I’d like to identify and locate a favorite from my childhood but, as I enjoyed it before I was literate, can’t recall the title. Here are the details:
• I’m guessing it was published between 1970-87.
• It is set in the middle ages.
• The hero is a king who lives in a castle.
• There are multiple very short stories, the total being the average for a picture-based pre-literate children’s book.
• The title has a phrase like “…and other stories,” “…other tales,” or “The adventures of King…”
• Arrows and fire feature prominently in some of the multiple stories.
• It was from a popular, prominent kid’s book publisher; I don’t think it was a Little Golden Book, but could be wrong.
• To the best of my knowledge, it was not based on a prior story/book/legend/film/TV show.
That’s all I can remember, but I would recognize the cover if I saw it and hope this evidence is sufficient.
A very long shot, and not multiple stories exactly, but have you looked at The King with Six Friends, by Jay Williams? Fire etc. make me think of that one.
Or have you looked at the King Rollo books by David McKee?
Maybe you are thinking of The King’s WIsh and other Stories by Benjamin Elkin? It definitely has fire–one of the stories is called “The Big Fire.” I think it also has arrows, as I vaguely reacall there was some sort of arrow shooting contest between the King’s sons, but I couldn’t swear to it. It was an early reader sort of book, and the version I had was similar to the Dr Seuss’s I Can Read series in look and feel.
AMANDA – THAT’S IT, THANK YOU SO SOSO MUCH!
Upon Googling, I learned that…
1: it was written in 1960, making my absolute earliest date (which I thought was way too far back) off by a full decade,
2: Not only was it in Dr Seuss’s I Can Read series, which I wouldn’t’ve guessed, but…
3: Benjamin Elkin is a penname of none other than Theodore Geisel, who, as if I needed to tell you this, has another, more famous penname which goes without saying.
Now that I know what I’m looking for, I can purchase it and hope that my godson loves it as much as I did. Thanks again! If you ever need a kidney…
You’re quite welcome! It was a favorite of mine back then as well. I had no idea Benjamin Elkin was another pen name of that gentleman with a birthday coming up soon! Explains a lot about that set of stories.
Benjamin Elkin was not a pen name.
Dr. Benjamin Elkin was a principal of a Chicago public elementary school, Phillip Rogers, who wrote a number of children’s books, including those in your post.
Dr. Elkin used to read his new books to us (I attended there from 56-65).