Member Reviews
The illustrations in these books always are so joyful. I often think about biographies as being about past events, and I think it's neat that this introduces children to something that's very relevant.
I love this range of books. They are all so well written, interesting and informative, for both adults and children alike. My 8year old loved this title as always and I always like to read them as well. They always shed some new light on the person. Highly recommended.
These little books are so thrilling. They aren't too in-depth and gloss over some points of the subject's life, but they are fun and brilliantly illustrated. I enjoyed this one because we get Charles III early life, and how he was groomed for the day that has now arrived for him. If you have not checked out this book, or any other book of this series, do yourself a favor and try one, or ten.
This awesome author can always find the good in people, then wrote them to inspire young kids. Prince Charles, more famous after being a king after the long wait, is also an environment enthusiast. He started his life with his grandma, since his mother had to do her duties as the Queen of England. Then sent to boarding school. So Charles is quite different from the Queen, and it is understandable. This book is just a glimpse of Charles, the King of England, but quite encouraging for kids who aspired to be the head of many people.
The Little People, Big Dreams books are at it again, this time with a book about King Charles. (It's still kind of weird to be typing that!) I hadn't realized that he was the first royal to earn a degree after spending some time in boarding school. He also started defending the environment before global warming was a well known issue. In fact, the items I knew the most about him (married to Diana, father to William and Harry) were just glossed over on a page or two. It focused a lot more in information I didn't really know about him, which was great! I also love the illustrations in this book and how they're written as easy reads and geared towards children.
I received a free e-copy of this book from NetGalley in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.
With the upcoming coronation of King Charles there will definitely be interest in his life. This is a good addition to the Little People, Big Dreams collection. I’ve read a few biographies of the King and am pleasantly surprised how simply and accurate his story is told. Diana’s portion of his life is summed up as they had a fairy-tail wedding watched by millions but they had very little in common and ended up separating. No mention of affairs, but instead Charles marries Camilla his closet friend for more than 35 years. Charles interests in climate change, architecture, agriculture and charitable work are all covered. The art work is always cute but I didn’t think that it is accurate as other books in the series. Nice simple biography geared for younger readers. I see this series as more for libraries unless you have a personal interest in the person covered. Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group - France Lincoln Children’s Books for the temporary ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I love the Little People Big Dreams series! They're short and sweet which is perfect for my younger 2 kids and the perfect springboard into deeper study for my oldest 2 kids. It gives brief facts and a great overview of King Charles's life. It was a fun way to read about his life and interests! I didn't realize he is so into protecting the earth. The art is simplistic and pastel colors which feels fitting for the Royal Family.
Thank you Netgalley and Quarto Publishing Group – Frances Lincoln Children's Books for my review e-copy!
A superb book title to add to the Little People, Big Dreams collection for all UK Royal Family fans, especially coming up to King Charles' coronation later this year. My daughter is a great lover of nature and gardening and looking after the planet, so was delighted to read that King Charles has had a lifelong interest in environmental issues. This book has a couple of simple sentences on each page, accompanied by beautiful images tracing the lifespan of King Charles to-date. A lovely read and keepsake. #kingcharles #mariaisabelsanchezvegara #netgalley #littlepeoplebigdreams #childrensbiography #childrensnonfiction
The drawings in this book are very appealing and draw the reader in. This was the first book I've seen published about King Charles so I was eager to read it. I enjoy this series as a whole, however I felt that the writing in this particular book was a little choppy- the timeline from page to page did not flow like others I have read (ex. going from King Charles getting married to Diana dying and casually mentioning the 2 princes as an afterward). While I might consider adding this book to my classroom library- it isn't one I will be rushing out to purchase on release day.
Not as good as others in the series, sadly, though the issues raised were treated sensitively - the Queen Mother's role in his life, and the ending of his first marriage. I find it bizarre that the artist was able to draw a kilt with a sporran on one page, but not on another! And why in the world does Charles resemble George Bush in the drawing where he becomes king?!
I am not a big fan of the crown/royal family. However, I was curious to see how the series is portraying King Charles and am, in general, a fan of the Little People Big Dreams books. I think Sanchez Vergara did a good job with this, as he can be somewhat controversial. The book especially highlights his environmental activism. Princess Diana was only mentioned briefly. I very much enjoyed the illustrations, they are very well done and I did feel like they did resemble the royal family (especially Prince Philipp and King Charles). I think this book turned out well and does a good job of telling King Charles' story.
