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The King Who Banned the Dark

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This debut is wonderfully political & thought-provoking...A brilliant story of the abuse of power & the strength of protest. Perfect for schools.' - Rhino Reads A King, who has been frightened of the dark since childhood, decides he wants to ban it. His advisors suggest that the best way to get his people to accept the ban is to make them believe it was their idea. So they set about spreading negative rumours about the dark. The plan works, and the people embrace the King’s ban wholeheartedly. But soon the novelty of all-night partying under artificial lights (including an enormous electric sun) begins to wear off as the people realise they can’t sleep under the glare of all those lightbulbs.

A king has a fear of the dark and so he decides to ban it completely. A class could discuss the impact of fake news in our current society and the importance of having a critical eye when reading. It links nicely to science, looking at light and dark - why we need both of them and what else might have happened in the kingdom when there was only light.When the King has the artificial sun installed, we had a lovely chat about what we thought might be the issues with this and what the benefits might be ‘no bedtime’ being an obvious but misguided thought from my seven-year-old!

Would be an excellent book for introducing speech to children in English - all of the dialogue in the story uses speech bubbles. This makes it very clear which parts are narration and which are spoken.It creates some ridiculously funny scenarios of what it would be like if the lights were kept on the whole time. Although it offers various topics you can discuss with children, The King Who Banned the Dark is very much a story for adults. Its plot is set in feudal times, but it is essentially about the nature of power. It can be read as a story about totalitarianism, a political system that does not tolerate individuals, freedom of thought or any kind of criticism. It deceives its own citizens for the purpose of achieving its objectives – real truth is unimportant, the goal being rather to convince the people via the media and other means of an illusion that is usually aimed at creating or maintaining some division. In this story, light and dark are a universal metaphor of the division into us and them, into those who belong and those who do not, the dangerous ones who need to be eliminated for our well-being. More than once in history has this kind of manipulation and indoctrination led to the exclusion of Others with terrible consequences.

The King ultimately learned to face his fears, trust his own instincts (he stopped listening to the advisors) and admit he had made a mistake. He showed forgiveness (he did not punish the people for rebelling against him). He learned to appreciate the dark, turning a negative view into a positive one. It's not often that you get a children's picture book that perfectly sums up prevailing social and political attitudes, how power works to corrupt, and how easy it is to get worked up over nothing. This is a brilliant book, which does not need to be read as political satire.' - Early Years Educator Magazine June 2019 Debut of the Month | Shortlisted for the Klaus Flugge Prize 2019 | Shortlisted for the Waterstone's Childrens Book Prize 2019 We loved the acts of defiance from the people that triggered the ending and were happily on board, showing a non-conformist streak that has me both proud and worried. I only wish the redemption arc the king went through could be mirrored in real life by leaders who have made poor choices. The ending was perfect as it was just what we had been shouting at the king at the start But what happens when nobody can sleep, and the citizens revolt? Will the King face his fears and turn the lights off?

We read the book a few times over the summer and enjoyed it each time. After a camping weekend at a festival, we were able to chat about all the different ways light was used for safety, for fun and for spectacle and think about all the beautiful lights we had seen. The children had chosen a fairground ride in the dark as their last treat so they could see the lights and view the festival from above in the dark. We were also given new torches in our tents and decided to set up an experiment for the king when we got home to test which torch he could have used. We created a den in the wardrobe and got to work. We also decided he would much prefer our festival hat to his crown as it had built in lights. We need the dark to be able to sleep properly; the perfect balance of day and night that marks out time.

A thoughtful read with themes of rebellion, fear and overreaching. On the surface, this is a fun story about a King who fears the dark, and who makes every effort to never have to encounter it again. Putting a ban on the dark, the people live in never-ending light- but it cannot last forever! A closer look reveals darker undertones regarding the power of dangerous ideologies, and how easily thoughts can be manipulated through the spreading of fear by those of authority. This is told with humour throughout, making it less scary and allowing this book to be accessed at different levels by all of the key stages. A beautiful picture book with a hopeful, rebellious message and effective illustrations using a limited colour palette. A young boy who is scared of the dark grows up to become King and bans the dark...yet even the dark has its uses and its beauty. The people of his kingdom decide to take matters into their own hands after a life of constant light begins to have a bad impact on people's lives. This book is a very clever book. when taken at face value it tells the story of a king who is so scared of the dark he bans and his people revolt against him. This book works on two levels: first of all, as a great story, and secondly, as an interesting modern fable.' - Juno Magazine A challenging experience can make a young child feel as if they are in emotional free fall. As a parent, you can’t stop them falling, but you can offer them a softer landing:A modern fairy-tale, akin to The Emperor's New Clothes, told with sophistication and paired with extraordinary beautiful illustrations in monotones, juxtaposed with vibrant yellow.' - Space on the Bookshelf

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