The King of Little Things by Bil Lepp
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THE KING OF LITTLE THINGS
(Peachtree, $16.95, ages 4-8)
Not Your Mother’s Monarch
with illustrations by
David T. Wenzel
At first glance I thought that, with its fancy gold lettering, this was a holiday book. But it’s even better. It’s a picture book page turner! Yep, and for good reason. Author Bil Lepp and illustrator David T. Wenzel have created a book for all seasons that is certain to appeal to a lot of kids with its strong story and superb artwork.
Lepp has woven a tale so engaging that children may even read the story so quickly to discover the ending that they miss Wenzel’s wonderful illustrations. Not to worry. This is a book well worth going back over again and again, first to carefully study and enjoy each picture’s small details then again to look out for items readers are asked to seek out at the book’s end. What a terrific idea making this an inviting interactive experience for both parents and kids.
Have you ever read this African proverb below? It’s just a hint of what this new children’s book is all about:
If you think you’re too small to make a difference, you haven’t spent a night with a mosquito.
The King of Little Things is not your mother’s monarch. In his realm he reigns over candle holders, corks and sleeping dogs; lanterns, lizards, wheels and cogs. How many kings find joy in the simple pleasure of admiring a butterfly’s wing? This royal majesty much prefers peanuts or a pocket watch to the riches most kings desire. He does not long for conquering the world. Instead he chooses to cherish life’s tiniest treasures along with “a cozy house and a loving queen.”
But alas, in a distant kingdom lives King Normous, a power hungry hulk of a person determined to conquer all kingdoms big and small. Imagine the King of Little Things finding out the greedy galloping Goliath (better known as King Normous) is on his way to rid the world of all things little, the foremost being The King of Little Things himself! Well our hero has a plan to stop the evil enemy with an entitlement complex and it’s not just clever, it’s downright fantastic. But I don’t want to spoil the ending. Suffice it to say that the world’s littlest things who “loved their king,” do whatever it takes to save him from being annihilated by this monster of a sovereign. There’s alliteration and rhyming galore mixed with humor and some important lessons to take away from this top notch tale.
– Reviewed by Ronna Mandel