The Emperor's Old Clothes [Paperback]

Kathryn Lasky (Author), David Catrow (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2002 | Age Level: 3 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Here is the story of Henry, a simple farmer who stumbles upon some extraordinary finery and a whole new attitude.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

THE EMPEROR'S OLD CLOTHES Kathryn Lasky, illus. by David Catrow. "This genial spin on the classic story takes the perspective of a simple farmer who dons the regal clothing that fell off the emperor's wagon," wrote PW. Ages 3-7.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 4-Henry is a simple farmer, content with his life among his farm animals. One day, on his way back from market, he is nearly run over by the emperor's carriage as it races by, leaving behind some strange items that turn out to be silk stockings. As Henry continues home, he discovers pieces of an elegant ensemble of clothing, which he can't resist trying on. Feeling grand, he decides to stop by the emperor's parade to see the ruler's much-vaunted new outfit, which, of course, turns out to be no outfit at all. Henry continues home where he finds that his new clothes are wholly unsuited to farm work, dresses in his old garb, and settles blissfully into his quiet life. Much of the tale is taken up with Henry's discovery of the articles of clothing and how foreign they seem to him. It is an amusing story well told, although it helps if children are familiar with the original tale. Catrow's loopy, lush watercolors capture the silly mood perfectly, and readers will marvel at how the bucolic Henry is transformed into an elegant gentleman of the court and back again. A good pick for any library.
Donna L. Scanlon, Lancaster County Library, PA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Sandpiper (April 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152163484
• ISBN-13: 978-0152163488
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.6 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #744,871 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Hi Readers! Thanks for coming by my author page. I've written all sorts of books - from fantasy about animals to books about science. One of my favorite animal fantasy series, Guardians of Ga'Hoole, is a major motion picture. I liked writing about Ga'Hoole so much that I decided to revisit that world in a new series, Wolves of the Beyond. Visit my website, www.kathrynlasky.com to see a slide show about the real wolves I researched for the series and for the latest update on the Guardians of Ga'Hoole movie. All my best, Kathryn

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wildly funny, March 30, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Emperor's Old Clothes (Hardcover)

Ever wonder what happened after the Emperor got his new clothes? He had to get rid of the old ones, didn't he? This story of a farmer who found the old clothes as they got tossed out of the carriage window is a really funny exploration of "what if?"

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A bit long-winded., October 9, 2006

By 

Cady Hayden "Children's Book Author" (Bergenfield, NJ USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Emperor's Old Clothes (Paperback)

This story began with an interesting idea but I found it to be long-winded and was a bit bored near the end. A farmer has a nice simple life. One day he comes by a pair of silk socks in the road and puts them on. He continues to find all these lavish clothes left on the roadside until he is fully dressed in the emporor's old clothes. He feels so good about himself that he decides to take a walk into town to show off his style but when he gets there the townspeople are all applauding the naked king (im not sure why and the picture that is illustrated here shows this long phallic feather covering where his [..] would be) and ignoring him. He turns around and goes home to his farm animals who laugh at him. He can't milk the cows or walk on his farm with his new attire and goes into the house to change back into his farm gear and life is good again. I expected more humor and instead got a wordy story which left me a bit disappointed because I enjoyed the colorful illustrations. I understood the moral of 'be happy with yourself' but it was a little dry for me.