El rey y la semilla

K-Gr 3—King Karnak realizes that he is growing old without an heir so he calls for a competition to name his successor. All the knights and nobles are expecting the best fighter to be the next king. A young man, Jack, the son of a local farmer, goes to the gathering to observe the event. To everyone's surprise and disappointment, the king gives a seed to each contender and asks him to return in six months and show what he has grown. Jack knows everything about growing seeds, so he takes one. He tries everything that he can think of, but nothing grows. After six months, all the contestants present thriving blooms and beautiful plants, but Jack has nothing but his pot of dirt. He presents it to the king, and is declared the successor because of his honesty. This book is a European version of a traditional Chinese Mandarin tale. Hess's colored pencils and watercolor illustrations are full of humor and creativity that young readers will enjoy. A charming way to teach values.—Liliana Patricia Rocha, Teton County Library, Jackson, WY