The Evening King - Hardcover

Ages 3-6. A simple poetic text and lively watercolor illustrations juxtapose a boy's wild made-up games with the humdrum world he comes back to. Whether he's fighting pirates in the storm or wrestling a python in the jungle, there's always a family member or a neighbor to remind him that he'll get wet or that he might wear himself out. Stock's dancing pictures bring a variety of styles and colors to his fantasies, from the dreamy to the psychedelic. The most touching reversal is when he imagines himself a thundering giant and then hears his dad demand, "Haven't you finished the weeding?"--the picture shows the boy kneeling in the weeds while his father strides tall behind him. Kids will enjoy the wry humor of the grandiose dreams and the return to the commonplace; but, above all, they'll recognize that imaginative play can make you king. Hazel Rochman