  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 11/01/2013 *Starred Review* A tiny king (depicted actual size on the cover) lives all alone in a big castle. His soldiers are large and stern. His dining table is beyond abundant, but “he could never finish so much food all by himself.” His bed is lonely. But the tiny king meets and marries a big princess, and happiness arrives. Big happiness. Now his soldiers are dismissed on holiday, his table is attended (the tiny king and big queen have 10 children, after all), and his bed is full of family. Working in digital collage, Miura combines flat blocky shapes, intricate cutouts, photographs, and other bits of iconographic paraphernalia in bright colors, establishing a cohesive and arresting style that references everything from Matisse to Madison Avenue. At the book’s opening, this visual array hums on a background of deep, flat black. The arrival of the big princess ushers in a new day, however, and with it, a wave of background color. Now the same scenes sing on top of brilliant pinks and greens and oranges. The simple, old-fashioned quality of the story and the modern drama of the illustrations combine to create an especially dynamic and resonant literary experience, simultaneously innovative and nostalgic, sure to charm legions of tiny listeners. - Copyright 2013 Booklist. School Library Journal - 11/01/2013 PreS-Gr 2—The Tiny King lives all alone in his big castle with too much space, accompanied only by an army. When he falls in love with a big princess, they soon have 10 children who share his massive table, ride in a carriage pulled by his giant white horse, splash in the gigantic bathtub, and fill up the once-empty bed. The king is so happy that he sends his army marching home for a holiday. A digital collage of geometric shapes in bold colors shows the the king's small size and the vast emptiness in all he owns. Black backgrounds change to white after the sovereign falls in love, and the bright colors convey the joy of family life. The pacing and spare text create a gentle tone, making this an ideal story to share at bedtime. The final page shows the king fast asleep in his bed, neither sad nor lonely anymore. An engaging read-aloud, the narrative is also well suited for newly independent readers. The story offers a delightful glimpse into castle life, with its strength revealed in the king's realization of wholeness through familial love.—Julie R. Ranelli, Queen Anne's County Free Library, Stevensville, MD - Copyright 2013 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
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