Chris Van Dusen (The Circus Ship) presents a humorous portrait of a monarch lacking in humility and the sorceress who cuts him down to size.
As the king's head grows, so will children's vocabulary. Van Dusen plants a delectable word, then slyly defines it in the next line: "Though this mini monarch/ stood no higher than an elf,/ his ego was enormous--/ he thought highly of himself." Gardeners shape topiaries in the king's likeness, and his loyal pug sports a crown and an ermine collar that matches the trimmings on the king's royal robe. His human citizens all bow before him, as do peacocks, sparrows and sheep. Everyone, it seems, except for "a maiden with a heavy load," who's blocking the way of the king's coach. The coachmen bump her off the road and offends the wrong girl: she's a sorceress named Tessa, who casts a spell ("A pox on you, O cocky king/ in robes of ruby red./ Let's see if all your arrogance/ can fit inside your head").
Tessa is a likable witch with a black cat that never leaves her side. The king, however, whose head was already large, grows with each self-inflating pronouncement. (The pug looks increasingly alarmed.) Finally, his head becomes so large that he topples over his castle wall in a sudden squall and and tumbles to Tessa's feet. Discovering that the king has not yet learned his lesson, she teaches him one more, and they both benefit. Van Dusen's tall tale blends just the right amount of laughter and substance. --Jennifer M. Brown, children's editor, Shelf Awareness