The Royal Nap

King Gordo is such a light sleeper that when he takes his afternoon nap, all commotion must absolutely cease, and when an unfortunate potscrubber comes down with a bad case of hiccups, the king despairs of ever getting his beauty sleep.

Kindergarten-Grade 3?King Gordo, a hippopotamus who reigns over a castle full of noisy animals, needs complete quiet for his daily nap. When Gerald, a rodent pot-scrubber, gets the hiccups, Gordo banishes him to the "Cold and Snowy Land." Gerald and his hiccups are gone, but still the king cannot sleep. He summons Phoebe, a young plate-scraper, to come and play for him on her lute. Her music puts him to sleep, but one day she refuses to play unless her father, Gerald, is returned to the castle. Gerald comes back, Phoebe resumes her playing, and the King's sleeping pattern is back to normal. Stevenson's unmistakable watercolors are a perfect match for Black's sense of humor. The busy cartoons lend a feeling of activity and motion to this comical story. Plates fall; flags flap in the wind; Twombly, the king's assistant, runs about in stocking feet warning others to be quiet. Gordo's eyes appear progressively redder as his naps become less frequent. After order is restored, the monarch is pictured on the back endpaper dancing in his royal robe and crown. A genuinely funny tale.?Lynn Cockett, Nutley Public Library, NJ
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

With the "Baaap, Bleep, Blaap" of trumpets, the "Whup Whup, Fupa Fup" of flapping flags and the "Klink, Klong, Kalink" of swords, the castle of King Gordo is, indeed, "a noisy place." Such tongue-twisting sound effects are integral parts of Stevenson's pictures, which feature a cast of animated animals, among them, in the role of king, an imposing hippo that wears purple robes and a jeweled crown. But each day the castle clatter stops promptly at one o'clock, the hour of the Royal Nap. When the hiccuping of the king's pot-scrubber (a bedraggled mouse named Gerald) prevents the cranky monarch from sleeping, he banishes the poor fellow to the Cold and Snowy Land. Nevertheless, naptime doesn't improve until the increasingly red-eyed royal discovers a sleep-inducing sound: the singing and lute-playing of Phoebe, the castle's plate-scraper, who is Gerald's daughter. The savvy girl strikes a deal with the king that brings her father home-and ensures the king serene snoozing forevermore. Black makes a promising debut with this perky tale, studded with amusing asides. Well matched with Stevenson's inimitable art, the story will keep any youngster awake and eager for the next syllable. Ages 3-8.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Ages 4-7. When King Gordo's sensitivity to sound makes it impossible for him to nap, he grows increasingly crabby. He actually banishes Gerald, his royal pot scrubber, to "the Cold and Snowy Land" because the old fellow cannot stop hiccuping. Luckily, His Majesty discovers that Gerald's daughter, Phoebe, the royal plate scraper, can soothe him to sleep with her lute playing. Phoebe plays along until she realizes her power and goes on strike, refusing to play a note unless the king brings her father back. Although the story is nothing special, Stevenson's buoyant, colorful illustrations play on the humor as they create a medieval world that many children will be happy to visit. And they may have a chance for a revisit, since the ending leads right into a sequel. Carolyn Phelan