Product Description

At every castle corner this jittery king turns, he sees an even scarier monster. But when he calls his ten tall soldiers to fight the creature, the monster mysteriously disappears. Until the king rounds the next corner. It takes one brave boy to show the king the folly of his fears. Then it's ten tall soldiers and one small soldier, guarding their bumbling king.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2371122 in Books
• Published on: 2001-06-01
• Released on: 2001-06-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 40 pages

From Publishers Weekly
A king frightened by apparitions calls on his soldiers for help. PW wrote, "Youngsters will find much to chuckle over in Knight's zany, characteristically detailed pictures." Ages 4-8.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 1-- Ten tall soldiers guard a small, rotund, very fearful king in this fanciful story. The royal sovereign is constantly calling his men out to protect him from dangerous creatures--which, as a young boy finally points out, are really weird shadows cast by the king himself. Peter is then given a real soldier's uniform, and the monarch forever after laughs at his shadows. While not distinguished either in writing or illustration, this is a clever, lively tale that children should enjoy. It moves right along, with few wasted words. The plot twist of the child showing the adult the truth is universally popular. The pictures depict a futuristic kingdom and add lots of playful visual bombast to match the little king's air of pomp and importance. The design and layout are dynamic. The major flaw in the artwork is an unattractive green tone that predominates. Media-saturated children will certainly feel comfortable with the cartoonlike look; think of this as better than the Berenstain Bears, but not as good as the best Dr. Seuss. --Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews
A perky story about a king, ``short and round...[and] not very brave,'' who doesn't realize that the monsters who keep frightening him are his own shadow. He summons his tall soldiers, who dutifully guard the spots where the apparitions have troubled him; then little Peter points out that there is nothing there, and is rewarded with a fine soldier's uniform. Slight, but the humor is delightfully childlike; Knight (Eloise, 1955) illustrates with gleeful panache, providing music-hall comedy soldiers, a whimsically caricatured monarch with a confection of a palace ornamented with multitudes of toads, and a comical cat that comes along to cower or applaud at each new development. Good fun. (Picture book. 4-8) -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.