The Kind of Copper Mountains is a collection of fairytales within a larger tale: the king of the Copper Mountains, King Mansolain, is ailing, and while the Wonder Doctor searches for a cure, a collection of animals knocks on the King's door to entertain him and keep his interest until the Doctor's return.

Each of the tales from the animals is akin to Aesop's Fables, and they unravel like the tales in Arabian Nights, encouraging the kind to hold on, just one more day. The stories are funny, sad, whimsical and engaging, and will entertain readers young and old.

It's hard to believe this is a modern fairy tale, first published in the 1960's; this has the feel of the old classic tales. A lovely book.

~Many thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

The King of the Copper Mountains is feeling his age, and is sad, and thinks he'll soon die. His doctor feels that the king has more time left, but that maybe telling the king stories will help heal his sadness and bring him back to life. This will give the Doctor time to gather some Golden Speedwell and return so he can make the King's heart healthy again.

The doctor begins travelling the land, and creatures begin arriving at the castle, telling the King a particularly important story to each of them. Each time, the King is entertained and moved, and becomes, though still sad, a little livelier.

The in-story tales ranged from somewhat whimsical to surprisingly dark, and contained adventure, strength, kindness, and wonder. I appreciated the author's creativity, and liked the accompanying illustrations.

I liked the first half of the book more than the second half, when my attention began waning. This is an interesting book, but not as enjoyable as I'd hoped it would be.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Pushkin Press for this ARC in exchange for my review.

This was a good animal book and a cute fantasy. The cover makes it more likely to be picked up by students. The idea of animals telling stories to their king is adorable. I can see this in my 5th grade classroom.

The book is about a king who needs a remedy for his failing heart. The remedy is in a far land and the doctor needs a few days to get there and the only way to preserve the kings life is through telling him stories. And in this fashion different animals visit the king to tell him curious stories while they wait for the doctor.

I usually like fairy tales like this one, but I don't think this one was for me, I felt the animals stories went on for along time and the overall book started to drift at one part.

A good book to get children into fairytales especially with all the animals. But definitely some better shorter fairytales out there.

The book is similar to the classic tale Arabian Nights because there is a larger narrative and within it are several smaller stories. Its very nice and I think that children will have their fun.

This book was simply lovely. 💕

The book is about a king who needs a remedy for his failing heart. The remedy is in a far land and the doctor needs a few days to get there and the only way to preserve the kings life is through telling him stories. And in this fashion different animals visit the king to tell him curious stories while they wait for the doctor.

The story was very sweet. Some of the stories felt a little bit repetitive but, it was a lovely tale.

I received a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The main story was nice, but at some point everything became boring and I couldn't care about the other animals' stories. I understand that this is a classical fantasy book for kids, I usually like fairy tales like this one, but I don't think this one was for me.

I borrowed this book from the library again and again as a child in the 1970s, I was excited that it was being republished and a new generation will be able to enjoy the tales told to the King of the Copper Mountain. The overarching story of the King's heart needing to be kept beating strongly is never forgotten. Each animal that brings a new tale is welcomed. It's a beautiful book, and has lost none of its charm.

The foreword by the author's son really set the mood for this book. This is a reprint, but it is one of those timeless narratives. The King is dying, and his heart has slowed. To keep it ticking, he needs stories. The sense of urgency is palpable as we alternate between the story that is being told and the doctor struggling to find his way to the medicine.
The part I enjoyed the most was the individual stories. Each story is told by an animal, and it is something that has either occurred to them or they are holding the story for someone else in their family. Each one comes with its own built-in discussion topic based on the narrated events, not a moral, which was refreshing. I could not read them all in succession but had to pace myself as this is probably the best way to appreciate the content.
Surprisingly, the ending brings an unexpected twist to the plotline. As an adult, I found it a little strange that the animals behaved like their actual animal selves in the narratives, but during their stay in the King's castle, they lived more harmoniously than expected. This is obviously not an issue that will bother a younger audience who routinely watch anthropomorphic animals live in the same location.
There are a lot of topics explored here, loyalty being one of the primary ones. The concept of motivation is prominent. In some ways, the animals do not get any immediate gratification for trying to help the King; they do it out for various reasons, some of which are mentioned as the stories are told. I would recommend it to even a modern younger audience. They are sure to find something to think about with this story.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

I loved the whimsy and rhythm of this story, each chapter had a set structure so you knew where it was going and how it would end - they would make Breakfast, the ailing King would wake, late into the night a visitor would arrive and a story would be told, before ending with the Wonder Doctor's continued search for the Golden Speedway.

Each story told was unique to the animals that came through the door - a sheep, a mouse, even a dragon and 10 bees - and these helped shape an entire world that lay outside of the King's doors. I did find the story started to drag half way through, but picked up brilliantly at the end.

After a thousand-year reign, old King Mansolain is tired and his heart is slowing down. Only stories can keep it ticking while his doctor searches for the cure, so creatures from all across the kingdom come to the castle in the copper mountains to sit on the king’s long white beard and tell him their tales.

Every night a new visitor arrives to tell a story to the king: a fearsome wolf, a lonely rabbit, a fire-breathing, three-headed dragon, and many more. Each tale is more wondrous than the last, but will they be able to keep King Mansolain’s heart beating until the cure arrives?

I never knew this book existed until I saw it come up on Netgalley and when I read the blurb I knew it was my kind of book. What I am amazed at is that I didn’t know about it until now, even though it appears to be a well known ‘classic’.

Filled with heart and warmth this book made me laugh, made me cry and genuinely touched me. It reminded me of bedtime stories read to me by my parents and reinvigorated that inner child inside of me. I couldn’t wait to see which animal would arrive next and how their story would unfold; all the while reading and hoping that the King would hear one more story and make it.

