Review: Mr. King's Castle by Geneviève Côté

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY:

Mr. King wants to build himself a BIG castle. So he uses the closest available material to make the blocks he needs -- the land around his house that just happens to be home to his forest friends. When Mr. King's friends make him see what he's done, he realizes he's made a BIG mistake. Can he be king of his castle and a good friend, too? Young readers will delight in this second adventure of the shortsighted but well-meaning Mr. King.

MY TAKE:
When I read the summary of this book, I thought it would be a little bit like The Lorax.

In Mr. King's Castle, Mr. King wants to build a big castle. To do so, he decides to make use of the hill around his house.

In the summary, it says that Mr. King used the land to build his house. I thought it meant that he used the trees or maybe the soil. As it turns out, Mr. King chops the land into shapes, which he then rearranges to make his house. Obviously, this isn't very realistic, since land can't be taken out and returned like jigsaw puzzles. However, it's still a cute concept and it does help get the point across that you should think of others and not just yourself.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kids Can Press for the e-ARC.

THE GOOD:

1. The coloring style is pretty.
2. It has a good message.
3. The characters are cute.

THE BAD:

1. The illustration style may not appeal to everyone.

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

All his friends jump up to help.

READ IT IF:

1. You want to teach your child to be more selfless.
2. You like books that have positive messages.
3. You like books that have pretty coloring styles.

RATING:


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