The King with Horse's Ears: Independent Reading White 10
Independent Reading Gold Series
illustrations by
What’s inside...
A retelling of a classic folktale about a king who hides a secret about his horse-like ears. The story unfolds as the king's secret is eventually revealed by his barber, leading to unexpected consequences and lessons learned. A kind king in a far off land has been hiding his ears from everyone in his kingdom - even his wife, the queen! He has horse's ears on his head and he is afraid everyone will laugh if they find out. Until a magical violin changes everything! This story is part of Reading Champion, a series carefully linked to book bands to encourage independent reading skills, developed with Dr Sue Bodman and Glen Franklin of UCL Institute of Education (IOE). Reading Champion offers independent reading books for children to practise and reinforce their developing reading skills. Fantastic, original stories are accompanied by engaging artwork and a reading activity. Each book has been carefully graded so that it can be matched to a child's reading ability, encouraging reading for pleasure.
Series reading
Non-Sequential
Age
5-8
Length
48 pages
Text complexity
Character compass
King
The Barber
Discussion points
What do you think it feels like to keep a secret like the King? How did it affect him?
Why do you think the King hid his ears? What would you do if you were in his place?
How did the King's secret finally come out? What can we learn from that?
What changes do you notice in the King before and after his secret is revealed?
How do the other characters react to the King’s secret? What does it teach us about acceptance?
Tip: Role play these questions
Encourage your child to express their feelings about the story, relating it to any personal experiences with secrets or surprises they might have had.
Discuss the importance of honesty and openness, and how keeping secrets can affect our mental health and relationships with others.
Help them understand the moral of the story by asking what they think the King learned by the end of the story.
Praise their insights and relate them to real-life scenarios to reinforce understanding and empathy.
Use expressive reading to emphasize the emotions in the story, making the experience enjoyable and memorable.
Key lessons
Example Lesson: The importance of honesty
Explanation: The story revolves around a king who hides his horse's ears from his subjects. When the truth is finally revealed, it teaches that hiding the truth can lead to more complications.
Real-World Application: Children learn the value of being honest and transparent in their interactions, which helps in building trust and integrity in their relationships.
Example Lesson: Acceptance of oneself and others
Explanation: As the king learns to accept his unique feature, the story imparts a lesson about self-acceptance. It also shows how the townspeople eventually accept the king's differences.
Real-World Application: This can help children understand and embrace their own differences and those of others, promoting inclusivity and self-esteem.
Example Lesson: The consequences of keeping secrets
Explanation: The burden of the king’s secret affects not only himself but also the barber who initially keeps the king's secret. This situation illustrates the weight that secrets can carry.
Real-World Application: Children can learn the importance of open communication and the potential negative effects of withholding important information.
Example Lesson: Courage to face fears
Explanation: The barber’s eventual decision to share the king’s secret by whispering it to the ground demonstrates the courage to face one's fears.
Real-World Application: This lesson encourages children to confront their fears and express themselves openly, which is crucial for emotional development.
Example Lesson: The power of truth
Explanation: The narrative culminates in the truth about the king’s ears being revealed to all, emphasizing the freeing power of truth.
Real-World Application: Teaches children that honesty can liberate them from the heavy burden of hiding significant truths and improve their mental well-being.