This is one I will be shelving and keeping so that maybe one day I can share it with my own kids.

A timeless and enchanting children's fantasy Which I enjoyed as an adult…..recommend this book. Such an enjoyable read….

A charming children's book with equally lovely illustrations. The emphasis on the importance of storytelling is a wonderful message for readers of all ages. I wish I had gotten to read this one as a kid! But I'm glad I got to enjoy this reprint as an adult.

Scheherazade meets Beatrix Potter in this charming collection of Dutch fables.

It is a story within a story. Different animals tell a story each night to an ailing king in hopes of keeping him interested and alive for another night. Classic storytelling perfect for bedtime reads.

This is an adorable and unfamiliar children's story published from the 60's. Sweet illustrations add to the charm. It has a whimsical and evocative setting with wholesome and enchanting characters.

Compared to other children's fables I wasn't in love with this book but it was a good tale. I am glad to see that this is a re-release to bring this book back into the bookish domain.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pushkin Press for this eARC in exhange for an honest review

A delightful tale in the spirit of 1000 Arabian Nights.

King Mansolain has lived 1000 years and his heart is slowing down. But The Wonder Doctor says that he has a potential cure. The trick? The Hare (the King's faithful attendant) must keep the King focused and interested until the cure can be found. A menagerie of animals arrive with tales of their own to keep the King engaged. In the end, a Dwarf arrives with a prophecy that the King will live another 1000 years... if The Wonder Doctor can make it back in time.

This story is full of the whimsy that you would expect from fairy tales. Plus all the characters you'd expect (wolves and rabbits and dragons oh my!). It was a fun, quick read with the tale-within-a-tale format. Definitely the kind of story I would come back to again in the future.

Though I love children’s fiction, I didn’t enjoy this one as much as I had expected.

King Mansolain is at the end of his thousand-year reign of the Copper Mountains. His heart is slowing down, and his assistant Hare has sent for the Wonder Doctor. Now Wonder Doctor knows of a remedy that can cure King Mansolain’s heart but until he returns from the long journey to find the rare life-giving Golden Speedwell plant, Hare must ensure that the old king’s heart is kept strong with a healthy supply of stories. To this purpose, the doctor sends whatever animal he encounters on his way back to the king’s palace with the dictum of narrating him an interesting story.

Thus the narrative proceeds with a vast variety of the kingdom’s inhabitants, ranging from a mighty dragon to a teensy beetle, a ferocious lion to a sad donkey, and a whole array of other creatures. Each of these narrates a story to the king, while the loyal Hare hopes that the doctor will return in time with a cure.

This book was originally written in 1964 by Paul Biegel. It has been a children’s classic for many years. The English translation was first commissioned in 2008 by Biegel’s daughter to bring the Dutch classic to the English-speaking audience.

The book is similar to the Arabian Nights in a sense as there is a larger narrative and within it are several smaller stories. While I enjoyed the book greatly in the first 40% or so, it felt a little repetitive thereafter. Some of the stories leave a greater mark than the others. Maybe it would help to read this a story at a time rather than in a longer chunk.

The stories aren’t all light and ‘frolicky’ as one would expect from a children’s book. Some are quite dark and mysterious. So in a sense, the tales cater to a variety of moods. But if you are looking for happy endings, not all the stories provide that.

There are a few illustrations in the book, which add to the narration well. However, the primary chunk of the content is text-based.

Overall, it is an interesting book for slightly older children (say, 7 years and above) who comfortable with chapter books and want to try out a classic.

3.5 stars from me.

My thanks to Pushkin Press and NetGalley for the DRC of “The King of the Copper Mountains”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Re-releases of classic books are always hard to review. KING OF THE COPPER MOUNTAINS originally published almost sixty years ago, in Dutch, which means it's almost impossible to compare it to the other middle grade books that are currently being released and reviewed on Netgalley. It's from a different era of children's literature altogether.

Biegel's novel functions more like a collection of loosely interconnected fables, told by animals to an ailing king inside his copper palace. We have golden-hooved horses and lovesick donkeys with missing hats; cruel witches with sacks of alphabets and three-headed dragons. Some stories are comical, others bizarre, and others tragic.

I loved the pure escapism of it. Although I found I wasn't particularly invested in the overarching tale, and some stories left me feeling quite underwhelmed, Beigel has nevertheless nailed the magical, innocent essence of the bedtime story and created a classic, fantastical world that will likely resonate with younger readers, especially as a read-aloud.

This book is a lovely, heart-warming story of many stories, translated from a fascinating old Dutch book written to entertain young children. In order to save the King Mansolain and keep his heart ticking many animals visit and tell him short stories of the past. I won't spoil the ending, but it all comes together and makes sense at the end!

This book leaves me a bit conflicted, mostly due to its format. It consists of stories within stories and I did not connect with the majority of them, however I believe that if the story is experienced as intended and is read to a child every night, it would be an enchanting experience. The setting is very magical and vivid. The characters are simple, but sweet. Obviously, I’m not the target audience and while it didn’t enchant me, I would still recommend the reading to children, because I think I would have liked it when I was one.
Thanks to NetGalley and Pushkin Press for the arc!

This book was a joy to read. The King of the Copper Mountains is a bit like the Arabian Nights in its format- stories within stories- and follows a King who is dying and different animals from across the kingdom come to his copper palace each night to tell him a wonderful story and keep him alive until the Wonder Doctor can find the Golden Speedwell which will save the King and restore his health.
I thought the story was charming and I can definitely see that it would be wonderful to read in stages each night to a child. I was enchanted the whole way through.