Michael Le Souffle and the April Fool

Once upon a time in 1564, Charles IX, the king of France, ruled that thefirst day of the year would be January 1 instead of April 1. Those who forgotthe change and celebrated New Yearis Day on April 1 were ridiculed by havingfish thrown at them.In the skilled hands of Peter Welling, this history takes on a hilariousdimension. In the French town of Bakonneggs, there exists a rivalry between theMayor Melon de Plume, a pig, and a prankster rooster, Michael Le SoufflE. Themayor lacks a sense of humor and is annoyed to be disturbed from his slumber byMichaelis crowing laughter. He issues new laws (including a ban on allfeathers), but the town continues, under the roosteris leadership, to laughand play.Then one day, Michael posts a law, signed by the king, on the official oaktree: New Yearis Day will no longer be April 1. From now on, the first day ofthe year will be January 1. Melon is in disbelief and chases the rooster with awagon of fish, accidentally hitting the king with one, for which he is put inthe stocks. The next year, he still celebrates April 1 as New Yearis Day, andthe king orders that he be pelted with fish until he comes to his senses. Melonis undaunted: he scoops up the fallen fish and hosts a big party, starting anannual day of celebration we now know as April Foolsi Day. Populated by amenagerie of animals and creatures real and imagined, including a crafty crew ofgargoyles, Michael Le SoufflE and the April Fool issure to keep readers young and old coming back to discover new laughs on everypage.About the AuthorPeter Welling is the art director for Futures magazine. He is also afather of four and grandfather of three who volunteers at his youngest sonisschool, which provided the inspiration to begin writing books when the lunchbags he illustrated for his youngest son, with cartoons from history, were verypopular with other students, parents, and teachers. He twice won the ParentVolunteer of the Year Award and is an active member of the Society of ChildrenisBook Writers and Illustrators. He is the author/illustrator of two other booksfor young readers: Andrew McGroundhog and His ShadyShadow and Shawn OiHisser, the Last Snake in Ireland. To learn more about Peter Welling, visit his Web site atwww.peterjwelling.com .Welling, Peter J. is the author of 'Michael Le Souffle and the April Fool' with ISBN 9781589801059 and ISBN 1589801059.