Although not yet critically acclaimed, this book deserves a wider readership. It is the story of the King of Things who controls his environment with a complex system of strings, and the change that comes when he realizes that you can't control everything, especially the Cranberry Clown.

This wonderful book for young readers was written in poem form by John Callahan, a cartoonist with a penchant for black humor. There are glimpses of that black humor (like when he mentions the gators and sharks and "everything else they were chomping on") which will appeal to young readers but not alienate them. The rhyming poem form makes the book easy to read for most young readers.

Actually, the book is very inviting, especially with the fanciful, full-color watercolor and ink illustrations which depict the King of Things in various emotional states, from surprised (with bulging eyes) to sad (with tear-spewing eyes). The illustrations show how extensive the King's grip is, but they also show how the Cranberry Clown is able to reside outside of the King's domain.

The message of this book is poignant and clear: everyone is a king in this world and trying to control the actions of others at all times is undesirable because spontaneity is valuable. This is a message that young readers (and readers of all ages) can take to heart. ( )