The Crown: An Epic Tale of Fools, Fate, and Fish Butts
Penguin Workshop, 2026
Agent: Thao Le
A rollicking, laugh-out-loud, fish butt–tastic tale about a fight over a crown—and the power it holds—with a surprising twist ending.
Once upon a time, in a peaceful village nearer than you think, a mysterious box appeared outside the gates of a castle. Inside the box was a crown and some instructions (well, one instruction): Whoever has the crown makes the rules! NO exceptions! So naturally, the guard who found the crown put it on and became king.
This led to a dizzying tug-of-war (literally) between the king, the villagers, some fish butt–addicted alligators, and one very, very large orange dragon—all of whom believed the crown and the power were rightfully theirs. Needless to say, the peaceful village? Yeah, not so peaceful anymore.
Reviews:
"Stohler’s parable makes an irreverent, silly, and hilarious case for democratic voting practices. A persuasive, funny argument in favor of democracy."
—Kirkus Reviews