พระราชาตัวเล็ก

by Tarō Miura, ภัทร์อร พิพัฒนกุล (Translator)

นี่คือขนาดเท่าตัวจริงของพระราชาตัวเล็ก

หนังสือนิทานจากญี่ปุ่น เล่าเรื่องพระราชาตัวเล็กผู้อยู่อย่างโดดเดี่ยวในปราสาทหลังใหญ่ มีโต๊ะอาหารตัวใหญ่ ที่นอนหลังใหญ่ ม้าตัวใหญ่

ชีวิตแสนเงียบเหงาของพระราชาเปลี่ยนไป เมื่อได้แต่งงานกับเจ้าหญิงตัวใหญ่และมีครอบครัวใหญ่ๆ เพิ่มเข้ามา

งานเรื่องและภาพของมิอุระ ทาโร นักเขียนยอดนิยมของญี่ปุนที่มีผลงานแสดงศิลปะในระดับนานาชาติ และเล่มนี้ก็ได้รางวัลหนังสือเด็กซังเก รางวัลวรรณกรรมเด็กที่เก่าแก่ที่สุดในญี่ปุ่นอีกด้วย

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Family, Royalty, Storytime, Fairy Tales, Fiction

36 pages, Hardcover

First published March 30, 2010

About the author

Taro Miura was born in Aichi, Japan, in 1968. After graduating from Osaka University of Art with a degree in screen printing, he worked for ten years as a free-lance illustrator for magazines and advertisements. He was selected for the Illustrators Exhibition for The first time in 2001 and then for five consecutive years from 2003. In 2004 he published two picture books, one with the Swiss publishing house La joie de lire and another with Edizioni Corraini in Italy. In 2005, he published his best selling picture book The picture book Chīsana ōsama (The Tiny King) won the (pre-school children in Japan: Kuttsuita (Stick Together), with Koguma Publishing. Sankei Children's Literature Culture Award in 2011.In 2014 Corraini published his stencil drawing book: Workman Stencil. An exhibition and workshops based on this book was held during the Bologna Book Fair in 2014 at MAMbo, the modern art museum in Bologna.

Reviews

[Sophia Triad · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is simplistic. The king will not find happiness unless he gets married and have many children.
But I have to say that the illustrations are amazing.
Half of the book has dark colours to show the desperation of the King, while the second half has vibrant colours to show his happiness.
The main characters are combinations of geometric shapes.
The tiny King and the big Queen create a wonderful complementary contradicting image.
If I could only review the illustrations, this book would deserve 5 stars.

[Peacegal · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed the retro-Colorforms style artwork, however, I didn't really care for the "bingo" that your life is boring and meaningless until you marry and breed.

[Sandra | Leituras descomplicadas · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 ⭐️

O livro tem ilustrações divertidas que captam a atenção dos mais novos, mas fico com mixed feelings em relação a um livro cuja a história assenta num rei que tudo tem e que é infeliz e que apenas atinge a felicidade se se casar e tiver filhos… Não será esta uma versão um pouco redutora da felicidade e da realização pessoal?!

(Ou devo pensar que isto se trata somente de um livro infantil e que não devo estar com estas teorias… 😅)

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

The art is so good that despite the abhorrent theme that a life before having children is empty, meaningless, and unfulfilling, I still needed to give it four stars.

[mairead! · Rating 4 out of 5]

A's current must read. Super traditional/simplistic messaging/definition of happiness, BUT THE ART. Also the fun and interaction we have reading this makes the prerequisite rereads so much more bearable. Love how she pretend feeds me onigiri from the first dining table page since she knows it's my go-to selection.

[Guilherme Semionato · Rating 3 out of 5]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7sya...

