'A triumphant piece of magic' Observer

'The best book of all time for this age' The Times

After reigning for a thousand years, old King Mansolain is growing weary and his heart is slowing down. Only stories can keep it ticking while his doctor searches for the cure. So, from every corner of the kingdom, creatures journey to the castle in the copper mountains to sit on the King's long white bear and share their tales.

Every night, a new storyteller arrives: a fearsome wolf, a lonely rabbit, a fire-breathing, three-headed dragon and many more. Each tale is more wondrous than the last, but will they be enough to keep the King's heart beating?

Part of the new Pushkin Children's Classics series of thrilling, magical and inspiring stories from around the world, which young readers will return to time and again.

Illustrated by Sally J. Collins.

Paul Biegel was one of Europe's most acclaimed and best-loved storytellers, and the author of more than fifty books for children. Born in the Netherlands in 1925, he studied law but worked as a comic-strip writer before writing his first novel, The Golden Guitar, in 1960. The King of the Copper Mountains followed in 1965. It won the award for the best Dutch children's book of the year, and remains his best-loved work.

"A triumphant piece of magic" - Observer

"Amusing, endearing and intensely moving" - Daily Telegraph

"The best book of all for this age [7+]" - The Times

"The best kind of bedtime story - a joy to read and share" - Sophie Anderson

"A perfect bedtime read [with a] beautiful ending" - Today Programme

"This is an endearing, timeless classic. A story made to be read aloud and which will fill your child with wonder" - Mini Travellers

"For those who wish to read aloud to their children or grandchildren, or for young readers of 5-7, the reissue of Paul Biegel's long-lost classic The King of the Copper Mountains is a must-have" - New Statesman, Best Children's Books for Summer

"A new English edition of the prize-winning Dutch classic" - Five Books, Best Kids' Books of 2022