The Paper Kingdom - by Helena Ku Rhee (Hardcover)

About the Book

"When the babysitter is unable to come, Daniel is woken out of bed and joins his parents as they head downtown for their jobs as nighttime office cleaners. But the story is about more than brooms, mops, and vacuums. Mama and Papa turn the deserted office building into a magnificent kingdom filled with paper. Then they weave a fantasy of dragons and kings to further engage their reluctant companion--and even encourage him to one day be the king of a paper kingdom"--Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

An office at night is reimagined as a fantastical kingdom of paper complete with friendly dragons in this own voices picture book.

When the babysitter is unable to come, Daniel is woken out of bed and joins his parents as they head downtown for their jobs as nighttime office cleaners. But the story is about more than brooms, mops, and vacuums. Mama and Papa turn the deserted office building into a magnificent kingdom filled with paper. Then they weave a fantasy of dragons and kings to further engage their reluctant companion--and even encourage him to one day be the king of a paper kingdom.

The Paper Kingdom expresses the joy and spirit of a loving family who turn a routine and ordinary experience into something much grander. Magical art by Pascal Campion shows both the real world and the fantasy through the eyes of the young narrator.

Review Quotes

An NPR Best Book of the Year

Praise for The Paper Kingdom:

"Enchanting and powerful." --Booklist, starred review

"A beautiful, must-read tribute to hardworking families and the magic they create." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"A layered, loving picture book tribute to family and the sacrifices that parents make for their children's future." --Shelf Awareness, starred review

"A meaningful portrayal of one working-class experience and an image of a loving, hardworking family." --Publishers Weekly

"An affectionate tribute to the bonds of family and the unexpected memories we form when we perform seemingly mundane tasks together." --BookPage

"An uplifting story of a family working hard to make things better for the next generation." --School Library Journal

"Colorful, impressionistic illustrations, awash with warmth and light.... Daniel's wide-eyed, feet-planted observation invites readers to likewise contemplate the hierarchies and invisible labor of spaces they inhabit." --The Horn Book

About the Author

Helena Ku Rhee grew up in Los Angeles, but has also lived in various parts of the U.S., Asia and Europe. She has a soft spot for small, stout animals and loves to travel far and wide across this beautiful planet, counting among her favorite journeys a camping trip in the Sahara Desert, a swim with elephants in Thailand and a horseback-riding tour of Easter Island. Helena works at a movie studio by day, and dreams up story ideas in her spare time. She currently lives in Los Angeles. Visit her at helenakrhee.com/books or follow her on Twitter at Helenarhee

Pascal Campion is a prolific French-American illustrator and visual development artist whose clients include: DreamWorks Animation, Paramount Pictures, Disney Feature, Disney Toons, Cartoon Network, Hulu, and PBS. Working in the animation industry for over 15 years, he has steadily posted over 3,000 images of personal work to his "Sketches of the Day" project since 2005.

He lives and works in Los Angeles, CA. Follow him on Instagram (@pascalcampionart) or Twitter @pascalcampion