The Forgetful Knight

May 1, 2016
A forgetful knight goes to battle against the dragon that stole his horse.In clever and catchy rhyming verse, the narrator recounts the knight's quest to find the dragon. Except--the narrator can't exactly remember the story so must constantly stop to try to work it out, the resulting improvisations creating a hilarious narrative that veers in absurd directions. "At last he found the dragon's cave, / and strode right in, for he was brave. / Not brave, I mean he was quite scared. / Go in the cave? He never dared! / He grabbed his phone, he dialed home. / Said, 'Mommy, help! I'm all alone!' " Eventually, the knight rescues his horse from the dragon's belly, and then: "He BASHED the dragon on the head. / The dragon BASHED him back. They're dead. / The end." But wait! "Hang on," the narrator revises again, assuring readers that the dragon didn't really die but received a scolding, had a good cry, and mostly avoided eating pets after that. As for the knight, well, that bashing cost him his memory, and he is the narrator. Blunt's whimsically detailed mixed-media illustrations employ a Fractured Fairy Tales aesthetic, depicting a carrot-topped white child knight and comically nonfearsome dragon; they suit the tone of the text neatly and greatly add to its comic effect.Kids will love this quirky quest and its uproariously unreliable narrator. (Picture book. 4-8)

COPYRIGHT(2016) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

June 1, 2016

K-Gr 2-A confused narrator attempts to relate the tale of a knight's quest in this silly read-aloud. Readers quickly learn that something's not quite right with this story. After all, what kind of knight goes into battle "with half a sandwich in his hand"? It should be "a sword," of course! Robinson's rhyming text encourages audience participation as the narrator regularly asks for help in remembering what the knight is up to. It turns out that the hero is after the dragon who ate his loyal steed, Sir Clop. A quick hit to the gut, and the dragon gives up the knight's friend-along with everything else he's consumed. After a stern lecture and a few tears, the dragon swears off eating pets, and a final twist reveals that the memory-challenged narrator was none other than the knight himself. Blunt's pencil and digital cartoon illustrations have a busy, chaotic feel but are frequently set against plenty of white space to enable audiences and readers to follow the path of the text. Occasional spreads full of medieval villagers offer lots of humorous action and details for kids to pore over. VERDICT A goofy selection, but one that should produce plenty of giggles both in storytime or when shared one-on-one.-Chelsea Couillard-Smith, Hennepin County Library, MN

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2016
Preschool-G A knight in armor sets out to slay a dragon. That much is clear . . . or is it? The knight begins on horseback, but after the narrator amends rode to strode, he's on foot. The knight meets up with the dragon, who has swallowed his horse and other critters, too. He BASHED the dragon on the head. / The dragon BASHED him back. They're dead. Well, hold on . . . No, they're not. Yes, there's a happy ending for all (even the critters). The story is less important here than the telling. Grasping for elusive words and substituting whatever comes to mind before backtracking and changing them, the easily distracted narrator is continually amending his account of the action. This is a tale of knightly deeds as a child might tell it, with himself in the starring role. Often amusing, the rhymed couplets, read well aloud, leave space for kids to chime in, answering questions and setting the record straight. Both the stop-and-go text and the boisterous, cartoon-like artwork have an off-hand daffiness that's very appealing. Great fun.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)