Kings and Queens

by Tony Robinson

The good, the bad and the mad - a lively text, accurate but full of fascinating detail and fun coupled with the outstanding innovative illustrations from some of the country's most inventive illustrators. Kings and Queens have always provided their subjects with a great deal to talk about. But how much do we really know about them? For instance, who became king when he was only nine months old? Which king invented the handkerchief? Which king died on the toilet? And who is England's longest reigning monarch?In this fascinating and witty look at kings and queens of England, Tony Robinson provides all the answers to these questions and many, many more.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Childrens, Reference

112 pages, Paperback

First published October 7, 1999

About the author

Sir Tony Robinson is an English actor, comedian, amateur historian, TV presenter, author and political activist. He is known for playing "Baldrick" in the BBC television series Blackadder and for hosting Channel 4 programmes such as Time Team and The Worst Jobs in History.

Reviews

[Sophie Crane]

An entertaining and useful book. Particularly as a quick reference, for example, as to which Henry and when. Also useful memory aids in the humour.

[The Pixie Reader]

I will always be a history nerd at heart 🤓

[Isobel]

An excellent book to introduce children to the kings and queens of English history.

[Ellie]

‘Kings and Queens’ is a great book to introduce children to the Kings and Queens of England. The book chronologically moves through the Kings and Queens of England in fun, easily digestible way. The book has a humorous tone but does not shy away from gruesome facts. The information is paired with colourful illustrations that work well with the text. I think the illustrations help engage children with the factual information by allowing them to make visual links and bring the words to life. The book also includes a ‘Meanwhile…’ section, this covers world history and other significant historical events, developing wider historical context. This book can be read from cover to cover or delved into for snippets of information about a particular monarch. I believe this book would be best suited in a KS2 learning setting.

I loved this book as a child and read it time and time again! My favourite section was Henry VIII, it was probably because it opened up a world, I did not know anything about and probably found it very hard to believe. The level of intrigue from this book sparked curiosity and fuelled many enjoyable trips to Hampton Court Palace and The Tower of London!

[Keely]

I don't know how long I've actually had this as it seemed to be a book that was always on the bookshelf when I was growing up.

This book is definitely intended for older children/early teens. The description of each King and Queen was brief and to the point and there also mentions of important events. The illustrations were comical.
This book is a good basis to get children interested on the history of the British monarchy. The book itself is only just over 100 pages so even if a child was to read a double page spread a day of this book, they'd still be done in under 2 months.

[Brooke Crook]

Such a fun history book for kids written so the adults enjoy it also!

[Mariele]

An excellent book. It's memorable and educational, and I love the writer's humour. The drawings are fun, too.

[Leelan]

An easy and enjoyable read. Sort of like an English "Cliff Notes" to British history.

[Daisy]

Kings and Queens gives the reader a paragraph (sometimes very short and sometimes half a page long) on each ruler of Britain. It tells us a bit about their personality, or their accomplishments as a king or queen, or their hobbies, or what people think/thought of them. Sometimes a ruler get a short paragraph of around five sentences, but some (like Henry the Eighth and Elizabeth the Second)have around three pages to themselves.

This book taught me many things about the kings and queens of Britain and the British Empire. It was informative, written in a friendly way and fairly entertaining. And I liked the way it started before 1066 and William the Conqueror. I didn't, however, like Tony Ross' illustrations. The figures were, on occasion, sort of grotesque and misshapen and honestly, even repulsive sometimes. Sorry if I'm offending anyone, but it's my opinion and I think this book could have done with better pictures. There was the occasional drawing from other illustrators, like for George the Third, which I much preferred.

I'm glad I read through this book and I'm sure I'll look at it again if I ever need it for reference. A nice read. :)

[Tyler_zakiyareadsbooks_]

I think that “The Hutchinson Book of Kings & Queens”. It includes amazing facts about famous kings and queens which are true and 100% accurate. There are also brilliant illustration of different kings and queens who some people may or may not have heard of. Even though, there are some gruesome pictures they are quite funny. It is easy to read and child friendly. There are lots of fascinating facts about different monarch’s lifestyles and what they used to eat when they had dinner. There are some interesting facts like a baby being king at just the age of nine months. Plus some really funny facts like “Which king died on the toilet.” Tony Robinson has written other amazing history books but I chose this one because it’s funny, creative and well thought out and designed.

[Kirsi Dahl]

The royal family lineage is confusing on a good day but the easy/simplistic overview in this book made for an enjoyable read.

With its combination of political facts and fun tidbits, this would be a great way to provide a historical overview of English royalty to almost any age. I borrowed the copy, but would love to have as my own reference!

[Samantha]

I enjoyed this one it is the second children's book I have read about the Kings and Queens of England and I am really pleased this one was much easier to follow and in a chronological order, informative and entertaining

[Len]

It's always fascinating to read about British History. While some other books may seem too boring and full of words, this one is simple and funny, plus very interesting illustration. A good way to learn history.

[Johan Simons]

British history as an interesting children’s
book by “Baldrick” from the BBC comedy “Blackadder