Rulers of the Playground

PreS-Gr 3—Jonah declares himself king of the playground. King Jonah and the other kids on the playground play peacefully, except for Lennox, who wants to rule the playground, too. She claims the side of the playground with swings as her queendom. All the other kids like the swings, so they agree. However, King Jonah is unhappy with Queen Lennox, the usurper. They divide the playground in two and with pencil, crayon, and paper draw out plans to expand their influence. Jonah and Lennox separately conquer the teeter-totter and the merry-go-round, all the while shouting demands of their vassals. Soon, there is nothing left to conquer and no friends left in the playground. After everyone goes away, being rulers of the playground loses its appeal. Jonah and Lennox make a new plan together: apologize to their friends and promise never to rule the playground again. Soon, the playground fills up with friends. Visually appealing mixed-media and digital illustrations contain a racially inclusive cast of supporting characters. The two rulers of the playground wear historical royal garb, and the addition of birds and one expressive puppy brings extra whimsy to the images. In darker tones set against a white background, the artwork plays the main role, as the text is much smaller and spare enough for storytime.