Michael Le Soufflé and the April Fool

“[A] slapstick story about the possible origin of April Fools’ Day” from the award-winning author of Shawn O’Hisser, the Last Snake in Ireland ( Booklist ). Once upon a time in 1564, Charles IX, the king of France, ruled that the first day of the year would be January 1 instead of April 1. Those who forgot the change and celebrated New Year’s Day on April 1 were ridiculed by having fish thrown at them. In the skilled hands of Peter Welling, this history takes on a hilarious dimension. In the Fre