The King of Little Things

by Bil Lepp, David T. Wenzel (Illustrator)

Overview

Only the King of Little Things stands between King Normous and his goal of conquering the world. And little things can wield great power.

In a world of vast kingdoms lives a king who is happy and content to reign over all things small. Not so King Normous. He wants to be Ruler of All the World. After having erased every empire and raided every realm, Normous is enraged to learn that the King of Little Things still rules over his tiny kingdom.

He sends his army to defeat this upstart, but he finds he cannot outfight or outwit a king who holds sway over the small things of the world. After all, it is the small things that keep the big things going.

Bil Lepp's imaginative tale of the beauty and importance of all things small is perfectly paired with illustrator David T. Wenzel's bright watercolor paintings.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781682633915
Publisher:	Holiday House
Publication date:	03/01/2022
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	721,648
Product dimensions:	10.36(w) x 9.35(h) x 0.11(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Bil Lepp is a nationally renowned storyteller who has been featured numerous times at the National Storytelling Festival, at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, and at major events across the country. He is also the host of a History Channel series called Man vs History. He lives in West Virginia.

David T. Wenzel is an illustrator and artist, best known for illustrating the graphic novel edition of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit. He began his career working for Marvel and DC Comics. Over the course of his career, he has also illustrated numerous children's books. He lives in Connecticut.

Editorial Reviews

★ "The tale moves briskly, with high drama and gentle humor, and allows readers to find the moral naturally. Wenzel's watercolor illustrations are in perfect harmony with the text, in both detail and tone. Endpapers depict an assortment of small things that can be found within the illustrations, encouraging further examination. Adults and children who read this delightful and imaginative book together will find lots to talk about."—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

"Wenzel's watercolor illustrations present a medieval world of turreted castles, banquet tables laden with food, and raiding soldiers. There are plenty of humorous details such as nails that spring from doors and buttons that pop from suspenders. The witty writing enlivens this fable about appreciating the small things in life."—School Library Journal

"Small, Lepp clearly feels, is beautiful. Yet the story doesn't pall. Lepp revels in exploring the many ways the King of Little Things' insignificant but loyal subjects serve him. . . Wenzel delivers Mad magazine-style spreads of medieval feasts, battles, capes, and crowns. Brainy wordplay abounds, and a scavenger hunt is included, too. Lepp affirms living simply without sounding smarmy, and Wenzel offers a king whose underpants fall off. What's not to like?"—Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

It’s hard to miss the point of this fable about the kindly King of Little Things (who had “everything he needed, and didn’t want for more”) and his victimization by the ambitious and obnoxious King Normous. Small, Lepp clearly feels, is beautiful. Yet the story doesn’t pall. Lepp revels in exploring the many ways the King of Little Things’ insignificant but loyal subjects serve him, offering help in an early skirmish (“the soldiers found mealworms in their bread, chiggers in their underpants, and fungus between their toes”), then comforting him with crumbs and seeds after he is imprisoned. When the King of Little Things decides he’s had enough, he sends out a plea for all little things to strike: “Boats listed. Words twisted. Lights unlit. Scarves unknit. And every little thing, everywhere, refused to work.” Wenzel delivers Mad magazine–style spreads of medieval feasts, battles, capes, and crowns. Brainy wordplay abounds, and a scavenger hunt is included, too. Lepp affirms living simply without sounding smarmy, and Wenzel offers a king whose underpants fall off. What’s not to like? Ages 4–8. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

09/01/2013
PreS-Gr 2—The King of Little Things kindly rules over everything small, from "coins, candles, combs, keys" to "barnacles, bats and fried bologna." Content in his kingdom, he "had everything he needed and didn't want for more." His nemesis and antithesis, greedy King Normous, is intent on conquering the tiny empire and presumes an easy victory. The King of Little Things's eclectic subjects come to the rescue and thwart Normous's armies ("the soldiers found mealworms in their bread, chiggers in their underpants, and fungus between their toes") and stage a worldwide revolt ("Lights unlit. Scarves unknit. And every little thing, everywhere, REFUSED TO WORK"). Wenzel's watercolor illustrations present a medieval world of turreted castles, banquet tables laden with food, and raiding soldiers. There are plenty of humorous details such as nails that spring from doors and buttons that pop from suspenders. The witty writing enlivens this fable about appreciating the small things in life.—Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada

School Library Journal

Don't underestimate the power and importance of small things. Trouble is brewing: Insatiably greedy King Normous wants to be king of the whole world. His giant army ruthlessly conquers every other kingdom and empire. He is happy until he learns of the existence of his polar opposite, "His Miniscule Majesty…the King of Little Things." Now he won't rest until he has conquered that realm as well. The little king is content among his small things, such as insects, coins and buttons, and he is not as weak as Normous believes. He involves all his very loyal subjects, those little things, to help repel the invasion, and King Normous' little things mutiny to join them. Naturally, there is a happy ending for everyone, except King Normous, of course, who is plagued by small things forever. Rich, image-filled language, including several rhythmic lists--"He raided realms. He squashed sovereignties. He eradicated empires"--emphasizes the two characters' opposing life views and highlights their battles. The tale moves briskly, with high drama and gentle humor, and allows readers to find the moral naturally. Wenzel's watercolor illustrations are in perfect harmony with the text, in both detail and tone. Endpapers depict an assortment of small things that can be found within the illustrations, encouraging further examination. Adults and children who read this delightful and imaginative book together will find lots to talk about. (Picture book. 4-9)

Kirkus Reviews