This story is about a loud prince whose parents try everything to help him be more quiet. They enlist the help of a number of creative people who try imaginative methods. You'll never guess what happens next. The story came about in 2003 when the family was visiting Greece, the home country of Ellenore's husband Michael. Coming up from the beach requires a climb of over 300+ stairs. Her son Damian was only three at that time. So she made up this story to keep him occupied as they climbed together. In 2008, Leyla joined the family from Ethiopia and the little girl in the story is a nod to her. Older brother Dimitri's early drawings provided the inspiration for Peter Le's amazing illustrations.