The King Who Banned the Dark

Product Information

Buy from our bookstore and 25% of the cover price will be given to a school of your choice to buy more books. *15% of eBooks. Home >

But this is also a story about the importance of truth and knowledge and the harmfulness of manipulation and indoctrination. Fears have to be understood; we have to enlighten ourselves with knowledge. The ancient Greeks, who did not understand the laws of physics well enough, thought that lightning was sent by the gods when they were angry. In the Middle Ages, when there was too little understanding of medicine, it was thought that people who healed others (often women) had some supernatural power and should be burned at the stake for it. This is particularly important today, when the phenomenon of post-truth, coupled with irrationality and receptiveness to conspiracy theories, has led to basic scientific premises being called into question. We need the dark to be able to sleep properly; the perfect balance of day and night that marks out time.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 Also as a post discussion, we could make some cross curricular links! Yes, no dark means no sleep! But what else would plot พีคมาก ชนิดไม่คิดว่าเด็กจะเข้าใจได้เลย ระหว่างอ่านให้ลูกฟังก็คิดในใจว่า ... "เดี๋ยวๆ เอางี้เลยใช่มั้ย"

This picture books starts with a boy who is afraid of the dark, like many children are sometimes. Except this boy became King and decided to ban it. His advisors said that would never work, well, unless he made his people think it was their idea. So they started a campaign about how the dark is scary and stealing people's money. The people believed it and started to demand to ban the dark. Soon everybody was tired as they couldn't sleep with all that light on, yet it was difficult to break free of the King's tyranny. When they finally succeeded, they celebrated with fireworks that lit up the dark sky. And the King? He decided to use a night light to be able to sleep. There was once a little boy who was afraid of the dark. There's nothing unusual about that. Most children are afraid of the dark at one time of another. But this little boy was a Prince, and he decided that when he became King, he would do something about the dark. One of the things that I think makes children's literature so appealing is the gaps that it leaves between the reader and the text. It is those moments, where meaning is made by what the reader brings to the text that can strengthen connections and enrich the reading experience. The greatest books then, invite multiple interpretations and revisitations as we grow up and it is exactly that that Haworth-Booth's debut achieves.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. while with older kids, this picture book can be a great conversation starter about fake news, dictatorships and rebellions. This book works on two levels: first of all, as a great story, and secondly, as an interesting modern fable.' - Juno Magazine

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. When a King bans the dark completely, installing an artificial sun, and enforcing "anti-dark" laws, it seems like a good idea. The citizens don't need to worry about monsters, crime, or any of the other scary things that might live in the dark. But what happens when nobody can sleep? Will the citizens revolt? A thought-provoking picture book ... Haworth-Booth's pencil-shaded artwork is pleasing, while her text warns gently but firmly against responding too readily to fear.' -- Imogen Russell Williams - The Guardian A little prince who is afraid of the dark vows that he will ban it when he becomes king in this original fairy-tale from British author/illustrator Emily Haworth-Booth. His ministers concoct a plan to convince the people that a world constantly lit is a good thing, and all goes well at first. But soon the king's subjects grow weary of never having the peace and comfort of the dark. They in turn concoct a plan, complete with fireworks display, to demonstrate to the king that the dark can be a good thing...

Give AI a Try!

Lots of fun to read, this book cleverly delivers some important messages. The new, young king is frightened of the dark, so on day one of his reign, he decides he’ll ban it. His advisors realise the only way to make that work is if the people think it’s their idea, and start an anti-dark campaign. It works, the dark is banished and, because everyone has got what they thought they wanted, everyone is happy. Until of course, they realise what living in constant light is really like. Emily Haworth-Booth gives her story a fairy-tale feel and fills it full of humour. Little children will identify with the king, but they’ll understand why his scheme is not a good one. Brilliant! Emily won the 2013 Jonathan Cape/Observer/Comica Graphic Short Story Prize for her story ‘Colonic’ and was runner-up of the same prize in 2008. Alongside herchildren's picture books, Emily is currently working ona long-form graphic memoir for adults. Her shortcomics have previously appeared in print in theObserver and Vogue. Along with her sister, AliceHaworth-Booth, she is an activist with ExtinctionRebellion.

There was once a little boy who was afraid of the dark. There's nothing unusual about that. Most children are afraid of the dark at one time of another. But this little boy was a Prince, and he decided that when he became King, he would do something about the dark. He would ban it. When the King bans the dark completely, installing an artificial sun, and enforcing anti-dark laws, it seems like a good idea. The citizens don't need to worry about any of the scary things that might live in the dark. But what happens when nobody can sleep, and the citizens revolt? Will the King face his fears and turn the lights off? The King Who Banned The Dark is a story that can have different interpretations; on a simpler note it can be about how we need the dark as well as the light, making it a wonderful book about the fear of the dark and appreciating the beauty of the light. On a deeper level, as I've read in a few places, this book can be interpreted as being a bit more political - people have got power and can revolt against decisions taken by the leaders which may not be for the benefit of the people, and how decisions can be manipulated. This debut is wonderfully political & thought-provoking...A brilliant story of the abuse of power & the strength of protest. Perfect for schools.' - Rhino ReadsThink together about what the king tried to do. Should he have done this? What advice would your child have given to the young king about his plan? I thought that the illustrations were absolutely beautiful and did wonders for my Imagination - the way the dark and dull Together you could role play a scene from the story with one of you being the king and the other one of the advisors. 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 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.