Pablo Neruda Book of Questions illustrated by Paloma Valdivia translated by Sara Lissa Paulson

Where does the stuff of dreams go? 

Does it pass into the dreams of others?

I am a fan of books with questions (and sometimes even answers). This book has some incredible and possibly unanswerable questions that might spark some philosophical discussions with your students in all grades. Here are a few of the questions selected for this book from 39 of the original poems that I enjoyed thinking about:

Who shouted for joy when the colour blue was born?

Do unshed tears wait in little lakes?

How did the abandoned bicycle find its freedom?

Does smoke strike up a conversation with clouds?

What knowledge is in the bee for it to figure out its itinerary?

Why don't they teach helicopters how to draw honey from the sun?

And what do you call that month between December and January?

See more art from Pablo Neruda Book of Questions

The text on this page says:

What do you call a flower that flits from bird to bird? 

Which birds dictate the order of the flock while it flies?

Editor's Note: "We hope that you enjoy these questions, and that, however they arrive for each of you, they come as a reminder of the vastness of our unknowing and a call to passionate engagement in endlessly re-envisioning the world."

Wait until you see the COVER of this book.  My image above does not do it justice. All of the printing is on a clear overlay and then when you lift this off you see the amazing illustration which stretches across the front and back covers.

With a clear acetate jacket with striking green lettering (an homage to Neruda’s affinity for writing in green ink, which he saw as the color of hope), this edition contains six magnificent gatefold spreads that lift to reveal more questions and expanded illustrations, inviting readers into deeper and deeper reflection. Enchanted Lion

Read more about this book and especially about the creation of the illustrations here. 

Pablo Neruda (1904-1973) was known as a poet and ambassador of the Chilean people. During a time of social upheaval, he traveled the world as a diplomat and an exile, served as a Senator for the Chilean Communist Party, and published more than 35,000 pages of poetry in his native Spanish. Here are a few quick facts:

• Pablo Neruda was the pen name of Neftali Ricardo Reyes Basoalto
• He published his first poems when he was 13
• A Czech poet, Jan Neruda (1834-1891), inspired the young poet and so he took his last name
• He received numerous prestigious awards, including the International Peace Prize in 1950, the Lenin Peace Prize and the Stalin Peace Prize in 1953, and the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1971
• Neruda occupied many diplomatic positions in various countries during his lifetime and served a term as a Senator for the Chilean Communist Party
• When Neruda died in 1973, The Book of Questions was one of eight unpublished poetry manuscripts that lay on his desk

El libro de las preguntas (The Book of Questions) contains:

"320 unanswerable questions, these poems integrate the wonder of a child with the experiences of an adult. By turns Orphic, comic, surreal, and poignant, Neruda’s questions lead the reader beyond reason into realms of intuition and pure imagination. In his introduction, O’Daly writes, “These poems, more so than any of Neruda’s other work, remind us that living in a state of visionary surrender to the elemental questions, free of the quiet desperation of clinging too tightly to answers, may be our greatest act of faith.”

The 320 questions in the original book were presented in a sequence of 74 poems each containing three to six questions for a total of 320 questions. 

"What Neruda shares with us as an old man isn't the arrival of truth, but the astonishing freedom of a curious mind that dares to reimagine the world again and again."

Here is the English edition of his book (for adults):

Awards for Pablo Neruda Book of Questions illustrated by Paloma Valdivia:

• Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the 21st Century (So Far)
• NYT Best Children’s Book of 2022
• Marginalian (aka Brain Pickings) Favorite Book of 2022
• Bank Street College of Education Best Children’s Book of 2023, Outstanding Merit
• 2023 Bologna Ragazzi Award Amazing Bookshelf Selection

How did I find Pablo Neruda Book of Questions? I borrowed an odd little book from a library illustrated by Paloma Valdivia. At first I was unfamiliar with this name but digging deeper I found she was a Hans Chrsitian Andersen nominee in 2024 and that she comes from Chile. A few years ago our IBBY Australia group met up with an IBBY delegate from Chile and we were able to show her our NSW State Library children's book exhibition. Investigating the art of Palmoa Valdivia I saw this book cover and a few of the pages and I was intrigued. Then I saw this AUS$35 book was reduced to AUS$28 so I decided to buy it!

