2015 China Times Open Book Award for Best Children’s Book
Did you ever wonder who the young boy was that dared to say the Emperor was naked? His name was Axel, and he was never afraid to say what he thought. He told off his teacher when she made mistakes; he pointed out his Headmaster’s baldness right to the Headmaster’s face. Everybody was afraid of Axel, but he didn’t care: he cared more about his beetles. He raised them, and drew beautiful pictures of them. Until one day, a fire in his bedroom forced his pictures out into the open. But how did the townspeople react when they discovered what he had made?
This book taps into the resonance of an old myth to provide context for a heartwarming story about a child with Asperger’s. Come discover the boy with the sharp eyes on his own terms, and see what he can do.
