King Watkins the First is the father of the lovely and kind-hearted Princess Alicia and a tribe of eighteen other darlings. Between their money problems, the queen's illness, and the children's boisterous doings, the king and his eldest daughter are fairly overwhelmed by responsibilities. But a chance meeting with a good fairy at the fishmonger brings a bit of magic into their lives and leads the entire family toward health and happiness. Caldecott Award-winning artist Louis Slobodkin recaptures the enchantment of Charles Dickens's The Magic Fishbone in a book that perfectly blends the gifts of one of the world's favorite storytellers with those of a great American illustrator. Readers of all ages are certain to be captivated by the little-known tale of a king whose only riches lie in his children. Winsome watercolor images grace every page of this beautiful edition.