I have no expertise about Pablo Neruda but by chance I recently talked about this book which is a biography suitable for readers aged 7+ and which I was shown when we were hosting our visitor from Chile:

Pablo Neruda Poet of the People

Searching for Treasure by Johanna Bell illustrated by Emma Long

I have read hundreds or even thousands of books, especially picture books, but every now and then a new book comes along that surprises and completely delights me. The first double spread took my breath away. 

Image source: Larrikin House

Think about all the conversations you could have over this one page - where are they going? who can you see? how do they feel? how do you know this? what do you know about the weather and the season? can you see some things on the edge of the sand near the water? what might they find?

When you walk along a beach you do have to look closely to see all the treasures. This book shows you the treasures in real life sizes, but you are invited to look really closely to discover an interesting science fact about each of these wondrous things. I am so excited to see fingernail shells - I well remember finding these on a beach when I was a very young child. 

So, this could just be a science book about the seashore - but it is so much more. I am not going to spoil the final fold out page but it is sure to delight your young reader and perhaps entice you to take a walk along a nearby beach.

Bookseller blurb: Searching for treasure on the high tide line. One step, two steps, what can you find? A walk on the beach becomes a joyous, creative adventure. What has the sea washed up? Can you find its hidden treasures? Find sea urchins and shark's eggs, ghost crabs and cuttlefish, limpets and barnacles and so much more.

There is an important note on the imprint page - "With thanks to Dr Catherine Cavallo for her marine species expertise." So, you can be assured of the authority of the science facts.

You can share this book with a very young child because the text contains a repeated pattern but an older child is sure to be fascinated by all the tiny details written in tiny italic text beside each treasure.

One step, two steps, what can you find? Searching for treasure on the high tide line. Three steps, four steps, what can you find?

Here are a few 'fun facts':

• The best time to look for shells is after a storm
• Baby sharks are called pups!
• Sponges are animals not plants
• Periwinkles can't swim

Huge congratulations to Allen and Unwin on the book design used for Searching for Treasure. This book has a fold out which I already mentioned but there are also sculptured half pages somewhat like a lift-the-flap. The tide is out on the front end paper and the tide is coming back in on the back end paper. This has huge implications for the final image - oh no!

It is a long way off, but I am going to predict Searching for Treasure will be a CBCA 2026 Notable. Here are some teachers notes. 

I loved that Searching for Treasure has two ways it can be read; large simple text is a prompt to look at the picture and point things out, plus there is small text between the treasures, educational facts winding between the illustrations. These were like hidden treasures in themselves. Little Squirrel's Bookshelf (click this link to see more illustrations inside this book)

The final gatefold is masterful!  The Bottom Shelf

Johanna Bell lives in Tasmania where she writes fiction and runs a community arts business called StoryProjects. Johanna is the author of The Colour Catchers, illustrated by Laura Stitzel and Hope is the Thing, illustrated by Erica Wagner.  

Hope is the Thing

Emma Long is an accomplished artist, exhibiting regularly in group and solo exhibitions across the Northern Territory. Emma lives in Darwin with their husband and four children and continues to work as an illustrator and an art educator. Other books they have illustrated include Diane Lucas and Ben Tyler's Walking in Gagudju Country and Walking the Rock Country in Kakadu.

Over and Over by MH Clark illustrated by Beya Rebai

"And all the while, we'll watch the clouds change, making rabbits and fish in the sky. 
They will never quite look this way again, and neither will you or I."

This is a beautifully illustrated book that falls into a category I previous discussed - Poetry with Pictures. There is no real plot just a series of slightly philosophical statements or homilies. The words are also a series of wisdoms shared by an adult to their child. I put one of my favourite lines under the cover above.

"Over and over, the sun will rise and touch the sky above. And over and over you'll open your eyes, good morning to you, my love."

"Over and over we'll put on our shoes and our coats and our warm wool hats. And I'll open the door to the world with you. And we'll greet the day like that."

From the publisher: In a world marked by uncertainty, this reassuring tale celebrates the gentle rituals that ground a child’s day. Over and Over follows a young girl and her father as they enjoy life’s simple everyday pleasures—from sitting down for breakfast to gazing at the clouds to counting the stars before lying down to sleep. With poetic storytelling and captivating imagery, each page honors the calming magic of togetherness and the comforts in routine. 

And we will leave angels and footprints and tracks in the field, all gone sparkling and white.

Near the end of the book the pages fold out to reveal all four seasons. 