This is such a great little book; all about King Charles’ as is, and Prince Charles as was.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this little gem of a book. Will it be updated when he has his coronation
Fun, cute little book for younger children to learn about the King. Loved the illustrations throughout and I'm sure any child would to. Love this clever little series, even I've found myself being educated.
I received an electronic ARC from Quarto Publishing Group – Frances Lincoln Children's Books through NetGalley.
This biography of King Charles is geared for elementary level readers and offers a look at his life from birth through becoming King. Sanchez Vegara sensitively explains difficult pieces of his life while staying true to history. Her style carries through in each volume in this Little People, Big Dreams series.
I didn't know a lot about King Charles and so there were several things in this little book that surprised me. I had no idea he was such a long-standing supporter of the environment. That makes me think better of him.
I think the thing that surprised me the most was the tiny mention of Princess Diana. I suppose she was only a small part of his life, even though I (and I feel many people) know a lot more about her.
I haven't got the highest opinion of the monarchy, and I think this book definitely sugarcoats some things, but overall it was interesting.
The text is easy to understand for children and the illustrations are simple but lovely and convey a lot of personality.
*Thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing - Frances Lincoln Children's Books for providing an early copy for review.
Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this ARC.
I love and adore all of Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara and this was no exception. I find these amazing for young children to read and learn about all these different people. I want to read all of them in the future!
We have several books in the Little People, Big Dreams book series and they are beautifully illustrated and lovely, age-appropriate synopsis of the individuals featured. Admittedly, I have a love-hate relationship with the royal family, which essentially ranges from curiosity to criticism. I requested this from NetGalley because I was intrigued as to how the book with deal with some of the more delicate topics (e.g., Charles and Diana's divorce, his marriage to Camilla, etc.). While I agree that the book handled this topics in as best way possible, I could see how people may take issue. For example, his marriage to Camila is referred to as he finally marries his friend of 30 plus years. I was not aware of Charles's advocacy for the environment and am curious to research that a little more. To be honest, I feel as if I have seen his mother or sons speak publicly more often than I have seen him in a public forum. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in return for an honest review.
I LOVE the Little People, Big Dreams books! As a 3rd grade teacher, these biographies are the perfect length your younger kiddos.
I shared this book about King Charles with my students and they very much liked the artwork. They said they learned a lot about King Charles, as many have never heard of him before.
Thank you to NetGalley and Frances Lincoln Children's Books for the opportunity to read this book.
Finally a book in this range that I thought I actually knew a lot about the person!
But I can honestly say I still learnt a few bits.
My daughter has obviously lived through the death of the queen so she was particularly interested in this book!
Especially because she wrote King Charles a letter and she got a reply, so she is very interested in learning more about him.
The story of King Charles starts with his birth and the tradition of the bells at Westminster Abbey ringing out at his birth, as is the tradition for a royal birth.
It briefly brings the points of what and who influenced him. His grandmother encouraged his love for art, music and nature. His father sent him to boarding school as he wanted him to be among other boys. I guess, in a way, having normal childhood, not being surrounded just by royals – that is not explored in this story.
He was the first royal to earn college degree. This was surprising to learn.
He enjoyed walks in the nature where he relished the freedom of being a young man. He didn’t have to worry about any title there or if people liked him or not.
It briefly mentions the marriage to Diana and Camilla.
The main take away from this story is his involvement with environment and him wanting to be a good king.
A lot has happened in his life, and with such brief biography, which tries to encompass his whole life so far, everything seems to be too brief. It’d be nice to learn more about Charles himself, what shaped him, what brought him the greatest joy in life, how that could inspire others.
This story seems to be the briefest of all I’ve read in the series. I’ve read a few books in the series, and I don’t know if after a few of those reads they start to feel too brief or if they’re getting shorter in contest or the context itself in this story - a lot of everything - makes it feel this way.
Nevertheless, it is a wonderful series for children, which I highly recommend. All stories are accompanied by delightful illustrations. (Ages: 3-7)