of the poem.  Boutavant’s illustrations are retro 1970s and equally fun.  They feature grinning objects, lots of animals, and small details to enjoy. 

This is a jolly book that is a warm hug of inclusion for everyone and everything into the world of families.  Appropriate for ages 3-6.

Reviewed from library copy.