The king's golden beard

Rapunzel has nothing on the vainglorious king from this sly cautionary tale, who's so proud of his own rampant beard that he forbids anyone else in the kingdom, man or woman, to sport any facial hair, on pain of death by "a pinchy pair of nail scissors." But he receives proper comeuppance: his beard grows out the window, through the town's streets, and around the world, only to show up at the palace's back door where the king orders his guards to follow it to its owner and execute the hirsute miscreant, whoever he may be. In Verplancke's comically stylized scenes, a great rope of royal whiskers snakes around denuded figures, through stripped-down mountains, and past a gaggle of confused-looking penguins on the way to a climactic explosion of clippings that, aside from a few snipped-off body parts, leaves the king's demise-of-a-thousand-cuts to the imagination. "The law may be the law, but some laws are bad for your health," a new king remarks with distinct schadenfreude. Readers fond of Jon Klassen's karmic tales will agree.

This clever, biting little fable looks on as a vain ruler passes a series of laws to protect "his kingly self and his beautiful beard." Readers can't see the king; luxuriant, silvery-blond hair covers his body, a creepy red-lipped smile visible through the thicket. Soldiers with stick arms and legs rake the beard and carry it reverently. The king proclaims that ordinary subjects are not permitted beards--rule breakers will be "cut into a thousand pieces with a pinchy pair of nail scissors!" In dark, stylish before-and-after spreads, animate and inanimate subjects show the law's consequences: a broom loses its bristles, a pirate turns out to be naked behind a once-ample blue beard, and a cactus loses its spines. At last, the monarch's beard grows all the way around the world and returns to annoy the kingly presence, with terrible consequences (or just deserts, depending upon the reader's take). Verplancke skewers narcissism and willful ignorance, too, as the ruler's belief that the Earth is flat interferes with his understanding that the invading beard might, in fact, be his own. Ages 4--8. (Feb.)

Gr 1--3--A fanatical king grows his golden beard so long that it extends out of his window, down the pathway, and around the world. As he keeps a watchful eye on its growth, he becomes obsessed with it. He wants to be the only one in the land with a beard. So he drafts a rule that no one in the land may grow a single inch of hair on their face, or else risk paying a severe price. Everyone is required to shave immediately. One day, a palace guard spots a beard in the distance, and the king demands that the culprit pay the price for breaking his rule because "the law is the law." The palace guards follow their king's orders precisely, much to his detriment. Despite the violence of the command, the king's demise is rather benign on the page, making this a fun way to introduce readers to concepts such as self-indulgence and abuse of power. Using three main colors, the palette is consistent and engaging. Readers will be immersed in the fine details of the king's beard and the palace guards' efforts to carry out the punishment. VERDICT An enjoyable read, a worthy addition to any library, and a useful tool for teaching humility and respect.--Maegen Rose, Rye Country Day Sch., NY

An arrogant king with a long, golden beard meets his demise thanks to his own vanity. Set "a long long time ago, when most people still believed the earth was flat as a pancake," this biting political commentary from Belgium features a megalomaniacal king so in love with his flowing beard that he establishes certain laws: It must never be trimmed, and others' facial hair is forbidden--even the goats must be shaved daily. Growing so long, his beard makes its way around the world and back to the king, where no one recognizes it as the king's. Ordering his guards to cut to pieces the owner of the beard ("After all, the law was the law"), the king perishes with the snip of "a pinchy pair of nail scissors," one of the story's moments of delightful alliteration. (Clearly, Verplancke isn't afraid of a little implied gore.) The serpentine line of the king's beard, on a palette of teal and mustard hues, propels this story, and the beard is so finely detailed that one can see nearly every hair. Readers never see the king's face in its entirety; it's his blond beard that looms large. Verplancke, who also designed the book, gets playful with font and weight of type (often to accentuate the king's ego and his demands) and perspectives; more than once, readers turn the book sideways or upside down to follow the king's beard across the planet. Townsfolk and guards are depicted in varying shades, many not natural. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11.5-by-19-inch double-page spreads viewed at 75% of actual size.) A deeply satisfying allegorical tale. (Picture book. 4-10) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Rapunzel has nothing on the vainglorious king from this sly cautionary tale, who's so proud of his own rampant beard that he forbids anyone else in the kingdom, man or woman, to sport any facial hair, on pain of death by "a pinchy pair of nail scissors." But he receives proper comeuppance: his beard grows out the window, through the town's streets, and around the world, only to show up at the palace's back door where the king orders his guards to follow it to its owner and execute the hirsute miscreant, whoever he may be. In Verplancke's comically stylized scenes, a great rope of royal whiskers snakes around denuded figures, through stripped-down mountains, and past a gaggle of confused-looking penguins on the way to a climactic explosion of clippings that, aside from a few snipped-off body parts, leaves the king's demise-of-a-thousand-cuts to the imagination. "The law may be the law, but some laws are bad for your health," a new king remarks with distinct schadenfreude. Readers fond of Jon Klassen's karmic tales will agree. Grades 1-3. Copyright 2021 Booklist Reviews.

This clever, biting little fable looks on as a vain ruler passes a series of laws to protect "his kingly self and his beautiful beard." Readers can't see the king; luxuriant, silvery-blond hair covers his body, a creepy red-lipped smile visible through the thicket. Soldiers with stick arms and legs rake the beard and carry it reverently. The king proclaims that ordinary subjects are not permitted beards—rule breakers will be "cut into a thousand pieces with a pinchy pair of nail scissors!" In dark, stylish before-and-after spreads, animate and inanimate subjects show the law's consequences: a broom loses its bristles, a pirate turns out to be naked behind a once-ample blue beard, and a cactus loses its spines. At last, the monarch's beard grows all the way around the world and returns to annoy the kingly presence, with terrible consequences (or just deserts, depending upon the reader's take). Verplancke skewers narcissism and willful ignorance, too, as the ruler's belief that the Earth is flat interferes with his understanding that the invading beard might, in fact, be his own. Ages 4–8. (Feb.)

Gr 1–3—A fanatical king grows his golden beard so long that it extends out of his window, down the pathway, and around the world. As he keeps a watchful eye on its growth, he becomes obsessed with it. He wants to be the only one in the land with a beard. So he drafts a rule that no one in the land may grow a single inch of hair on their face, or else risk paying a severe price. Everyone is required to shave immediately. One day, a palace guard spots a beard in the distance, and the king demands that the culprit pay the price for breaking his rule because "the law is the law." The palace guards follow their king's orders precisely, much to his detriment. Despite the violence of the command, the king's demise is rather benign on the page, making this a fun way to introduce readers to concepts such as self-indulgence and abuse of power. Using three main colors, the palette is consistent and engaging. Readers will be immersed in the fine details of the king's beard and the palace guards' efforts to carry out the punishment. VERDICT An enjoyable read, a worthy addition to any library, and a useful tool for teaching humility and respect.—Maegen Rose, Rye Country Day Sch., NY