Here is a very detailed interview with the author MH Clark and the illustrator Beya Rebai. Read more about MH Clark and see inside other books here. See more art by French illustrator Beta Rebai here. 

There are other books in this series by MH Clark:

And I found these too - I am keen to see more of her work:

One Snowy Night by Nick Butterworth

"One winter's night it was so cold it began to snow. ... He made himself some hot cocoa and got ready for bed. Suddenly, Percy heard a tapping sound. There was somebody at the door."

On the doorstep Percy, the Park Keeper, finds a very cold and miserable squirrel. Naturally Percy invites him to come inside. Just as they settle down, though, there is another knock at the door. 

Very young children respond well to patterns in stories. I am sure you have anticipated both the pattern here and the dilemma as more and more of the park animals arrive to shelter with Percy. 

"The animals pushed and shoved and rolled around the bed, but there was just not enough room for all of them."

Luckily there is one more visitor - the mole emerges from under the floor - but I bet you can't guess how he 'solves' the problem.

One Snowy Night was first published in 1989. My copy from a recent charity book sale is a 2019 reprint. Here are some other books by Nick Butterworth about Percy. I think there are more than 30 altogether including board books, activity books, individual picture books and bind-up versions. In this video Nick Butterworth reads After the Storm:

Seven for a Secret by Laurence Anholt illustrated by Jim Coplestone

One for sorrow,

Two for joy,

Three for a girl,

Four for a boy,

Five for silver,

Six for gold,

Seven for a secret,

Never to be told.

Ruby lives in an apartment in the city. Grampa lives in the country near a forest. Grampa and Ruby write letters and magically the words in the nursery rhyme that Grampa has sent seem to come true. But what is the secret?

From the blurb: "Told entirely in letter form and woven around the ancient rhyme of the magpies, Laurence Anholt's profoundly moving story is about youth and old age, sunshine and snow, sorrow and joy, birth and death - most of all it is a song of love and hope."

Ruby writes about city life, the noise, the winter cold, the news that a baby brother is coming, then summer arrives and dad builds a bird table, but in the next letter she tells Grampa that mum and dad are worried about money. Grampa writes about the magpie in his garden, tracks in the snow, then he is unwell but he does send a necklace for Ruby and an interesting secret message. Sadly, Grampa dies but when the family move into his forest home they discover an amazing secret! Five for silver, six for gold!

There is a mystical, almost fey, element to this story, along with a lyricism that makes it memorable. The gentle, autumnal watercolour illustrations reflect perfectly the poignant interwoven text, Grampa’s growing weakness, and Ruby’s sadness, and the end pages with post-people carrying the letters in town and country are a delight. Books for Keeps

Everyone has secrets. Some secrets are happy, like the one Grandpa has for Ruby. She’s going to be a big sister, and Grandpa has “been hiding shiny things” that he plans to pass on to her. Other secrets are sad, such as Dad’s fear that they will lose their home and not be able to afford the new baby. But Grandpa has the saddest secret of all: he’s dying and may never see Ruby again or get to meet her baby brother. Foreword Reviews

If I had a rating system for end papers this book would be awarded a gold star. At the front we see the postwoman traveling over a bridge through the city and at the back a different postman is riding his bike across the countryside. I do hope you can find this book from 2006 in your local or school library. 

Ancestory: the mystery and majesty of ancient cave art by Hannah Salyer

Ancestry - Ancestory - this book is about the stories of our ancestors that we have discovered through their rock art and cave art. Hence the clever title.

"These time capsules take the shape of ancient tock paintings, drawings and etchings. But who made them? Our ancestors. ... Their art can be found all over the world."

Image source: Hannah Salyer

Ancient people made this art. Some of it took a long time to create. There is a wonderful double page in this book which shows some of the materials and tools they used. A curious reader is sure to want to know more about azurite; goethite; limonite; selenite; and cuprite. With your young reader or class you could experiment with charcoal and ochre using a shell or flint as a tool. (Note there is a very useful further reading list at the back of the book).

What did they draw? Another fabulous double page shows art from 64,000 years ago through to 300 years ago from all around the world - South Africa, Saudi Arabia, India, Finland, Spain, Australia and Namibia. Then turn the page to see the numerous animals that have been discovered - animals that are now extinct - Eurasian Wild horse, Moa, Irish Elk, Woolly Rhino, Woolly Mammoth, Cave bear and Eurasian Cave Lion. 

"Our ancestors used natural shapes in the stone to help define the creatures, so that they seem to emerge from the walls."

