Customer Reviews

King With Horse's Ears

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Eric Maddern and Paul Hess, to me, are a match made in heaven. I have long been a fan of storyteller Eric Maddern, having seen him many years ago, and to discover these books where he has collaborated with Paul Hess is a gem and a joy. I now share Eric's stories with my children at home. Eric's telling of this wonderful Welsh tale is as spacious as his other picture books - his voice comes loud and strong, but in such a gentle manner. His wit and delivery are dry which make the tale so powerful. This story is about a king who has horse's ears but is ashamed of the fact. He threatens his barber, the only one to know of this 'deformity', to, well, he'd better not let the secret out, but it does get out and the barber is not doing too well. But then King Mark realizes that his people love him for WHO he is, not because he has huge ears and the barber is spared. King Mark's people love him because he is fair, honest and just. This is a great lesson to be learned by young people. So often those who are different are put down, because kids do not understand. This book explains that people are people no matter who they are or what they look like. The story is told in a fun and light manner, and the glorious illustrations by Paul Hess add to the telling. I love it when a writer (or storyteller) gets paired with a perfect match to illustrate their stories. This has happened with Maddern and Hess. May their collaboration be long and prosperous.