The King Who Banned the Dark

Product Information

Although the book's inspiration was initially about celebrating the beauty of the dark and how removing something so vital could only truly be valued in its absence, Haworth-Booth also saw potential in developing as a more Canutian cautionary tale. The story explores how the general public can be manipulated through dirty politics.

Having studied graphic design at art school in Aberdeen, I started my career by designing theatre posters and set designs before moving into marketing and advertising. Fast forward 25 years and I have now worked on major campaigns for some of the biggest UK and international brands as well as high street retailers.

I thought this was a brilliant story, a king who decides to ban the dark as he was scared of it when he was younger. I can imagine many young children may have experienced this and therefore it is easy for them to identify with the character and they may feel more comfortable having these discussions! A modern fairy-tale, akin to The Emperor's New Clothes, told with sophistication and paired with extraordinary beautiful illustrations in monotones, juxtaposed with vibrant yellow.' - Space on the Bookshelf Readers can only hope that, as in this story, they will live to see a rational resistance to superficiality, to that constant dazzle, behind which no true, real content is concealed. For when it became clear that all were tired of so much light and celebrating and that they needed a change, the guards had to be outwitted, and the artificial sunlight switched off. At this moment, The King Who Banned the Dark becomes a story of resistance and the possibility of the individual to oppose the unthinking, automatic and often dangerous straying of the mass. Some people will be able to separate themselves from the crowd, shout that the emperor has no clothes, and really set off and work for their own and for the common good. Real changes will be instigated by thinking individuals who want to do good, especially if they have some help and don’t feel completely alone in their efforts. That is what happened in this story – organised resistance bore fruit.

Also as a post discussion, we could make some cross curricular links! Yes, no dark means no sleep! But what else would Politics and environmental issues are subjects close to her heart and often appear as themes in her work. Emily’s hotly-tipped debut children’s book, The King Who Banned the Dark (Pavilion, 2018), was shortlisted for numerous prestigious awards: The Klaus Flugge Award (for debut illustrators), The Little Rebels Children’s Book Award, The Waterstone’s Children’s Book Prize, IndependentBookshop Week Book Award. The book is currently nominated for the Kate Greenaway Medal.

Teaching about the latest events?

Wonderful book about overcoming worries/fears and finding the beauty/positives in things we were once scared of! An important message to get across to children, especially in KS1. This is a gorgeous picture book and its only possible downside is that your kids, like mine, might start banning things willy-nilly.' -- Robyn Wilder - The Pool while with older kids, this picture book can be a great conversation starter about fake news, dictatorships and rebellions.