The Artist and the King

by Julie Fortenberry

When a bad-tempered King punishes a little artist, he meets his match. For Daphne, the artist, turns her punishment, a dunce cap, into a fashionable and regal hat.

Now every villager wants to wear one of Daphne’s creations. How could she have known that her hat-making would undermine the King’s authority? Then again, maybe Daphne’s caring, creative spirit is just what the kingdom—and the King—has needed all along.

Genres: Picture Books

32 pages, Hardcover

First published April 7, 2014

About the author

Julie has an MFA from Hunter College. Her abstract paintings have been in the Whitney Museum of American Art. But for the last 17 years she's been painting for preschoolers and kindergarteners. She illustrated Eve Bunting’s Pirate Boy, and a series of books by Rabbi Jamie Korngold, three of which are Sydney Taylor Notable Books.

She both illustrated and authored The Artist and the King, Lily's Cat Mask, and Pearl Goes to Preschool. Her latest book, Darcy's First Sleepover, is available for pre-order now!

Reviews

[Yanira · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book about being nice with great illustrations by the author. My girls loved it and asked immediately that it be read again.

[Tracey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of us, especially as kids, might have drawn a mean picture of someone; and if we were unlucky, that person saw our picture. The little girl in this book was extremely unlucky, because she drew a mean picture of the KING—and he saw it, and he was angry. She had a little bit of luck, though, because her punishment could have been worse. The king told her she was no longer an artist, took away her artist beret, and made her wear a dunce cap. Looking for a silver lining in her cloud, she decided that the dunce cap wasn’t so bad, especially if she added a little piece of fabric here or a feather there. Suddenly everyone wanted her to make a hat. She was happy—until the king discovered the “mockery” that she made of his punishment.
Originally post on Mackin Books in Bloom blog.

[Jacqueline Ogburn]

I can't rate this because I was the editor of this book, but I can say I am proud of it.

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Julie Fortenberry put so much of herself into "The Artist and the King," in a way I'm not surprised.

I'm not surprised that this is the first picture book I've ever seen with the artist's autograph right on the title page.

This is the triumph tale of intrepid young artist Daphne. Her irrepressible creativity enabled her to turn social disgrace into artistic triumph. With even a certain entrepreneurial benefit, as well!

OH, THE ENDING WAS SO MOVING, TOO.

I'll let you Goodreaders discover it for yourselves. Bring hankies.

[Michelle Gray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Themes: art, being yourself