The King of the Copper Mountains

Perfect story for a family read-aloud! The old king, Mansolain, is deathly ill and only the leaves of the Golden Speedwell can save him. But until the Wonder Doctor can find some of the rare leaves, what can keep the king's heart ticking? Can his friends keep the king's heart beating until the cure arrives?

The king's personal servant is a Hare, but gradually he gains courtiers--wolf, sheep, beetle, bumblebee, and the 3-headed dragon. Stories from these animal visitors weave a magical thread of encouragement that makes the king's heart keep ticking. That there are connections between the stories is only revealed when the king tells his own story at the end!

What I loved . . . . "Here in the copper castle nobody hurts anybody. After all, show more that's how it should be in a castle."

Even the ferocious, 3-headed dragon eats 3 platefuls of porridge for breakfast like everyone else.

Masterful craft: Sparkling, clear language and elegant, intricate plotting and a ticking clock that only deepens the tale. The multiple points of view of the animals gradually reveal the king's backstory--it's a fairy tale with a 360 view of the hero. There are deaths and injuries in some of the stories, but good, friendship, and hope triumph.

Will the good king reign another 1,000 years? How long his beard will grow then! show less

Though I love children’s fiction, I didn’t enjoy this one as much as I had expected.

King Mansolain is at the end of his thousand-year reign of the Copper Mountains. His heart is slowing down, and his assistant Hare has sent for the Wonder Doctor. Now Wonder Doctor knows of a remedy that can cure King Mansolain’s heart but until he returns from the long journey to find the rare life-giving Golden Speedwell plant, Hare must ensure that the old king’s heart is kept strong with a healthy supply of stories. To this purpose, the doctor sends whatever animal he encounters on his way back to the king’s palace with the dictum of narrating him an interesting story.

Thus the narrative proceeds with a vast variety of the kingdom’s show more inhabitants, ranging from a mighty dragon to a teensy beetle, a ferocious lion to a sad donkey, and a whole array of other creatures. Each of these narrates a story to the king, while the loyal Hare hopes that the doctor will return in time with a cure.

This book was originally written in 1964 by Paul Biegel. It has been a children’s classic for many years. The English translation was first commissioned in 2008 by Biegel’s daughter to bring the Dutch classic to the English-speaking audience.

The book is similar to the Arabian Nights in a sense as there is a larger narrative and within it are several smaller stories. While I enjoyed the book greatly in the first 40% or so, it felt a little repetitive thereafter. Some of the stories leave a greater mark than the others. Maybe it would help to read this a story at a time rather than in a longer chunk.

The stories aren’t all light and ‘frolicky’ as one would expect from a children’s book. Some are quite dark and mysterious. So in a sense, the tales cater to a variety of moods. But if you are looking for happy endings, not all the stories provide that.

There are a few illustrations in the book, which add to the narration well. However, the primary chunk of the content is text-based.

Overall, it is an interesting book for slightly older children (say, 7 years and above) who are comfortable with chapter books and want to try out a classic.

3.5 stars from me.

My thanks to Pushkin Press and NetGalley for the DRC of “The King of the Copper Mountains”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

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Scheherazade for kids with a Dutch twist: a 1000-year old king is dying, so a magic doctor races to find a key ingredient for a potion that will save him, while the king's only servant and best friend, a hare, tries to keep him alive by inviting a new animal into the castle every night to tell a story.
A lovely book, with all sorts of good stories from the animals and a good overarching story to tie them all together.

A beautiful book, one of my favorites as a child. The King is old & dying & must be told a story every night to keep his heart strong until the Wonder Doctor returns with a remedy.
The stories are wonderful and varied, some sad, some scary and some uplifting. The language is not too complex, (i'm reading it o my 6 year old) a book I highly recommend.

Translated from the Dutch..

Lezen en herlezen! Uit mijn jeugd kon ik herinneren dat ik ooit iets heel spannends had gelezen over een draak met ringen om z'n halzen die elke keer z'n kelen dichtknepen als hij iets deed wat niet moest...en een heks die uiteindelijk door die ringen gesmoord werd...
Wat was ik verrukt toen ik het als 20-jarige herontdekte ! Net als trouwens de andere boeken van Paul Biegel