The King Who Banned the Dark

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Children could create their own design for an anti-dark hat. They could think about what they might use and how it could work and label their design. Make a dark and light picture Having studied graphic design at art school in Aberdeen, I started my career by designing theatre posters and set designs before moving into marketing and advertising. Fast forward 25 years and I have now worked on major campaigns for some of the biggest UK and international brands as well as high street retailers. A thought-provoking picture book ... Haworth-Booth's pencil-shaded artwork is pleasing, while her text warns gently but firmly against responding too readily to fear.' -- Imogen Russell Williams - The Guardian Although the book's inspiration was initially about celebrating the beauty of the dark and how removing something so vital could only truly be valued in its absence, Haworth-Booth also saw potential in developing as a more Canutian cautionary tale. The story explores how the general public can be manipulated through dirty politics. This is a gorgeous picture book and its only possible downside is that your kids, like mine, might start banning things willy-nilly.' -- Robyn Wilder - The Pool

There was once a little boy who was afraid of the dark. There's nothing unusual about that. Most children are afraid of the dark at one time of another. But this little boy was a Prince, and he decided that when he became King, he would do something about the dark.Thus begins The King Who Banned the Dark, a complex, multiple award-winning picture book for adults and children by the English writer and illustrator, Emily Haworth-Booth, published by Pavilion Books in 2018. LoveReading4Kids exists because books change lives, and buying books through LoveReading4Kids means you get to change the lives of future generations, with 25% of the cover price donated to schools in need. Join our community to get personalised book suggestions, extracts straight to your inbox, 10% off RRPs, and to change children’s lives. Armistice Day: A Collection of Remembrance - Spark Interest and Educate Children about Historical Moments

Readers can only hope that, as in this story, they will live to see a rational resistance to superficiality, to that constant dazzle, behind which no true, real content is concealed. For when it became clear that all were tired of so much light and celebrating and that they needed a change, the guards had to be outwitted, and the artificial sunlight switched off. At this moment, The King Who Banned the Dark becomes a story of resistance and the possibility of the individual to oppose the unthinking, automatic and often dangerous straying of the mass. Some people will be able to separate themselves from the crowd, shout that the emperor has no clothes, and really set off and work for their own and for the common good. Real changes will be instigated by thinking individuals who want to do good, especially if they have some help and don’t feel completely alone in their efforts. That is what happened in this story – organised resistance bore fruit. When the King has the artificial sun installed, we had a lovely chat about what we thought might be the issues with this and what the benefits might be ‘no bedtime’ being an obvious but misguided thought from my seven-year-old! Together you could role play a scene from the story with one of you being the king and the other one of the advisors.while with older kids, this picture book can be a great conversation starter about fake news, dictatorships and rebellions. I thought that the illustrations were absolutely beautiful and did wonders for my Imagination - the way the dark and dull

Politics and environmental issues are subjects close to her heart and often appear as themes in her work. Emily’s hotly-tipped debut children’s book, The King Who Banned the Dark (Pavilion, 2018), was shortlisted for numerous prestigious awards: The Klaus Flugge Award (for debut illustrators), The Little Rebels Children’s Book Award, The Waterstone’s Children’s Book Prize, IndependentBookshop Week Book Award. The book is currently nominated for the Kate Greenaway Medal.

June 2019 Debut of the Month | Shortlisted for the Klaus Flugge Prize 2019 | Shortlisted for the Waterstone's Childrens Book Prize 2019 We need the dark to be able to sleep properly; the perfect balance of day and night that marks out time. Think together about what the king tried to do. Should he have done this? What advice would your child have given to the young king about his plan? We loved the acts of defiance from the people that triggered the ending and were happily on board, showing a non-conformist streak that has me both proud and worried. I only wish the redemption arc the king went through could be mirrored in real life by leaders who have made poor choices. The ending was perfect as it was just what we had been shouting at the king at the start

It creates some ridiculously funny scenarios of what it would be like if the lights were kept on the whole time. The King Who Banned The Dark is a story that can have different interpretations; on a simpler note it can be about how we need the dark as well as the light, making it a wonderful book about the fear of the dark and appreciating the beauty of the light. On a deeper level, as I've read in a few places, this book can be interpreted as being a bit more political - people have got power and can revolt against decisions taken by the leaders which may not be for the benefit of the people, and how decisions can be manipulated.London-born Emily Haworth-Booth is an award-winning author, illustrator and educator who teaches at the Royal Drawing School in London. There was once a little boy who was afraid of the dark. There's nothing unusual about that. Most children are afraid of the dark at one time of another. But this little boy was a Prince, and he decided that when he became King, he would do something about the dark. He would ban it. When a King bans the dark completely, installing an artificial sun, and enforcing "anti-dark" laws, it seems like a good idea. The citizens don't need to worry about monsters, crime, or any of the other scary things that might live in the dark. But what happens when nobody can sleep, and the citizens revolt? Will the King face his fears and turn the lights off? What I absolutely love about this book is that it can be read at different levels, for young children it might be a story about how to deal with being afraid of the dark, But what happens when nobody can sleep, and the citizens revolt? Will the King face his fears and turn the lights off? This is rather a clever and unusual story which follows a King who was afraid of the dark as a child and decides to outlaw it.