King Rollo and the bread

King Rollo

by David McKee

King Rollo's new shoes have laces and he is very proud when he learns to tie them himself.

27 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1979

About the author

David McKee was a British writer and illustrator, chiefly of children's books and animations. He also used the pseudonym Violet Easton. He is frequently referenced as David (John) McKee. He has been commended for his gentle, playful but insightful stories.

For his contribution as a children's illustrator he was UK nominee for the biennial, international Hans Christian Andersen Award in 2006.

Reviews

[Jan-Maat]

I was reminded of this book at Christmas as we snapped open the crackers and I put on the traditional paper crown, as it was gold in colour I looked rather like King Rollo himself - although considerably less square physically, it is only my personality so much so that as I have said a couple of times, I make quadrangles look exciting and not my body which is square. Anyhow King Rollo was the debonair anti-hero of a series of children's books, a good few of which I read more times than I could count even using my fingers and toes to my younger sister this due to the unjust absence of any older sibling to read to. In these stories a the mother is represented by a capable cook, the father by a wizard, the child by the eponymous King Rollo - demanding, imperious, impetuous, and impervious to gentle instruction or any kind of learning presumably the author was somewhat less than enchanted by the experience of fatherhood. In this story he demands that the wizard impresses a traveller by transforming his loaf of bread into all kinds of other things not bread crumbs or sandwiches, but rocks or jewels and stuff generally under duress this the wizard does. This gave rise to the saying "I just want my bread back", which curiously myself and my sister find ourselves often saying, particularly when either I give my sister a loaf of bread or for some reason of her own fancies that I bake one for her. Sadly on close reexamination of the text, it appears that the traveller doesn't actually say this, but something else similar but less memorable eventually the poor fellow does get his bread back . In other books King Rollo has other similar adventures sometimes featuring his friends Queen Gwendoline and King Frank. I wonder if the purpose of the story is not to encourage children to leave other people and their lunches in peace, so much as to encourage parents to cope better with their children by encouraging them to understanding them as little monarchs, but who with patience and considerable amounts of time might manage to grow up to be real people.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars