Benjamin Elkin (1911–1995)

Lucky wants to go fishing...but the brook is gone! He finds that a giant, Elmo, has dammed up the brook to make a lake. According to law, a giant gets to set a task; a human who can do the task gets to have one thing he/she asks for. A human who cannot must work for the giant for seven years. After Lucky's father and mother end up working for the giant, Lucky takes on the challenge. What I especially like about this book is that after defeating the giant, Lucky and his family help out and show more they all end up friendly with one another. Such a refreshing change from the 'kill the giant' mentality!

Adorable pictures and a clearly told story make this childen's early reader a hit in my opinion. show less

Oh I absolutely would have loved this when I was a child. Who can't identify with a clever boy who has a kind king for a friend, who team up to make themselves, the kingdom, and the other children happier and safer? Just long enough to immerse one's self in, but not too long to be too much of a challenge to read.

Three short, ludicrous fantasy tales about a clever young lad overcoming obstacles with some lateral thinking. The situations are silly and the characters are lacking in charm or dimension.

When we first read it back in 2007, my daughter and I both found it quite meh.

A fresh and fun collection of three stories about the good king and Ben. Easy to read and cheerfully illustrated, the stories are how Ben obtained his own puppy, how Ben helped the good king best the bad king, and how the good king helped Ben get his magic sack back. My copy was published in 1958 yet I think today's emerging readers would enjoy these stories and they'd also make great read-alouds for audiences of any age.