The Tudors: Kings, Queens, Scribes and Ferrets!

The Tudors: Kings, Queens, Scribes and Ferrets!
By Marcia Williams
Candlewick, 2016. Informational.

The true story of England's most famous royal family is told by Marcia Williams and Arthur Inkblott - Queen Elizabeth's favorite (and completely fictional) scribe. Together they tell the story of the Tudor family's rise and fall from power, starting with the War of the Roses and ending with the death of Good Queen Bess. A running narrative along the bottom of the page tells what life was like for the Tudor common folk and Arthur Inkblott's ferret Smudge lives in the margins of the book to summarize the story.

Even though this book is brand new, I think of it as an oldie but goodie. Marcia Williams is a veteran author of the children's informational section and I have been reading and loving her books since I was a little kid. Her signature comic strip-style makes all of her books feel more fun than reading history and are filled with funny comments from the characters. The text of this book can be a little on the small side - so definitely better for slightly older readers - but kids of all ages will find reasons to laugh at this humorous history!

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