The other issue is preservation of this precious art. Art in caves has often survived because it was not subject to wind and rain. There are some notes in the back of the book about the Lascaux Caves in France. Over the decades they were open to the public (they are now closed) and the breath of the visitors "drastically changed the atmosphere, and condensation formed on the walls and ceilings. Moisture sullied the paintings. Mould developed. And high-powered lighting caused the painting to fade." Show your class this 3 minute film. 

 But what else do we know?

"Archaeologists study tirelessly to connect the dots, and sometimes people who are part of local indigenous communities still have distant familiarity with these ancient sites and stories."

Publisher blurb: Around the world, our ancient ancestors’ mysterious art is left behind on cave walls, in rainforests, and with ink made from charcoal and crushed clay. These people told their stories in magnificent drawings that still speak to us today, echoing across generations. In her own stunning artwork that features the deserts of North America to the caves of Papua New Guinea, Hannah Salyer showcases ancient rock paintings, drawings, and etchings and invites us to add to the ongoing story—our ancestory.

The back matter expands the text with more information:

• site maps and lists of places where rock art sites are found
• “A Story Within a Story: The rediscovery of the Lascaux Caves”
• an author note
• a glossary of “Words to Know”
• a timeline
• resources for Further Reading and Investigation

The author raises questions about how and why our ancestors crafted their art: “Mapping the stars? Documenting the world around them?” Readers will also learn our forebears used all-natural materials, such as charcoal, ash, and malachite, and tools including flint, shells, and yucca stalks. Excellent explanatory backmatter concludes this fascinating book. Kirkus Star review

This unusual and brilliant book will appeal to a wide age range of readers who will want to study it in repeated readings. I anticipate that teachers will want to introduce the book to different classes, like art, history and composition. It makes an excellent read aloud. Worlds of Words

I spied this book when I was shopping at Gleebooks with my friend and I suggested she could buy this for her school library. That means I am the lucky first borrower of this utterly brilliant book. I also relate to the content of this text because as a child we used to clamber over rock art in a local reserve near my home. There was a kangaroo carved into those rocks a little like the one on the cover of this book - which is art from Arnhem Land.

Awards:

• Bank Street Children’s Best Books of the Year
• Vermont Red Clover Book Award
• Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2020
• Outstanding Science Trade Books for Children (NSTA/CBC)
• New York Public Library’s Best Books for Kids
• CBC Best Book of the Year

Watch this film where Hannah describes her book. You can read more about Hannah Salyer here. "The artist used ceramic sculpture, photography, coloured pencils, charcoal pigment and digital media to create the illustrations for this book."

Please add this book to your school library and then find a passionate teacher who you know will enjoy exploring this fascinating topic with their class. 

Chengdu could not would not fall asleep by Barney Saltzberg

"It was late, and it was quiet, and everyone in the bamboo grove was sleeping ..."

Everyone except - Chengdu! He tosses and turns, tosses and twitches, scrunches and rolls. Perhaps he can find a comfortable spot higher in the tree?

This book was published in 2017 but it is still available and for a good price, but I would suggest acting fast - this won't last. Young children will especially love the way Barney Saltzberg uses artful page turns, gatefolds, and half pages. He truly knows how to keep readers in suspense and he knows how to keep them turning the pages plus the final scene will give everyone a smile!

Bookseller blurb: High in his bamboo tree, a young panda named Chengdu lies awake while everyone around him is sleeping. No matter what he tries, he cannot fall asleep. He turns and he tosses. He scrunches and he rolls. He even hangs upside down. Finally he climbs up and up and up, until he finds the perfect spot atop his brother. Panda pile!

Little sleepyheads will love chanting along with the words, and no one can deny the appeal of the art. A bedtime winner. Kirkus Star review

Take less than a minute and watch the trailer. And here is an activity to go with this book. 

Here is the first book about Chengdu:

My own favourite Barney Saltzberg book which I have read aloud hundreds of times is Crazy Hair Day. Take a look at this post too. 

Butterfly Park by Elly Mackay

Moving to her new house in an area that seems drab and grey a little girl notices a sign - Butterfly Park - but sadly there are no butterflies. I love that she takes a gift when she makes her first visit - "for it was always smart to make a good first impression."

