Mentioned in a blog post at https://booksbeyondbinaries.blog/2019/12/23/2019-in-review/

This is definitely a top-of-the-shelf book. The illustrations are charming, beautiful, soft, enchanting. The story just reads beautifully. While this is a read-aloud storybook for one to read to a youngster, the reader himself will enjoy the cadence as it seems to roll off one's tongue. It isn't rhyme. It is simply sweet prose.

The story itself is nonsensical in that little crowns simply are not littered about the countryside unless, of course, they are left by someone. But they are there and mouse found one. Hence, he declared himself a king. And of course, big bear bowed down to wee little mouse the king. And on the story goes. But then, another crown is found and so it goes......

In the end, the play time is over, bear is feeling alone, and mouse goes to befriend him as a loyal friend would a disheartened friend.

A lovely book. ( )

King Mouse by Cary Fagan is the story of a mouse who finds a random crown. When asked if he is a king, he happily agrees and more and more animals show up, and do things for him. But one by one, the other animals find crowns and decide they, too, are kings and queens. I found this story rather boring, and was left asking 'Wtf is purpose of this?'. It seemed to just end with no real point, and no beneficial lesson embedded within. I wasn't a huge fan of the art either. Honestly, if it were not for the fact I read this with my cubs, and some of them enjoyed it, I would have DNF'd it.

***Many thanks to the Netgalley & Penguin Random House/ Tundra Books for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. ( )

Lovely illustrations combined with simple and alluring story of lovable characters!

my nephew loved this book ( )

The story is a bit odd, the critters find crowns and play king or queen, except the bear, who then feels left out. The mouse ends up making him a flower crown. Whatever message was here wasn't fleshed out enough for me to get it, but my 4 year old liked it anyway. ( )