By MARK PRICE and illustrated by Martin Brown
THE FOOLISH KING is the first children’s book from Lord Mark Price, written to teach his daughter how to play chess.
The interactive story features beautiful and funny illustrations throughout from the illustrator of Horrible Histories – a perfect Christmas gift for any child who is keen to become a master of chess.
It’s estimated that chess is played by 500 million people in 167 countries and now you can help to create the next generation of chess champions with The Foolish King. The book is the perfect gift for young children to learn how to play one of the world’s most popular games and it’s guaranteed to keep them entertained for hours!
The Foolish King teaches children the chess moves and rules through a fabulous story, with the witty and whimsical illustrations bringing to life the characters. There are fun interactive puzzles to practice the different moves and the ultimate chess game to follow as part of the story.
The Foolish King app is an interactive, smartly-designed iPad app that is ideal for children aged six and above. Using the same story and Martin Brown’s illustrations, it features clear tutorials, tips on how to improve your technique and suggestions for chess moves to try. There are one and two player game options, three different levels (easy, medium and hard) and the ability to play a friend either side-by-side or opposite each other as on a traditional board. The Foolish King app is a superb companion to the book.
About the Author and illustrator:
Lord Price
Joined the John Lewis Partnership in 1982. He spent 17 years on the board of Waitrose, becoming Managing Director in 2007 and held this post until 2016. He was also Deputy Chairman of the John Lewis Partnership from 2013. Mark was appointed Chairman of Business in the community in 2011 and Chairman of the Prince’s Countryside Fund in 2010. In 2016, Mark was appointed Minister of State for Trade and Investment and a life peer. He will publish a number of books during 2016 and beyond.
Martin Brown
Is best known for his illustrations of the best selling Horrible Histories series. He has also written and illustrated Lesser Spotted Animals, published by David Fickling Books.
Reviews of the book and app:
The Daily Telegraph – review of the book
‘There are quite a few books to teach children chess, but none as entrancingly strange as The Foolish King … The drawings, by Horrible Histories illustrator Martin Brown, are suitably surreal and crisp’
Apps Playground (Stuart Dredge, former digital editor at the Guardian) – review of the app:
‘It’s a great idea: I’ve occasionally tried to get my sons interested in chess, but I’m not the best teacher. Providing the basics through an engaging story seems like a good alternative. It may even help me brush up on the finer points that I never learned as a child!’
What do Entertain the Kids think?
What a delightful book. Beautifully written with charming illustrations throughout. Unwittingly, as you read The Foolish King you also being taught how to play chess.
Our son, William (age7) has asked us on many occasions how to play chess, we have a wooden compendium of games which includes chess at our caravan in North Wales, it isn’t long before frustrations get the better of us and we put the compendium away and head for the beach or a DVD.
As William started to read The Foolish King, he started to tell us about chess and how he could relate what we had “failed to teach him” to what he was reading.
The Foolish King is more than a book… the gift that keeps giving.
We simply “LOVE IT”