[Veronica Molina · Rating 4 out of 5]

No sé por qué le tenía como rechazo a este libro. Lo compré en un mega descuento del FCE y ahí estaba; cuando iba por libros pendientes por leer, lo evitaba siempre. Hasta que anoche dije "ya, suficiente; en el peor de los casos, simplemente no me gusta". Pero ¡todo lo contrario! Es muy bueno. El mensaje me encantó. Las ilustraciones están llenas de juegos y espacios para mirar. Me devolví a comparar escenarios (antes/después) muchas veces y me dejé llevar por el asombro y la entretención. Me convertí en niña mirando el libro tanto tiempo. Me tomé mi tiempo en leerlo, y lo disfruté mucho.
Muy recomendable.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tiny King is living a life too large until he has a wife and many children.

[Alyson (Kid Lit Frenzy) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one is a bit odd. I liked the art though.

[Sugar Hiccup · Rating 5 out of 5]

Um clássico absoluto cá em casa.
Excelentes ilustrações com pormenores deliciosos. Texto muito bem trabalhado, com um ritmo perfeito.
Somos super fãs!

[Papá Lector · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hay libros infantiles cuyas ilustraciones son mágicas, que por sí solas y sin necesidad de absolutamente nada de texto cuentan bellas historias, y este es el caso de El pequeño rey, que, si bien tiene texto, podríamos sin problema alguno ignorarlo y entenderemos la historia sin problema, por otro lado, leer el texto y disfrutar de las ilustraciones complementan la experiencia.

Este es un libro precioso, forma parte de la colección Los Primerísimos del Fondo de Cultura Económica, una colección son libros destinados a los más pequeños de casa, a aquellos que incluso aun no empiezan a leer, digamos, de 3 años en delante, por lo que lo que expuse en el punto anterior cobra mucho más sentido aun, y es también un libro que podemos abordar desde varios puntos y que tiene diferentes usos.

Por ejemplo, el estilo de ilustración me gusta mucho y termina siendo muy útil porque todas las ilustraciones están hechas a base de figuras geométricas, por lo que podemos revisar con los niños el tema de identificar y nombrar las figuras, por otro lado podemos hacer lo mismo con los colores, porque esas mismas figuras tienen gran variedad de colores o bien nos podemos enfocar en ejercitar la lectura, por su corto texto termina siendo una excelente herramienta para esto, o bien si el niño o la niña están ya más grandecitos o estamos leyendo el libro en voz alta entonces podemos enfocarnos en la historia como tal, que nos narra como el pequeño rey quien al principio está solo, no consigue disfrutar su enorme castillo, si gigante comedor, la gran fuente, o su inmensa cama, porque está solo, y no tiene con quien compartir todo aquello, sin embargo un día se casa con una princesa y tienen hijos, y habiendo formado una familia son ellos quienes ahora le hacen compañía, y con quienes disfruta ahora si su castillo, la fuente, comparte el comedor y duerme a gusto y cobijado por su familia.

El mensaje me gustó mucho, la familia, los amigos, los seres queridos nos acompañan, nos hacen sentir queridos, y con ellos es mucho más fácil disfrutar de la vida, de lo poco a mucho que se tenga, siempre será mejor compartirlo.

Este es un libro que vale muchísimo la pena, es un excelente trabajo de ilustración como podrán apreciar en las ilustraciones que les dejo a continuación y con un mensaje muy bonito, además el precio es súper accesible y muy fácil de conseguir en las librerías del fondo de cultura y en las principales librerías del país, por lo que no hay excusa para acercar a los pequeños literatura infantil de calidad, los invito a adquirir el libro y enriquecer la biblioteca familiar.

[Mathew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Miura’s simple story of a tiny king in search of some company was originally published in Japan. His use of geometric shapes against black and/or brightly coloured backgrounds in which perspectives shift offer a sense of humour and plenty for the young reader to explore: I imagine there will be children who have tried to build block castles just like the tiny king. A really enjoy this book and its simplistic style and language. On the surface it is full of humour playing with the notion of size and grandeur but beneath the surface it suggests that no matter how much we want to possess in life, we are only truly happy when we have someone to share it with: an ideal message to share with young readers.

