Mr. King's Castle

June 15, 2013
In this companion to the similarly eco-themed Mr. King's Things (2012), a lion-turned-real estate developer recklessly undermines his own foundations. Fixed on expanding his house into a "BIG castle" since he likes "BIG things," Mr. King chips block-shaped pieces from the surrounding BIG hill to build battlements and colonnades. By the time he's finished his project, there's nothing left of the hill beneath but a few tiny green snippets floating in white space. Rather than letting gravity take over or moving her tale in some other, more realistic direction, Cote opts for, in essence, a do-over. Feeling "very small" at seeing the hill's other animal residents gathered to protest the loss of grass, flowers and habitat, Mr. King joins in to reassemble the cutout pieces back into seamless slopes. There's even a leftover block suitable for a smaller building project, so everyone gets to come away satisfied. Done in crayon and thin, streaked tissue collage, the brightly lit illustrations feature flat geometric shapes and smiling (before and after, at least), simply drawn cartoon figures. Much lightened by its upbeat resolution, a cautionary but not strident discussion starter about responsible resource allocation. (Picture book. 4-7)

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October 1, 2013

PreS-K-Mr. King (a lion?) likes big things and decides to build a big castle on top of the hill where he lives. As it gets bigger and bigger, and he cuts more and more pieces out of the ground to make blocks for it, his animal friends come running, dismayed that they can no longer find the flowers, their favorite napping spots, the grass, and the hill itself. Mr. King looks out of his gigantic home and realizes that he has made "a BIG mistake." His friends help him restore the pieces to the hill, but they have one piece left over-and a surprise for Mr. King. The multimedia illustrations, mostly in bright green with touches of light yellows and browns, show the places where geometrical blocks of different shapes and sizes have been cut out of the hill in white. A simple lesson about preserving the environment and a sweet story as well, the book is not a necessary purchase, but it's a charming one nevertheless.-Judith Constantinides, formerly at East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2013
Preschool-G Ct''s picture book features some awfully cute critters, but more important, it offers up an antigreed, proconservation message. Mr. King, of Mr. King's Things (2012), is a crown-wearing feline who lives in a modest, geometric-shaped orange house at the top of a lush green field. But he is not satisfied; He wants to build himself a BIG castle. And so he takes a pair of garden shears to the field, cutting out different shapes and using them to add a grand addition to his home. When Mr. King has built the elaborate castle he has always dreamed of, there's not much left of the front lawn, and the forest folk are none too happy about it. The pressure of the group sways Mr. King, and soon they're dismantling the house and fitting the shapes back into the destroyed lawn like a puzzle. The simple line animals, ranging from a fox to two squirrels ( Skit and Skat ) to an owl, play nicely against the bold geometric cut-paper artwork. Share with preschoolers and kindergartners for a basic lesson in environmental responsibilityand being a good friend.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2014
Mr. King, a cat, lives on a hill. By chopping up the hill, he constructs a castle for himself, but his animal friends aren't happy about the habitat loss. They help him see the effects his overbuilding have on others, and together they put everything back...well, almost. Ctti plays with shapes, sizes, and negative space in her colorful, textured mixed-media art.

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)