  | Arguers Author: Luyken, Corinna | |
| Price: $23.28 | ||
Summary:
The first argument was over a brush and a comb, which would be better for taking a tangle out of the king's beard. Next the argument over letters, then over spoons. Soon they argued all the time, and no one could remember when the arguing started or over what or by whom. So the king and queen decided to hold a contest to choose the very best arguer in the land. But what will happen when everyone is so busy arguing that they can't even hear the queen announce the start of the contest?
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (03/01/25)
Booklist (05/01/25)
Full Text Reviews:
Other - 02/24/2025 In the quarrelsome kingdom where this picture book is set, the thing common to all inhabitants is their elaborately coiffed, flowing hairstyles. Similarity aside, it’s a full-on battle royale: what starts as a spat about the effectiveness of brush versus comb in detangling the king’s serpentine beard expands across the kingdom until everyone "could argue forward and backward, right side up, and upside down." Luyken (The Tree in Me) adds that the opponents quarrel in all weather, and relish arguing not only with each other but also with flowers, fences, doorknobs, the wind-"even with the smallest of stones in the road." Soon, the royals hold a contest to decide who’s the realm’s best arguer, but when the king’s luxuriant beard catches fire, everyone quickly forgets their differences and becomes part of an impromptu bucket brigade. As the kingdom’s residents move from clashes to cooperation via an elegant, classic fairy tale tone, watercolor, ink, pencil, and gouache drawings combine the prickly energy of Ralph Steadman with the swooping lines of art nouveau style. Characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Ages 4-8. (May) - Copyright 2025
Booklist - 05/01/2025 In this peculiar picture-book hairy tale, we find a gloriously rendered kingdom chock-full of arguing grown-ups. Every citizen, always with a magnificently flowing hairstyle, is arguing on every page—over how to untangle the king’s seemingly endless beard, how to feed noodles to the queen’s hounds, and any other scenario that arises, no matter how absurd. After the king and queen announce a contest to determine the best arguer, the people are too busy arguing to even notice that the competition has begun. They carry on—until a lightning strike sets the king’s rolling beard ablaze, and they must agree on the best way to save the situation. There’s an otherworldly delight to the strange world Luyken has crafted, made wondrous by the vivid, fine-lined illustrations depicting countless arguers in a wonderful sort of Victorian-circus fashion, all topped with long, extravagantly styled hairdos. This is art that can be pored over time and time again, and young readers will jump at the chance to argue themselves, prompted or not. Strangely beautiful. - Copyright 2025 Booklist.
