The King's Taster [Library Binding]

Kenneth Oppel (Author), Lou Fancher (Illustrator), Steve Johnson (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Max is the cook's dog. And because he is also the king's taster, Max gets to feast on

French Fries!

Rose Pudding!

Cheese Pie!

Pizza!

No wonder Max loves his job. Who wouldn't want to dine on these delicious dishes?

The new king, that's who.

And if the new king has his way, it won't just be their job that the cook and Max lose!

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Max loves his job as the cook’s dog and the king’s taster, making sure the food isn’t poisoned. He enthuses, “My name’s Max and I eat like a king.” However, when the new king (a young boy) refuses to eat the food, Max and the cook go in search of kitchens in Paris, Italy, and Mexico for tasty new recipes, but French fries, pizza, and chili tacos are all rejected. “Off with his head!” orders the king. Unable to sleep that night, Max follows a shadow scuttling out of the kitchen; he wakes the cook and they peek through the keyhole. There is His Highness sitting in bed eating candy—licorices, ginger cookies, and huge hunks of marzipan! When the cook threatens to tell his mother, the king relents, and, at last, eats everything on the plate. The mixed-media illustrations are deliciously capricious with clever collage details—for example, the cook’s jacket is constructed of photographed fabric with handwritten recipes all over it, and the beagle, Max, for some goofy reason, wears glasses. Kids will relish this comic culinary calamity, especially the peek-a-boo sight of the king in his accidentally revealing pjs. A crackerjack treat. Grades K-3. --Julie Cummins --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

KENNETH OPPEL is the Governor General’s Award–winning author of Airborn and the Silverwing series, which has sold over a million copies worldwide. Kenneth Oppel lives in Toronto with his wife and their three children. Visit his website at www.kennethoppel.com.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Library Binding: 32 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (June 9, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060753730
• ISBN-13: 978-0060753733
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 9.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,508,967 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Kenneth Oppel is the author of numerous books for young readers. His award-winning Silverwing trilogy has sold over a million copies worldwide, and been adapted as an animated TV series and stage play. Airborn was winner of a Michael L Printz Honor Book Award, and the Canadian Governor General's Award for Children's Literature; its sequel, Skybreaker, was a New York Times bestseller and was named Children's Novel of the Year by the London Times. His most recent book is HALF BROTHER. Born on Vancouver Island, he has lived in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, England, Ireland, and now lives in Toronto with his wife and children.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you have a picky eater in your family or one with a delicious sense of humor, you'll love this one!, June 23, 2009

By 

D. Fowler "Dragonfly77" (Vermont) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The King's Taster (Hardcover)

Max, the dog, ate very well. He ate like a king because his master was a royal chef and he got to taste all the food even before the king did. Of course he had to test it to make sure it wasn't poisoned or anything like that. If he was lucky he got to scarf up whatever leftovers the young king couldn't manage, but one day they "got a brand-new king" and things started to change. The chef whopped and chopped and whipped and made all kinds of tasty dishes. "It was a feast fit for a king" and Max was just licking his chops! YUM!

But wait a minute, something was wrong. The new king just played with his food and threw it on the floor saying, "I will not eat this food." Oh, my! The chef was pulling out his hair and decided he would have to get some new recipes. He traveled to France and brought back some French fries. No go, but Max certainly enjoyed them. He went to Italy and brought back some pizza. No go, but Max certainly enjoyed it. That new king was something else when he kept saying things like, "I will not eat this food." What would the chef do? Oh, wait a minute . . . there was a reason the King didn't eat the chef's tasty food!

This is an adorable book that every parent with a picky eater is going to love, to say nothing of the picky eater. This book will fit the appetite of anyone from a French fry eater to a pizza fan (no liver, please!). The art work is fun and the adventures of Max and his master, the chef, are delightful. If you have a picky eater in your family or one with a delicious sense of humor, you'll love this one!

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun book., September 20, 2010

By 

Steven R. McEvoy "MCWPP" (Canada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The King's Taster (Hardcover)

This is a wonderfully fun picture book. It is the story of a dog who eats like a king. For he is the cook's dog but the cook, cooks for the king. Then one day there is a new king, and he does not seem to like anything the chef makes. The chef travels the world to try to find new dishes for the new king but he does not seem to like anything. But then the dog discovers a secret and shows the chef, and things are about to change for the better. The story is fun, and young readers will ask for it again and again. The illustrations are wonderfully done, with great details and a fanciful style.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars King's Taster, August 11, 2010

By 

elizabeth - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The King's Taster (Hardcover)

This is a really cute book, and I'm glad that I happened to find in on Amazon while looking for another book. This will be a great addition to my daughter's library.