Mr. King is a cat who likes new things. In fact, “LOTS of new things. As soon as one of his things becomes the tiniest bit old, he tosses it into the nearby pond and replaces it with a new one.” Happily, this works just fine for a while. But then one day while attempting to fish in this same pond, Mr. King is terrified when he pulls up what he believes is a gigantic monster. Only it turns out it's not a monster at all. It's a tangle of his own discarded things, come back to scare him!

Geneviève Côté has created a terrific introduction to the causes and effects of pollution and overconsumption with this lively and funny picture book. As with so many big ideas, the environmental message here is quite simple and easy to understand when explained at a child's-eye view. The story is gentle, humorous and not at all preachy, and the artwork is clean and open, with most of the visual focus on Mr. King and his range of intense emotions. The ways Mr. King finds to repurpose all of his resurrected things at the end of the book could inspire all kinds of classroom discussions about what efforts children might make to recycle their things for other people or other uses, as well as how not to waste things in general. It could also work as a jumping-off point for a project turning children's found objects into their own works of art.

Enfant, Geneviève Côté adorait dessiner. Elle s'inventait des histoires simplement pour le plaisir de les illustrer. Au fil des ans, elle a continué à nourrir sa passion pour le dessin et les arts, si bien qu'elle a décidé d'en faire une carrière. Après avoir étudié les arts et la communication au Cégep, elle a terminé, en 1987, un baccalauréat en infographie à l'Université Concordia, à Montréal. Geneviève a illustré plus de 25 livres pour enfants. Comme auteure-illustratrice, elle a publié chez Scholastic Quel éléphant? et Je suis là, Petit Lundi. Elle a reçu le Prix du Gouverneur général pour ses illustrations en 2007. Geneviève vit à Montréal et travaille dans un atelier du centre-ville.

Geneviève Côté
studied art and graphic design at Concordia University in Montreal. She has
illustrated numerous books for children. She also enjoys writing her own
stories: Quel éléphant? (What Elephant?) and Je suis là, petit Lundi (With You Always, Little Monday)
were the first books that she both wrote and illustrated. Côté's editorial
art has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Boston Globe and other
publications. Her books have received three nominations for the Governor
General's Award for Illustration, one of which she went on to win. She has
also won the Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Award.

Genevieve Cote's profile page

• Short-listed, Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator's Award, Canadian Library Association
• Short-listed, Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator's Award, Canadian Library Association - Canada
• Winner, Best Books for Kids & Teens, Canadian Children's Book Centre
• Winner, Best Children's Books of the Year, Bank Street Children's Book Committee

... a lighthearted take on the 'reuse' component of reduce, reuse, and recycle.—Publishers Weekly

Busy, cheery mixed-media illustrations in blues, greens and yellows ...—Kirkus Reviews

Côté's bright and colorful mixed-media illustrations are charming and humorous, and the simple text will appeal to young readers. With a clear message to reuse and recycle ...—School Library Journal