Another provocative fable from a Caldecott medalist whose most recent book was Toddlecreek Post Office (1990). When a king meets a man who explains that his beard is black while the hair on his head is white because "my head is older," the king decrees, "You must not tell this to anyone until you have seen my face ninety-nine times." When the king's wily counselor tries to trick the man into breaking this edict, the man asks for only 99 copper coins in return—but they bear the king's likeness. Impressed with his cleverness, the king makes him treasurer; later, after again outwitting the jealous counselor by coming up with an honest and modest rebuttal to his false charges, he's appointed counselor in his place. Shulevitz's art—richly saturated colors, simple, angular forms, strongly energetic compositions, adroit caricatures—are a particular pleasure here, while the tale's classic structure and gentle wisdom especially recommend it for storytelling. (Picture book. 4-10)