by Emily Haworth-Booth (Author)
There once was a Prince who was afraid of the dark--and when he became King he decided to do something about it. Written by an award-winning author, this is a magical modern fairy tale about conquering your fears . . . and creating change.
Most children are scared of the dark at some time or other. The hero of this story actually gets to do something about it! He's a Prince--and when he becomes King he decides to ban the dark completely. At first, everyone celebrates. But before long, no one can sleep and the exhausted citizens are ready to revolt. Can the people help the King face his fears, turn off the lights, and see that you can't appreciate the light without having the dark, too?
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As a child, the king was always afraid of the dark; now that he's ascended to the throne, he decides to ban it by any means possible. To avoid outright revolt, his sycophantic advisors launch a nefarious anti-darkness disinformation campaign ("The dark is stealing your money! The dark is taking your toys and candy!") so successful that the public soon demands the end of darkness. But endless daytime--made possible by "an enormous artificial sun installed above the palace"--soon wears out its welcome: no one can sleep, anyone who tries to turn off the lights must pay a hefty fine, and "the days dragged on forever." The people take charge with a mixture of civil disobedience and sabotage (members of a black-clad resistance flick the "off" switch on the artificial sun), sanity and balance are restored, and the king learns to sleep with a night light. With a deft sketchbook style, a gift for absurd detail (even the dogs wear "anti-dark hats"), and a palette limited mostly to yellows, grays, and blacks, British comics artist Haworth-Booth makes a satirical debut that is simultaneously funny and sobering. Ages 3-up. (May)
Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.