Customer Reviews

The King of Skittledeedoo

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Now in its second edition, Patricia Rust's The King of Skittledeedoo is an exciting children's picturebook (with no relation to Skittles brand candy). The vibrant drawings by San Wei Chan depict the king, his land and his subject in simple yet colorful shapes. The enjoyable text is entirely in rhyme, and tells the story of a king with a problem - his kingdom has burned to the ground! He can no longer prove himself the king, for he can't even read or write simple words such as "mother." But two children take the king to school where he learns his three R's and qualifies to become King again. The King of Skittledeedoo is a highly enjoyable and entertaining story with a positive message for young folks, and best of all, proceeds from its sale advance the cause of literacy worldwide.

I love to hop. Sometimes I cannot stop. But when I heard the story of the King of Skittledeedoo, I wanted to stop, hop, and cheer the king who is so funny that you should send him some money. He made me want to make funny stories that sound funny liike Skittledeedoo, too. I love that word and the whole town of Skittledeedoo. The king is so funny that he forgets to put on his clothes when a fire hits and then he cannot read or write to show that he is the king so nobody believes he is the king. Is he? You tell me! You have to read this book. It will make your tummy giggle and gurgle from laughing. Then you can read. That's what happened to me. Now I can read.

The eyecatching illustrations first drew my attention to this delightful book, and I was further charmed by the imaginative verse. It really is an exceptionally creative way of stressing the importance of reading and learning whilst capturing a child's imagination.

I believe that The King of Skittledeedoo will become a classic character for this generation. My daughter (who's five)certainly agrees. She is currently taking the book to bed with her every night and won't go to sleep until I've read her the entire story.

I look forward to the sequel and many more years with the subjects of Skittledeedoo!

What's not to love about this sweet story? My daughter was given this as a gift in kindergarten and she still loves it 2 years later. Cleverly written and fun to read aloud. Would love to read more from this author.

I happened to catch Patricia Rust at a local reading and sent the book to my cousins, who are 5 and 3. They just adore the book. The three year-old thinks the towel-clad king is the funniest thing ever and the five-year-old likes to sound out the words.

My nephew is having a little trouble reading. I gave him this book and it's helping him to learn the simple words he needs to learn to start reading more challenging books. Plus, he enjoys the storyline and the illustrations. He thinks the King is funny.

Imagine; The King has no towel!? How did he get to this state of Un-Kinglyness, and more important, what does he learn from an experience through which we have all travelled; humiliation and a bit of self-doubt? Here is the tale to help all 'kids' overcome their personal sensitivity of being picked on, realizing that someone else is 'better' or simply being human. Both in word and in illustration, The King of Skittledeedoo may be hard to spel (sic) but good for the soul. P O Whitmer

I must agree with the reader from Los Angeles. Meter? What meter? And without a convoluted pronunciaton of some of the words, several of the rhymes are off. If you're looking for a great story in verse, I'd suggest trying Sassparilla's New Shoes.

I happened to catch Patricia Rust at a local reading and sent the book to my cousins, who are 5 and 3. They just adore the book. The three year-old thinks the towel-clad king is the funniest thing ever and the five-year-old likes to sound out the words.

For those parents putting their children in front of a television set, I'm wondering if the time might be better spent reading with your child. Family-friendly stories do not have to be devoid of thought. They do not have to be syrupy, sugary, or empty-headed. This is a book that delivers. The manner is effective and direct. It's a strong story and a good one. And, it never talks down to children. In fact, it is the children who become part of the solution to help save the threatened kingdom. Instead of a fairy godmother coming to the rescue, the children in the kingdom use their knowledge and resources to help the king to learn to read in order to save his kingdom. And, from a story telling point of view, I liked the fact that the kids told the king that he needed to learn to read and write even if he isn't a king. The kids think that everyone needs to learn to read, nobility or not. What a great and timely message. While reading it, the verse has such a rhythmic lyrically hypnotic effect on the children, that they ask to hear it every night. When I ask them why, they simply say, "It's so funny!" It has become their favorite book. We all get swept up in the story told in remarkable verse. I hope it wins the awards it deserves. Even with my low deep voice, I'm ready to take on the sequel! As a father, I really like reading the part of the king.