There are butterflies in the town but when a young boy helps her catch one and then release it in the Butterfly Park it just flutters away. What is missing? Have you guessed? YES butterflies need flowers for their nectar. But how can this one girl bring flowers to the park - the answer is she cannot do this alone - this is the time for community action. The results are wonderful and Elly Mackay celebrates the renewal of the park with a double spread fold out page showing all the flowers, butterflies and happy children.  Make sure you look at the perfect end papers too. And if you can find this book I have read that under the dust jacket there is a surprise. You can see inside this book here. 

I live in Australia and yes, I do talk about our books, but I also love to share books from around the world. I was thrilled to discover this book, which comes from Canada. It was published in 2015 but it is still available and for a good price. I suggest adding this book to your shopping list today - I'm not sure it will be available much longer?

Book seller blurb: When a little girl moves to a new town, she finds a place called Butterfly Park. But when she opens the gate, there are no butterflies. Determined to lure the butterflies in, the girl inspires her entire town to help her. And with their combined efforts, soon the butterflies, and the girl, feel right at home. Elly MacKay's luminous paper-cut illustrations and enchanting story encourage community, friendship, and wonderment in the beauty of everyday life. 

The feel-good messages of enjoying nature, rehabilitating under-used green space, and community-building are presented organically in the story, which moves at a pleasantly even pace. But the real treat here is the art. MacKay in in top form, and readers will delight in the mix of colours, textures, and perspectives she employs in creating the visual elements of this lovely book. Quill and Quire

Elly MacKay is an award winning picture book maker living in Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada with her family. She is the author and illustrator of several books such as Butterfly Park, Red Sky at Night and If You Hold a Seed. She attended the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design as well as The University of Canterbury with a focus on printmaking and illustration. She also has a Bachelor of Education from Nipissing University. Elly taught both in schools and as an educator at galleries before pursuing a career in picture books. You can follow her work on Instagram.

I would pair Butterfly Park with this one:

Butterflies belong here

In an interview with NPR Elly Mackay to talk about her illustrations in The Enchanted Symphony (by Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton) explained her art process: She starts by building miniature sets, complete with the scenery and characters. Then she lights and photographs them, giving the images a more three-dimensional quality. You can read more about this here. 

This illustrated style reminded me of Soyeon Kim and her use of dioramas. I also thought of The Secret Sky Garden which is one of my favourite books. 

Here are other books illustrated by Elly Mackay:

Bev and Kev by Katrina Germein illustrated by Mandy Foot

Where does Bev fit? She is SO tall. The other animals say cruel things to her, mocking her for her height, belittling her for being different. Bev is desperately lonely and very sad. She heads off into the desert. Finally, after days of walking and extreme thirst and hunger Bev collapses in the desert. But she is not alone. A little bird arrives. 

You may already know that yellow-billed oxpeckers hang out on massive African mammals like giraffe, water buffalo, and eland during the day—an often-beneficial relationship that provides hosts with cleaner, healthier skin. These small brown birds can often be seen perched on top or hanging off the animals, picking through their hair in search of tasty parasites like ticks.

Book design - the end papers in Bev and Kev are perfect - they look like the markings on a giraffe. At the front there are simple (child-like) pictures of giraffes on each 'spot' and then at the back we can see nine other African animals - okapi, colobus monkey, secretary bird, and red river hog. The final pages of this book fold out in a joyous celebration of new friends. But the best part of this book are the illustrations.  Take a look at these close-ups of Bev's face. Mandy Foot captures every emotional nuance so perfectly.

Bev and Kev was a 2023 Children's Book Council of Australia Early Childhood shortlisted title. Here are the judges comments:

Themes of friendship, acceptance and finding one’s place and tribe are explored as Bev the giraffe moves through the African landscape, experiencing social rejection from animals that cannot relate to her due to her size. Using the theme ‘opposites attract’, readers may empathise with Bev's loneliness and her joy at finding a non-judgmental companion. Interesting synonyms for ‘big’ provide rich language, while important messages are imparted, such as body image, the comfort found in companionship and how our words may affect others. The pencil and watercolour illustrations shift in perspectives, emphasising Bev’s great height and perfectly matching her mood as seen in the bird’s eye view of her solitary walk. The southern African setting is clearly defined in these outstanding watercolour and pencil illustrations which are placed onto digitally rendered backgrounds, capturing the mood of the story to perfection. Illustrations and text harmonise well, and the spectacularly eye-catching final fold-out page creates a lovely resolution, told wordlessly.

