The King Who Banned the Dark; Emily Haworth-Booth

The King Who Banned the Dark, a simple book about a person overcoming their fears or a complex narrative that is about a dictator, people power and standing up to an oppressive regime?

For years the little Prince had been scared of the dark. Then one day everything changed. When he became King he planned do what any King would do with a problem they had and would fix it by banning the thing he did not like. There would be no more dark. But if the people thought he had banned the dark then they might turn against him.

And so the wheels of propaganda and mis-information and rumours are put into action as the King’s advisers work to convince the people that the dark is no good and they want constant daylight. As the King’s plans come to fruition all is good…for a while. But it isn’t long before the people are not happy and soon revolution and revolt are in the air. Will the King see the light - or in this case the need for dark?

This is such a clever book that will appeal to readers of all ages. There are so many layers to the narrative that it could be read by and discussed with any child from five through to twelve. I particularly recommend it to older readers who can explore the dangers of ideologies, politics, and the manipulation of people and the power of misinformation. The illustrations are cleverly done in yellow and black which work perfectly for the contrast of light and dark.

A very clever picture book that is a fine example of politics and mis-information at work.

Recommended for 5+.