The Little King December [Hardcover]

Axel Hacke (Author), Michael Sowa (Illustrator)

Book Description

Little King December comes from a place where, the day you are born, you wake up fully-grown and fully clothed. That very first day of your life you go into your office, make some deals, sell a few books, or, in his case, rule a kingdom. And every day you get a little bit smaller and you forget a little bit more, so that at the end of your life you are tiny, and you spend your days forgetting things, eating brightly colored gummy bears, and chasing shadows in the garden. But don't let size fool you. Little King December is full of big questions that require big answers. What do you know already when you are born? Why do you feel small when you look at something big? With an upside-down logic and a knack at finding the funny truth of things, the little pot-bellied king teaches the narrator and the reader what life and dreams are all about.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'An allegory for any age ... beautifully illustrated with spectacular and surreal painterliness by Michael Sowa. An elegant and cherishable object.' Sunday Times

About the Author

Axel Hacke writes weekly for the Suddeutsche Zeitung. His books including THE LITTLE KING DECEMBER are bestsellers in Germany and have been translated into several languages. Michael Sowa lives in Berlin and has been an acclaimed freelance artist since 1975.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 64 pages
• Publisher: Bloomsbury UK (November 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0747575592
• ISBN-13: 978-0747575597
• Product Dimensions: 5.9 x 4.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,800,588 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great story to for adults and kids!, January 5, 2003

By 

Gigi "Friend of Mr. Lewis" (Issaquah, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Little King December (Hardcover)

I was so excited to read this book because I had always thought about the concept of the plot(being born big and growing smaller). The story was so imaginative. It is especially good for adults and teens to read because of the message: to keep one's imagination and to not let one's age inhibit one's actions. Fun to read to kids!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For Adults Who Have Let Childhood Slip Through Their Fingers, September 27, 2005

By 

Leecifur (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Little King December (Hardcover)

I bought this book last year for myself. It's so ponderous and mysterious, and is full of truths in hiding. The character who sees King December is a dull man with a dull job, and it's never clear if the King is part of his imagination. There is a lingering sadness throughout the book, but it's so beautiful that I cry everytime I read it.

5.0 out of 5 stars little king, big story, July 5, 2008

By 

Susan Fisher "Hambone" (Dallas) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Little King December (Hardcover)

Originally purchased this book for the illustrator (Sowa), whose work is remarkable. When the book arrived, I intended to scan the text and set the volume aside: and every time since, the same thing has happened...I read it through.
A delightful parable for any age, I was surprised to see how amenable it was to a thoughtful consideration of old age.
A graceful, witty and thoroughly surprising way to revisit every grownup's "boogeman": we don't die, we just get little!