The Cook and the King (Aziza's Secret Fairy Door, 293)

Product Information

I studied Drama and French at Bristol University, where I met Malcolm, a guitar-playing medic to whom I’m now married. My real breakthrough was THE GRUFFALO, again illustrated by Axel. We work separately - he’s in London and I’m in Glasgow - but he sends me letters with lovely funny pictures on the envelopes. From a star picture-book partnership, Julia Donaldson and the award-winning Catherine Rayner comes a gorgeous story about friendship and working together. The ensuing story shows the king learning to take care of his own needs while teaching the squirrelly chef what really needs doing in the kitchen. The book is funny and a sly mini-documentary on getting people to help themselves. After all, we only truly appreciate a reward when we’ve earned it fairly and through our own efforts. Author Anna Kemp introduces The Hollow Hills, the sequel to her dark magical tale, Into Goblyn Wood.

There's harmony in the air when the animals get together to make music and put on a concert with a difference! There's an Owl in My Towel is a beautiful and engaging book for little ones from Julia Donaldson and Rebecca Cobb, the creators of the bestselling The Paper Dolls and The Everyw... Read more There's a commotion in the classroom as Goat and the other animals spend the day at playgroup. The musical instruments and the dressing up box are lots of fun, but - oh dear! - Goat gets into a mud... Read more A laugh-out-loud pirate adventure from the stellar picture-book partnership of Julia Donaldson and David Roberts.

A hairy mammoth takes a cheeky little baby on a thrilling ride through a moonlit landscape populated by a sabre-toothed tiger, a leaping hare, a laughing hyena and even, just maybe, by a big brown ... Read more A brilliantly entertaining 'be-careful-what-you-wish-for' tale that's full of farmyard fun – from the bestselling Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Anna Currey in her charming, classic style. Read more

In Poems to Perform, Julia Donaldson has chosen poems with performance by children in mind, and her notes and ideas on performing them are included in a special section at the end of the ... Read more The Cook and the King' by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by David Roberts, is a cute story that shows how working together, and sometimes working alone with someone by your side, can lead to success. When the King hires Wobbly Bob to be his new cook, he gets more than he bargained for. Wobbly Bob tells the King from the moment he is hired that he is a “bit of a wimp” but would love the job. The King, eager to have someone fill the position, takes Bob on, but soon he finds himself catching the fish, chopping potatoes, frying everything up, and more. Wobbly Bob is too scared to do any of these things. The King, though, takes on the challenge, encouraging Wobbly Bob to let him help. In the end, the final product is made by the King, but he is shown to have enjoyed the process of working with Bob to do the work and make the food, priding Bob (and himself, by extension) on a job well done. Bestselling author Alexandra Christo, author of TikTok sensation To Kill a Kingdom, introduces her new book, The Night Hunt (Hot Key Books), a dark... but the king is very fussy; he tries all the cooks in the kingdom, but no one is good enough. Then he spots Wobbly Bob. Maybe Bob can whip up his favourite dinner? But how will Bob be able to cook for the king when he's scared of . . . well, everything?!My novel The Giants and the Joneses is going to be made into a film by the same team who made the Harry Potter movies, and I have written three books of stories about the anarchic Princess Mirror-Belle who appears from the mirror and disrupts the life of an otherwise ordinary eight-year-old. Discover how the hungry king helps Wobbly Bob face his fears on a cooking adventure across the land and sea. It's a Little Baby is a beautiful and engaging lift-the-flap book for little ones from Julia Donaldson and Rebecca Cobb, the creators of the bestselling The Paper Dolls and The ... Read more Written by the brilliant Julia Donaldson and stunningly illustrated by the award-winning Sara Ogilvie, T he Hospital Dog is a big-hearted tale about a very special, very brave dog.<... Read more David Almond introduces his new picture book, A Way to the Stars, a story about perseverance and finding a way to make dreams come true.

There was once a very hungry king, who needed a cook like anything... the story begins. But none of the applicants seem to match his high standards. Enter Wobbly Bob, the chef who would love to attempt all of the King's culinary challenges if only he dared. His chant of "I'm scared! I'm scared! I'm terribly scared!" was enjoyed by my Reception class. They seemed to understand the humour of the ending, that it was actually the King who had managed to prepare the delicious meal by helping Bob with every stage of the process, yet he ends up hiring him because he believed it was Bob who was the fantastic cook. As one of my 5 year olds so shrewdly observed:- " he doesn't need a cook after all, he can do it all himself!" The Cook and the King is a brilliantly funny story from the award-winning picture book duo Julia Donaldson and David Roberts, creators of Tyrannosaurus Drip. With fun rhyming verse and richly detailed illustrations, this is sure to become a firm favourite with children and adults alike. As with all brilliant children’s books the final words are missing. You will have to listen carefully but a little voice will say “Again.” and if not too tired “Again please.” The poor fellow even gets the king to share perfect meal idea and if he could serve it to the king the prestigious job would surely be his. I really enjoy writing verse, even though it can be fiendishly difficult. I used to memorise poems as a child and it means a lot to me when parents tell me their child can recite one of my books.This wasn't a problem as my six year old knew the story and was keen to asked to keep this book, The Cook And The King, which is a great story to read, the story tells how the King begins his search of finding a cook, but ends up employing Wobbly Bob who s anything but a cook! And what the king fails to realise is he does his own cooking but only once he’s caught his own fish, oh and dug up some potatoes to cut into chips to go with his fish. A very amusing, funny, witty and silly multi talented King indeed. but the king is very fussy; he tries all the cooks in the kingdom, but no one is good enough. Then he spots Wobbly Bob. Maybe Bob can whip up his favourite dinner? But how will Bob be able to cook for the king when he’s scared of . . . well, everything?! It is a marvellously funny and repetitive story that will enthuse and assist children as they listen to the words. They form a familiar rhythm as the story progresses and once you start reading it you almost immediately feel you’ve read it before.

Julia Donaldson is a recognised author of children’s stories. The Gruffalo being one most kids know without fail. So we are talking about a writer with some nous and clout. It seems her skills of making up stories has been passed onto her son who recounts his own made up tales at bedtime. The result of all this talent is The Cook and the King. I had not heard of it prior to reading it and I am not aware it is the name of a pub.

Summary

Bright, bold and accessible, this collection of rhymes and poems for children is perfect for joining in. There... Read more The illustrator David Roberts really has captured the characters with the very vocal king and Wobbly Bob that they appear to come to life. I also continued to write “grown-up” songs and perform them in folk clubs and on the radio, and have recently released two CDs of these songs. Meet everyone's favourite crime-busting ladybird in this collection of four brilliantly funny stories from the bestselling What the Ladybird Heard series, read by Alexander Armstrong – perfect f... Read more The Nottinghill Carnival takes central stage in this story about families, memories and the power of dance and festivals. Author Yaba Badoe tells...