“King Paul’s Celebration!” is a story of a prestigious royal polar bear family who team up with fuzzy animal friends and a seal queen! King Paul’s son, Prince Harold, must learn responsibility. Prince Harold was assigned to feed the celebration. An expedition of furry polar bears and pine martens begins! A triumphant brawl with a feisty lynx and fierce sharks transpires! The celebration teaches us about the successes of good communication, honesty, responsibility, teamwork, and treaties. Adventure thrills this story on every page, but love and friendship are the heart that drives it.
“King Paul’s Celebration!” is a story of a prestigious royal polar bear family who team up with fuzzy animal friends and a seal queen! King Paul’s son, Prince Harold, must learn responsibility. Prince Harold was assigned to feed the celebration. An expedition of furry polar bears and pine martens begins! A triumphant brawl with a feisty lynx and fierce sharks transpires! The celebration teaches us about the successes of good communication, honesty, responsibility, teamwork, and treaties. Adventure thrills this story on every page, but love and friendship are the heart that drives it.
3.5 stars
King Paul, a wise and noble polar bear, ruled over the Newfoundland Polar Bears. He was a grand leader who knew the value of partnership and cooperation. For years, his kingdom lived in harmony with the pine martens. In the pact between the two species, the pine martens would catch food to feed the kingdom, and in return, the polar bears would protect them from wolves and lynxes. It was a win-win situation.
(If you are unfamiliar with the animal, don't worry; you are not alone. I couldn't distinguish what they were in the sketches, so I looked them up online. I discovered that the pine marten is a cat-sized member of the weasel family. The writer characterizes the pine marten as smart, agile hunters, and that description matches everything I read about the predator. )
Prince Harold, the king's only son, was always causing trouble. He used his size and royal title to intimidate the pine martens. The prince stole their food and created chaos on the island. After months of taunts and pine marten's complaints, the king knew it was time to intervene. The prince needed to learn how to hunt and the importance of hard work and teamwork.
Before the expedition, the prince didn't appreciate the effort or the dangers the pine martens faced when seeking food for the kingdom. He didn't understand the value of forming alliances either. His attitude changed quickly when he was in charge of the pine marten hunting party. Readers will watch as the prince uses his size for the greater good. They will watch as a thoughtless polar bear finally understands the importance of alliances and even creates one with the Labrador Pinniped Seals. They will watch as an inconsiderate cub transforms into a great future leader of the kingdom.
Prince Harold faced off against a lynx, sharks, and a raging fire. In every harrowing situation, he was not alone. King Paul's Celebration! teaches children the importance of teamwork, responsibility, looking out for one another, hard work, and gratitude. While the story was great, the drawings could have been better. Some images looked smudged, making animals look like blobs. Where the images fell flat, the story did not. Amazon's recommended age is baby-12 years. My recommendation is 4 to 10.
3.5 stars