#351 of 1001 · July 17, 2021

Come explore the thought-provoking tale of The King and the Magician, written by @jorgebucayofficial and illustrated @gusti.rosemffet. You’ll find both story and illustrations by turns rich, clever, and compelling. A King who rules his subjects with an iron fist hears of a wise Magician who can foretell the future. Threatened by the thought of a greater power than his own, he invites the old man to a feast and gives him a simple but perilous challenge: “Tell me the exact date of your own death.” No matter the man’s answer, the sovereign plans to kill him on the spot. The Magician replies simply that he will die on the exact same day as the King. These words strike fear into the ruler’s heart. What if the old sage is telling the truth? He begs the man to stay at the palace, offering the pretext of seeking the Magician’s advice in matters of state but in reality desperate to protect him from harm and stave off their apparently intertwined fate. Many years pass, and jealousy and fear give way to understanding, the two men attaining a deep friendship. Finally, the King confesses his murderous intentions, and the Magician admits that he fabricated the prediction about their deaths. They embrace one another as brothers and equals. Bucay’s text, translated from the original Spanish, contains true insight into the psychology and emotional depth of human relationships. In his art, filled with motley textures and hues, Gusti employs a two-dimensional perspective, creating the look of a sophisticated diorama or puppet show. He inserts a subtle detail (unmentioned in the text), a clue to the monarch’s underlying benevolence: a morose-looking royal teddy bear. In a touching gesture, the King offers this bear to a group of peasants who have presented him with gifts. #king #magician #friend #friends #friendship #book #books #childrensbooks #beautifulbook #beautifulbooks #beautifulbookcover #beautifulbookcovers #picturebook #picturebooks #picturebookillustration #picturebookart #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks