The King's Toothache - Hardcover

Kindergarten-Grade 2The King of Kennelwick Castle (Lippincott, 1987) is backthis time with a toothache that won't go away. His nurse Mary gallops off to St. Ives but can't find a dentist, so she brings back a baker and a town crier instead. Each compounds the problem until a sailor, using his common sense, finally cures the king's ailments, and all's well that ends well. West has created a simple tale with obvious humor. His repetitive rhyming text will delight young listeners and may inspire older ones to create their own verses about the unfortunate king. Dalton's soft pastel illustrations convey a typical "olde tyme British towne," peopled with characters that might have stepped out of a Mother Goose rhyme. With their exaggerated expressions and strong sense of movement, they are engaging, fun, and a delightful complement to the text. Libraries holding the original title will want to add this to their collections, but the sequel easily can stand on its own. Nancy Menaldi-Scanlan, Wheeler School, Providence, R.I.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.