The Emperor's New Clothes

Children's Literature - Leah Hanson

In this classic tale of greed and pride, a foolish emperor convinces himself that he can see invisible cloth and parades through the village in nothing at all! Playing on the emperor's greed, two tricksters convince him that they are creating a cloth that only the very wise can see. When the emperor himself cannot see the material, his vanity leads him to pretend. And, following their ruler's example, the people pretend to see it too. Only a young child is willing to tell the truth: "the emperor has no clothes on!" With Asian-inspired watercolors and large, bold text, this part of the "First Fairy Tales" series allows young readers to successfully read a familiar tale independently. The amusing illustrations underscore the humor of the story and are a reminder to the reader that things are not always as they seem. Although the author chooses not to moralize at the tale's end, the text leaves room for readers to make their own judgments on lessons this story might teach.