The Tiny King

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Description

Fairy tale meets concept book and a tiny, lonely king welcomes big changes in this inspired picture book, beautifully illustrated with bold, geometric art.

Once upon a time there was a tiny king who lived in a big castle guarded by lots of big soldiers. Every day the Tiny King eats an enormous feast at his big dining table (he can never finish it all), he rides on his big horse (he is so tiny that he's thrown off every time), bathes in his big bath (not much fun), and sleeps, not very well, in his big bed all alone. Everything is just too big, and the Tiny King is sad and lonely. Until one day he meets a big princess and asks her to be his queen. Not long after, they are blessed with children lots of children! Now everything is just the right size. The enormous meals are always gobbled up, his horse is just the right size for family outings, bath time is a real riot, and the Tiny King sleeps soundly at last. With bright, bold cut-outs and a whimsical use of collage, Japanese artist Taro Miura creates a witty, heart-warming story with huge appeal for readers big and small.

Reviews

Fairy tale meets bold design Junior A charming story [with] clever illustrations [and] zingy, mouth-watering colour...Gloriously different Recommended Reads 2013 Told in a straightforward manner, this simple neo fairy tale is a delight to share with under fives. Quite apart from the story, there is a wealth of learning opportunities here: talking about sharing, counting, identifying shapes, mathematical language and concepts relating to size, pattern making, block play, collage and small world castle play -- Jill Bennett Word Press Colourful cut-outs and collage add flavour to the enchanting story of what happens when Tiny King meets Big Princess. -- Robert Dunbar Irish Times Striking ... beguiles with its interesting illustrations and promises to be a splendid introduction to the fairy tale genre. Books for Keeps Miura's deceptively simple illustrations are what make this book memorable, as the images lend depth and sophistication to what would otherwise be a fairly mundane plot. Inis

Author Bio

Taro Miura is an award-winning author/illustrator and graphic designer. Born in Aichi, Japan, in 1968, Taro specialized in silkscreen printing at Osaka University of Arts. He was first selected to exhibit his work in the Bologna Childrens Book Fair Illustrators Exhibition fiction category in 2001, and has since exhibited his work in the Fiction and Non-Fiction categories several times. Taro works internationally and he is regularly published in Japan, France, Switzerland and Italy. This is his first book with Walker. About The Tiny King he says, Its a simple story about a lonely king who gets married, is blessed with children, and whose life is completely changed by having a family. If this story reminds the fathers, mothers and children who read this book about the magnificence of having a family, it will make me very happy. Taro lives in Japan.