The King Who Banned the Dark

Product Information

This book works on two levels: first of all, as a great story, and secondly, as an interesting modern fable.' - Juno Magazine 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. 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, I thought this was a brilliant story, a king who decides to ban the dark as he was scared of it when he was younger. I can imagine many young children may have experienced this and therefore it is easy for them to identify with the character and they may feel more comfortable having these discussions!

But the book has an uplifting end. An active member of the Extinction Rebellion, Haworth-Booth shows us that power need not lie in the hands of those at the top. Instead, grassroots movements can collectively take action and change the state of their own future: something that we are seeing happening across the globe at this very moment. And as with such movements, The King Who Banned the Dark has within it the seeds of such change. It invites readers to question those in power and invites them to consider revolting against a regime in which only those at the top benefit. As I stated at the start of this review, great books invites multiple reading and interpretations; The King Who Banned the Dark is one of the books and it is no wonder that it found itself shortlisted for the prestigious Klaus Flugge prize. Create a dark space with curtains drawn and the lights off or a blanket over a table and shine a torch to look at the shape of the light and patterns you can create. Write a news report

Find a Scheme of Work

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. We read the book a few times over the summer and enjoyed it each time. After a camping weekend at a festival, we were able to chat about all the different ways light was used for safety, for fun and for spectacle and think about all the beautiful lights we had seen. The children had chosen a fairground ride in the dark as their last treat so they could see the lights and view the festival from above in the dark. We were also given new torches in our tents and decided to set up an experiment for the king when we got home to test which torch he could have used. We created a den in the wardrobe and got to work. We also decided he would much prefer our festival hat to his crown as it had built in lights. Also as a post discussion, we could make some cross curricular links! Yes, no dark means no sleep! But what else would

But what happens when nobody can sleep, and the citizens revolt? Will the King face his fears and turn the lights off? This debut is wonderfully political & thought-provoking...A brilliant story of the abuse of power & the strength of protest. Perfect for schools.' - Rhino ReadsArmistice Day: A Collection of Remembrance - Spark Interest and Educate Children about Historical Moments 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 the 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 any of the 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? A beautiful picture book with a hopeful, rebellious message and effective illustrations using a limited colour palette. A young boy who is scared of the dark grows up to become King and bans the dark...yet even the dark has its uses and its beauty. The people of his kingdom decide to take matters into their own hands after a life of constant light begins to have a bad impact on people's lives. Together you could role play a scene from the story with one of you being the king and the other one of the advisors.

But this is also a story about the importance of truth and knowledge and the harmfulness of manipulation and indoctrination. Fears have to be understood; we have to enlighten ourselves with knowledge. The ancient Greeks, who did not understand the laws of physics well enough, thought that lightning was sent by the gods when they were angry. In the Middle Ages, when there was too little understanding of medicine, it was thought that people who healed others (often women) had some supernatural power and should be burned at the stake for it. This is particularly important today, when the phenomenon of post-truth, coupled with irrationality and receptiveness to conspiracy theories, has led to basic scientific premises being called into question. A king has a fear of the dark and so he decides to ban it completely. A class could discuss the impact of fake news in our current society and the importance of having a critical eye when reading. It links nicely to science, looking at light and dark - why we need both of them and what else might have happened in the kingdom when there was only light. Children will be engaged by the light vs dark dilemma, however adults will be intrigued on another level by the political parodies, crowd manipulation, light inspectors and peoples rebellion elements that are cleverly woven through the story.A witty picture-book with a lot of contemporary relevance, which skewers government propaganda and the misuse of power.' - Little Rebels Children's Book Award A thoughtful read with themes of rebellion, fear and overreaching. On the surface, this is a fun story about a King who fears the dark, and who makes every effort to never have to encounter it again. Putting a ban on the dark, the people live in never-ending light- but it cannot last forever! A closer look reveals darker undertones regarding the power of dangerous ideologies, and how easily thoughts can be manipulated through the spreading of fear by those of authority. This is told with humour throughout, making it less scary and allowing this book to be accessed at different levels by all of the key stages.