I am sure Bev and Kev has been shared in every school library in Australia this year, but my plea is to keep it at the top of your list when you are selecting books to read in your school library again next year and beyond. I often ponder which books from awards such as our CBCA book of the year titles continue to be shared by Teacher-Librarians and even class teachers. It surprises me, when I look back at the CBCA short lists from past years, how few books featured in my program in later years, but I do think Bev and Kev should be added to your library read aloud repertoire. 

Here are all the books from the 2023 CBCA Short list - Bev and Kev was my own personal favourite after Jigsaw. I have also talked on this blog about Market Day. 

The way Bev and Kev combines actual animals (in this case African animals) with things that are true in nature reminded me of these two classic animal stories both of which are a joy to read aloud.

Puffling

Little Humpty

Boxes are fun

 

My Pinterest "Boxes can be fun".

I have talked about boxes and books that feature boxes used for imaginative play in previous posts. This week I borrowed a terrific book from a school library - Box by Min Flyte illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw Nosy Crow (2015) - sorry to say, though, this book is now out of print. 

Bookseller blurb: When four toddlers find some toys in cardboard boxes, they play with them for a while. But, before long, the friends' interest in the toys wanes and their attention turns to the boxes themselves. What could they do with SO many boxes, they wonder?

Thomas has a box. A lovely little box. What do you think is inside his box? 
(lift the flap) It's a drum. Can you guess what he'll do with his drum?

My friend has a tiny new nephew living in London - I do wish I could send the family Box which I thought of after watching a fun family video where this little boy climbs in and out of a box giggling every time he 'surprises' the attentive adults. 

Further evidence that, for young children at least, boxes are gifts that keep on giving. Kirkus

If you work in a preschool boxes and books about boxes could provide weeks of fun for every child. I do hope you might explore this idea. My friend from Kinderbookswitheverything has an enormous collection of books about cardboard boxes. Check out her Pinterest. 

The Big Princess by Taro Miura

A geometric kaleidoscope of digital images 

and collage forms the bones of this winsome tale. Kikus

"Once upon a time in a land far, far away, there lived a king and queen. The king and queen had no children of their own, but they had a beautiful garden full of all kinds of flowers."

A white bird comes into the king's dream and tells him they will find a child in their garden but she is under spell and if the spell is not broken "your kingdom will fall to ruins and be lost forever."

The king and queen do find a tiny baby in their garden. She is almost as small as a dew drop but each day she grows bigger and bigger until she is as tall as the tallest tower beside the castle. Everyone is in despair but the king notices something strange.

"There in the tower window! It was the princess's belly button and something was hidden inside it ... something shiny."  It is a seed!

Image source: Garden Tech

This is a book which uses a fairy tale story form with very appealing illustrations designed around geometric shapes. Perhaps it is also a fable that explains the origin of huge sunflowers and why they are so tall.  This book was originally published in Japan in 2013 and then Walker books published the English version in 2014. 

Illustrated with colourful cutouts, this book is a visual delight. The unique digital collage artwork will inspire a host of related art activities. School Library Journal

I would love to pair this book with a very old book that I once had in a school library. It is a book I search for at every used book sale - The Story of Imelda who was Small by Morris Lurie illustrated by Terry Denton.

Taro Miura is a Japanese-born author and illustrator of many books for children, including The Tiny King and The Big Princess. He graduated from Osaka University of the Arts, and his work has featured in both domestic exhibitions and international book fairs. He was awarded the Sankei Children's Book Art Award in 2011 for his picture book Chiisa na osama (The Tiny King). He lives and works in Tokyo.

Once upon a time there was a tiny king who lived in a big castle guarded by lots of big soldiers. Every day the Tiny King eats an enormous feast at his big dining table (he can never finish it all), he rides on his big horse (he is so tiny that he's thrown off every time), bathes in his big bath (not much fun), and sleeps, not very well, in his big bed all alone. Everything is just too big, and the Tiny King is sad and lonely. Until one day he meets a big princess and asks her to be his queen. Not long after, they are blessed with children - lots of children! Now everything is just the right size. The enormous meals are always gobbled up, his horse is just the right size for family outings, bath time is a real riot, and the Tiny King sleeps soundly at last.  Here is a review in Seven Impossible things.

Taro Miura has a very distinct art style that really appeals to me though sadly many of his books are now out of print. I do like the look of his board books. I wish more of them were available in English.  Here are two I found along with some in Japanese.