The Prince who wrote a Letter Soft Cover French Edition

It is Prince Paul's first day of school. When King Clifford learns from Paul that his brilliant son has written a letter on his very first day, he rushes off to brag to the Queen, who brags to the Queen Mother, who is overheard by the maid, who runs to tell the castle cook, who repeats it to her husband, one of King Clifford's soldiers, who runs to tell his captain.
The problem is that, although the King knows nothing about the contents of the infamous letter, by the time the captain of the castle guard hears about it, it is reported to be a letter to Paul's best friend in the next Kingdom, Prince Peter, in which Paul wrote rude things about Peter's father, King Rudolph. The result is that each kingdom is armed to the teeth in preparation for an attack from the other. All through the night, the soldiers wait, "muskets at the ready ... for the other side to make the first move."
Luckily, just before Prince Paul heads off for his second day of school, he reveals the details of his letter, which are: we wouldn't tell you that!!
Suffice it to say that the revelation prevents war between two fine friendly kingdoms.
Themes: War and peace, royalty, castles, weapons, letter writing, school, cartoon art, pride, communication, eavesdropping, gossip, fear, panic, friendship

Opportunities:

Ann Love's clever and exciting story is full of rich and playful language. Although it will appeal to children as young as four, even adults will appreciate its quality. We've has lots of fun trying to say this three times quickly: "The messenger set off for King Clifford's castle, carefully carrying a particularly tasty kipper."
-Toni Goffe's hilarious and beautiful illustrations are superbly blended with the text to add interest and information. Point out the page where the King rushes off to the Queen. Prince Paul and the cushions all go tumbling in the wake of the King's fleeting exit, a cartoon classic!
-Give children time to savour the 2-page spread which shows Prince Paul entering his 'school' for the first time. He is dragging his teddy bear (see the story of Miss Doreas in A HUG of BEARS) and looking rather overwhelmed by the enormous 'schoolroom' and the equally enormous tutor. Prince Paul probably feels much the same as our own children do on their first day at school - a great catalyst to conversation, an opportunity for children to express their own anxiety or even just uncertainty and for the parent to listen and to reassure.
-A fun counting exercise: How many cats can you find in the Queen Mother's bed? -An observation game: One of the names from the dedication is hidden somewhere in the book... -It is meaningful to children that the potentially disastrous situation is resolved by a child, Jim, a friend of Paul's and son to the cook. He is the only one to ask Paul what he wrote in his letter...
-From the smallest disagreement between two people, to the worst World Wars, misunderstanding, ill will, fear, panic or some combination thereof, can usually be found as the underlying cause. Jim's attempt to try to understand and communicate represents the willingness and desire all people should have to resolve conflict peacefully, a skill which children need help developing from their earliest social interactions. (For an excellent tool to understanding this skill further, use War and Peace from the Child's Play 'Life Skills and Responsibility' series.)