[Jennifer Strong · Rating 4 out of 5]

The tiny king is very lonely. His house is so big, his horse is so big, his feast is so big! He finally falls in love with and marries a big princess. They have several children and suddenly the castle is the right size, the bathtub is the right size, the bed is the right size. His family has made everything just right!
•
This is a really cute story! You can tell the king loves his family. They bring him joy and contentment. That's not a theme I see too often in children's books nowadays. I loved the geometric and bold artwork as well!

[Amy (Lost in a Good Book) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review was published on Lost in a Good Book

I love the tiny king. The story is incredible sweet and from the cover to the story to the illustrations everything was wonderful. In a way the story gives off very adorable Alice in Wonderland vibes with a tiny king and a giant queen but without any of the marital problems.

Miura’s story is about a lonely king who finds companionship and creates a life filled with happiness and fun. It is super sweet and while it is delightful to see the tiny king live in his big world, it is more adorable to see his little life improve.

The illustrations are complete essentially to the charm. The tiny king in comparison to his large surroundings are fantastic and seeing him in his king bed but a fraction of the size, and his large horse and his large bath are fantastic. There are also tiny details in these illustrations that Miura has included that add a little more to the charm and delight.

There is a fantastic fairy tale element to the story and I loved the simplistic but heartfelt approach Miura has taken with this story.

[Savannah Webster · Rating 4 out of 5]

My son was attracted to this book because of the bold colors and shape inspired graphics. He was very curious about the typography of the numbers on the royal children's beds. It is a very cute short story about a tiny king who is very lonely in his big fancy royal home. Then he meets a big princess and they have a big family. Now his days are filled with noise, laughter, busyness, and love... He is definitely not lonely and he couldn't be happier.

[Juan Carlos malik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un hermoso libro infantil que recomiendo para niños de entre 3 a 7 años de edad.

¿Para qué leer el pequeño rey?

1. Muestra al niño que la riqueza más grande es la familia.
2. Ayuda a entender la concepción de tamaños y formas (Grande/pequeño, alto/bajo, etc)
3. Puede practicar los números hasta el 10 y buscar colores y figuras geométricas.

El libro tiene imágenes muy coloridas y lindas, para que al niño(a), pueda admirar y disfrutar el texto.

[Villain E · Rating 3 out of 5]

The interior art is as design-y as the cover, so if that appeals to you by all means check this out. A tiny king lives in a giant castle with a giant bed and a giant bath which all make him feel lonely. Then he meets a giant princess who agrees to marry him. They have a litter of ten children, and the castle now feels full.

The story is pretty simplistic. The appeal is definitely the art. I did like that the king married a taller woman without being insecure about it.

[Adriana · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Feeling lonely in a well-guarded, oversized castle where he eats sumptuous meals he cannot finish alone, rides on a horse that throws him, and sleeps poorly at night, a tiny king marries a big princess."

[Meliss · Rating 3 out of 5]

The little King is lonely until he finds a woman to make his his Queen and pop out TEN babies for him. The story is basic and straightforward. The details are in the pictures, and they inform the story more than the writing does.

[Cassidy Lott Christensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

We read this story over and over (by my son's request), because he simply couldn't get enough of it! :)
He insisted that Grandma and Grandpa needed to read it as well because he was convinced they would find it just as funny as he had.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A charming, big-family positive book with HUMAN CHARACTERS, not rabbits or ducks. I am in love.

[Miss Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very tiny king is very lonely in his life and castle until he meets s big princess. So cute and the kids loved finding the tiny king in the pictures. Toddlers and up

[Miss Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

The design is better than the story.

[Sarah Threlkeld · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cool illustrative style, but plot was lacking.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an awesome little book! I wish the author had more. Read this is my son as a bedtime story.

[Mrs Tupac · Rating 5 out of 5]

My son loved the pictures and table full of food

[Liliana Soto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Material para lectores iniciales e infantes, muy didáctico y bonitas ilustraciones coloridas.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a cute story. I skipped the page when they're all in the bath, because I knew the groups I read it to would all go "EEWWWW!"

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

sweet story of the Tiny King

[Carlos Hammurabi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hermosa literatura infantil para los menores!

Narra de forma sencilla la vida de un ser humano con todo y con nada y después encuentra algo "grande".