THE WOODEN SWORD by Ann Redisch Stampler. Illistrated by Carol Liddiment. Chicago: Albert Whitman & Company, 2012. 32p. 978-0807592014  Ages 5-7

Everybody loves a good story about a king, prince, or in this case, a shah who wants to get to know the people he rules over and what their life is like.  The shah decides to put a young man and his wife to test regarding the strength of their faith and happiness.  Each time he decrees the man's job as illegal, the man remains faithful and tells his wife that everything turns out just as it should.  After a few rounds of this, the shah brings the poor man to his palace to serve as his royal advisor, based on his patience and loyalty, rewarding his virtues.
~Mary Koshorek, Library Assistant, Spies Public Library