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Friendships Should Be Treasured
The King and the Ogre follows a kindhearted king and his gentle ogre best friend as they investigate a group of dragons disturbing the villagers and discover things are not what they seem. What attracted you to using familiar fairy-tale characters such as kings, ogres, and dragons?
I think that such fairy-tale characters would resonate best with young readers, as these characters are often friendly, silly, and altogether familiar. Their personalities, too, are light-hearted, good-natured, and easily relatable, not just to young people, but to everyone in general. The combination of the king and the ogre as lifelong friends in particular is an unlikely and unique pairing that is not often found in such settings, one that I hope will set this story apart from others. And in a setting such as this, silly dragons, simply misunderstood, only add to such uniqueness. As an historian, I have always been interested in the medieval period. To tell a light-hearted story in a fairy tale genre that imparts an important message about kindness, caring, and acceptance has proven to be a wonderful writer’s experience.
The story encourages children not to judge someone by appearance. What do you hope children understand about people who seem different from them?
Simply put, children should embrace the beautiful diversity in the world all about them, explore the differences they discover, and not jump to hasty or quick conclusions or assumptions about others, just because someone looks or acts differently than themselves. This can be said of both the ogre Arlo and the silly dragons that frighten the villagers every year. Below the surface both Arlo and the dragons, as clearly illustrated in the book, have only the very best of intentions at heart. Every new person, every new encounter is potentially a wonderful new learning and growing experience.
The book presents friendship as something that can cross very obvious differences. What does friendship mean to you personally?
Friendship is something to be treasured, absolutely. I have met many people in my lifetime and can proudly point to a handful of lifelong friends whom I consider family. These bonds are equally important and have helped to shape my own life in positive ways. These are important connections that have been there in both good times and bad. Friendships are by no means always easy, and do require an honest and sincere effort, especially in a world that continues to become more and more complex. Friendship is a safe place where we can all go, where we can be ourselves, rejoice in old memories and make new ones with those people who mean the most to us.
Would you like to revisit King Liam and Arlo in future stories?
At present I am concentrating on the writing of another series of fantasy action-adventure novels, a trilogy in fact, though I would not completely rule out the possibility of another adventure with King Liam and Arlo in the future. I am certain that there are other important and kindly life lessons that they could both teach us.
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The King and the Ogre – A Book about Kindness, Caring and Acceptance
The King and the Ogre by William J. Birrell is a warm children’s book about kindness, friendship, and making room for people who seem different. King Liam cares deeply for his villagers, while his best friend Arlo is a gentle ogre whose strength and generosity make him an important part of the community. Their friendship gives the book its emotional center and shows young readers that someone’s appearance doesn’t tell you what’s in their heart.
The story builds around the village’s annual harvest, when everyone gathers to pick fruit from the king’s orchards. Trouble arrives in the form of dragons who swoop down each year, frightening the villagers and taking fruit. When Arlo finally catches one, the dragon explains that the dragons only wanted to join the celebration. That moment turns the conflict into a thoughtful lesson about communication, since the characters discover that fear and misunderstanding have kept them apart.
The writing has the feel of a traditional fairy tale, with a kindly king, a loyal ogre, a lively village, and mischievous dragons. There’s plenty of description, especially when the book introduces the orchards, the harvest, and the final banquet. Some passages are fairly long for a picture book, so younger children may enjoy it most as a read-aloud. The repeated focus on caring, sharing, and acceptance makes the message very clear, while Arlo’s humor and the dragons’ antics keep the lesson from feeling too stern.
The illustrations add color, movement, and personality throughout the book. Bright countryside scenes show bridges, forests, orchards, mountains, and bustling village life, while character illustrations make Arlo look large but approachable and the dragons playful. The later images of villagers, ogres, dragons, and children celebrating together give the ending a cheerful sense of community. Overall, it’s an earnest, visually inviting story that encourages children to look past first impressions, listen to others, and welcome new friendships.
Pages: 40 | ISBN : 177941143X
