School Library Journal

K-Gr 1--On the morning of the Hero's Day Parade, King Kenrick gets a painful splinter in his big toe. He says it will come out by itself, but the bossy queen insists that the cook's uncle take it out. First Uncle Archibald prepares his tools--pliers for holding the toe, an ice pick for finding the splinter, and a saw in case he has to amputate.'' The actual removal is so fast that the king doesn't notice it. Later, when he leads the parade, he feels likea brave hero himself.'' Unattractive illustrations accompany the story. Elaborately costumed people and comic-operetta backgrounds are painted in shining acrylics. The characters are unappealing--the pathetic, fearful king; the overbearing queen; and the flippant Uncle Archibald. Worst of all, the book's cover and most of the pages are bathed in an unpleasant orange-red glow. Children who fear this common procedure will not be soothed by this demeaning tale.--Nancy Seiner, The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh

ALA Booklist

As luck would have it, King Kenrick wakes up with a painful splinter under his big toe on the very day he is to lead the Hero's Day Parade. It will come out by itself if we wait is his cowardly response. Unfortunately, his overbearing queen points out that waiting will mean finding someone else to head the parade, the unspoken message being that if he's not brave enough to have a splinter removed, he may not be worthy to lead. The story is told with humor, wit, and compassion, and anyone who has ever had a splinter removed will sympathize with the king as he bravely undergoes the process. The twofold message is sound: even powerful people get scared, and it's by facing our fears that we become truly deserving. Glowing watercolor illustrations, richly detailed in warm, vibrant colors, add to the royal atmosphere and bring the whimsical characters to life. (Reviewed November 1, 1994)

Kirkus Reviews

King Kenrick jumps out of bed on Hero's Day morning, only to get a splinter in his toe. Rather than tell the sadistic, tweezers-happy queen about it, he decides to hide the fact. Since his shoes hurt, however, he has to wear slippers, which makes the queen suspicious. She pries the truth from him and is about to get her instruments of torture when the cook, Gloria, tells them of her Uncle Archibald, splinter remover extraordinaire. Uncle Archibald comes and removes the offensive dart, but not without teasing and bullying the king a bit. Kenrick, however, ``wasn't used to having people tell him what to do. (Except for the queen, of course.)'' So when Uncle Archibald finishes his job, the king orders him taken to the dungeon. He's only kidding, though, and Uncle Archibald and he have a good laugh over it. Then King Kenrick puts on his shiny black shoes and leads the Hero's Day parade in style. Derby's (Jacob and the Stranger, p. 843, etc.) little king is adorable; Gore's cartoonish illustrations match the witty tone to a tee. Amusing, especially to anyone who has faced the unhappy tweezers. (Fiction/Picture book. 4-7)"

Horn Book (Fri Apr 01 00:00:00 CST 1994)

King Kenrick would rather wait until his splinter falls out than let someone extract it, but the cook's uncle is just the joker to do the job. The king acts remarkably like a real child, and the hilarious text allows children to laugh at his behavior. Although the illustrations depict exaggerated and silly characters amid a delightful setting, the bright colors used are garish.