• Age: 8
• Grade: 3

p style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px" align=left>Max is the cook’s dog. And because he is also the king’s taster, Max gets to feast on wild boar! cheese pies! rose pudding! No wonder Max loves his job. Who wouldn’t want to dine on these delicious dishes? The new king, that’s who. Max and the cook must find a new recipe—and fast. Otherwise, if the new king has his way, they’ll be losing more than just their jobs!p style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px" align=left> p style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px" align=left>The King’s Taster features stunning collage artwork, lush fabrics and painting from the phenomenal award-winning illustrator team Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher. This is a beautiful package with a character kids will love and a surprise twist that will delight parents and children alike.

KENNETH OPPEL is the author of numerous books for young readers. His award-winning Silverwing trilogy has sold over a million copies worldwide and was adapted into an animated TV series and stage play. Airborn won a Michael L. Printz Honor Book Award and the Governor General’s Literary Award; its sequel, Skybreaker, was a New York Times bestseller and was named Children’s Novel of the Year by The Times (London). He is also the author of Half Brother, This Dark Endeavor, Such Wicked Intent and The Boundless. Born on Vancouver Island, he has lived in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, and in England and Ireland, and now resides in Toronto with his wife and children.

WEB: www.kennethoppel.ca

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/kennethoppel

JON KLASSEN is the author-illustrator of This Is Not My Hat, winner of the Caldecott Medal and the Kate Greenaway Medal, and I Want My Hat Back, a Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book. He is also the illustrator of Cats' Night Out, which won the Governor General’s Award; The Dark, a finalist for the same award; House Held Up by Trees, a New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book; Extra Yarn, a Caldecott Honor Book; and Sam and Dave Dig a Hole, also a Caldecott Honor Book. He created the concept art for Coraline, the stop-motion animated film based on the book by Neil Gaiman. Originally from Niagara Falls, he now lives in Los Angeles.

WEB: www.burstofbeaden.com

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/burstofbeaden

Kenneth Oppel's profile page

Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher are an illustration team with more than forty picture books in print. Their work has garnered rave reviews and won awards. Their books include My Many Colored Days, Bebop Express, I Walk at Night, New York's Bravest, The Velveteen Rabbit, and The Salamander Room. They were also concept artists for Pixar's Toy Story and A Bug's Life. They live in California with their son.

Lou Fancher's profile page

The King’s Taster

Being a king’s taster has its risks, but it is a fabulous job if one loves to eat. Max, a beagle who belongs to the finest cook in the kingdom, has a grand life tasting the king’s cuisine to ensure that it isn’t contaminated. All is well – until a new king is crowned. To the cook’s dismay, this young monarch refuses to eat what has been prepared for him, even though it has received the taster’s stamp of approval.

Desperate, the cook and Max travel the world to discover new recipes to please the finicky royal. Alas! French fries from Paris, pizza from Italy and chili tacos from Mexico are all rejected. Max decides to take matters into his own paws and discovers the reason for his refusal to eat the cook’s gourmet delights. Leave it to the loyal Max to restore order in the court!

Author Kenneth Oppel has written a delightful tale from the viewpoint of a worldly beagle. From the opening sentence – “My name is Max, and I eat like a king” – readers experience a unique voice. This book is a joy to read aloud, as Oppel is a superb craftsman of the written word. Here, Max describes the cook in the kitchen: “He chopped, he topped, and he tailed; he sliced and he stirred and he whisked.” As for the king, he “...picked and poked and puffed and plucked at his food until it was mushy and muddy and mucky and altogether mashed up.” Such delicious vocabulary!

The illustrations by American artists Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher are in themselves a feast for the eyes. Readers will revel in the colourful details, textures and humour found in the collage artwork created from fabric and paint. Handwritten recipes are incorporated into the chef’s white uniform and utensils. The words on the dinner plates signifying the mood of the diners range from “CHOW CHOW” on Max’s dish to “MANGE pas” and “CHOW NOT” on the young ruler’s plates. The king’s crown also provides clues as to why he refuses to eat.

The King’s Taster will garner rave reviews for this delectable story. Bon appetit!