Post three in a three-part series on the art and craft of writing for children:

[photo courtesy of Lee Harper]

The Emperor’s Cool Clothes

The Emperor’s Cool Clothes by Lee Harper is a reimagining of the beloved tale, The Emperor’s New Clothes by Hans Christian Andersen. We’ve all read the original. A very vain, very rich man, the Emperor, orders some fancy new clothes. His greedy tailors comply, but in the process, decide to stick it to the Emperor. They spend hours and hours creating the new wardrobe and when finished, present it to the Emperor with the caveat that only those worthy will be able to see them. Of course, there are no clothes, but the Emperor doesn’t know that, and when he can’t see what he’s supposed to be wearing he thinks he himself is not worthy. The Emperor’s Cool Clothes is the same story, yes, but the real joy of this version is Harper’s amazing illustrations and cleverly reimagined characters, modernized to resonate with today’s kids. The book is beautiful, a paean to illustration. So what are you waiting for? Go buy it for your kids.  Read the interview here…