- Picture Books
- Ages 4–8
- Fables
The King Who Banned the Dark
A clever, witty picture-book fable about a young king who tries to ban the dark and discovers why people need it. Strong for children with fear of the dark, and for adults who enjoy smart political allegory in picture-book form.
- Best for4–8
- FormatPicture
- Length32 pp
- Read aloud~6 min
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Conversational
- Comedic
Tone
- Funny
- Thought provoking
- Warm
- Silly
- Inspirational
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
A young prince has always been afraid of the dark, so when he becomes king he decides to solve the problem in the most royal way possible: by banning it. At first, the idea sounds marvellous, but a world without dark soon becomes strange, exhausting and impossible. Emily Haworth-Booth turns a common childhood fear into a playful fable about power, control, persuasion and the importance of balance. The book is funny enough for young children, but adults will notice the sharpness of the political idea: a ruler using slogans, spectacle and authority to convince people that something natural should be feared. It is especially useful for conversations about fear of the dark, rules, leadership and why the things we dislike may still have value.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
- 1
- 3
- 5
- 7
- 9
- 11
- 13
- Best fit · 4–8
- Read aloud · 4–8
- Independent · 6–9
Prose load
Moderate
Visual support
Very high
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Excellent
Works well for
- Reading aloud
- Bedtime
- Reading together
- Gift-buying
- Reluctant readers
Nothing in the book is likely to concern most parents. Safe to recommend without preview.
Bedtime suitability
4 / 5 · Bedtime-friendly
Sensitive-child
4 / 5 · Good fit
Graphic intensity
1 / 5 · None
Best for
- Fear of the dark
- Smart picture books
- Political fable
- Funny read aloud
- Bedtime fears
Avoid if
- Wants simple preschool story
- Prefers no darkness theme
Particularly good for children who are…
- Nightmares or fears
- Anxiety and worry
- Bedtime battles
In the classroom
How it works in school.
A funny, thought-provoking fable about a king who bans the dark — a great read-aloud for talk about power, fear and facing what scares us.
A book children love that happens to support school — never a stand-in for the texts a class is taught with. Reviewed for the classroom · June 2026.
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
The specific weight is the kingdom lit up forever — a young king afraid of the dark deciding to ban it, slogans and spectacle keeping everyone awake, the world without dark turning strange and exhausting. The Haworth-Booth fable that does political allegory disguised as a fear-of-the-dark book.
- Being special or chosen
- Making a difference
- Surviving danger
Why parents love it
The Emily Haworth-Booth picture book — childhood fear of the dark as the entry, authoritarianism and persuasion and the value of unwanted things underneath. Funny for children, sharp for adults paying attention. Strong conversation starter.
- Conversation starter
- Shared humour
- Great writing
- Bedtime appropriate
About the author & illustrator
Emily Haworth-Booth.
If you liked this
Three ways out of this book.
If you liked this, try…
Lateral matches. Same shelf, different texture.
Come into this from…
Easier or preparing reads — perfect lead-ins.
Where to go next…
Escalation reads — a step up in scale, silliness, or stakes.
More like this…
Books that share themes and topics with this one.
Buy or borrow
Pick up a copy.
- Bookshop.org ↗
- Waterstones ↗
- Amazon UK ↗
- Hive ↗
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