Pretty but preachy.
Prince and knight return to take on an evil adversary.
This sequel to Prince & Knight (2018) picks up after the prince and knight’s wedding day and begins with a coronation (but, a little puzzlingly, the prince is never referred to as a king). The two men’s love “inspired everyone in sight,” but soon a “fog of darkness” descends upon the realm. Daylight disappears. The crops suffer blight. The prince gravely tells his husband, “We must face this threat tonight!” The pair consults with the kingdom’s “wise old sage,” who sends them to find the Shadow King, whose “soul is filled with rage.” After “trudging through the wilderness,” the prince and knight make it to the Shadow King’s fortress and best his army of monsters. Eventually, they reach the Shadow King and help repair the harm that resulted from his evil ways. With rich colors and cinematic sequences, Lewis’ animation-inflected art shines in this fantastical tale. Whereas in the first book knight rescued prince, the reverse happens here—a delightful counterpoint to heteronormative gender roles. Though excellent in its positive depiction of queer heroes, the book’s heavy-handed message is made worse by Haack’s awkward, rhyming text. Aside from the brown-skinned knight, the royal family presents White. Supporting characters add additional racial diversity. With the addition of the Shadow King and his squire, the story moves from tokenization toward a sense of queer community. (This book was reviewed digitally with 8.3-by-19.6-inch double-page spreads viewed at 56% of actual size.)
Pretty but preachy. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: April 27, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-4998-1121-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little Bee Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
Only for dedicated fans of the series.
When a kid gets the part of the ninja master in the school play, it finally seems to be the right time to tackle the closet monster.
“I spot my monster right away. / He’s practicing his ROAR. / He almost scares me half to death, / but I won’t be scared anymore!” The monster is a large, fluffy poison-green beast with blue hands and feet and face and a fluffy blue-and-green–striped tail. The kid employs a “bag of tricks” to try to catch the monster: in it are a giant wind-up shark, two cans of silly string, and an elaborate cage-and-robot trap. This last works, but with an unexpected result: the monster looks sad. Turns out he was only scaring the boy to wake him up so they could be friends. The monster greets the boy in the usual monster way: he “rips a massive FART!!” that smells like strawberries and lime, and then they go to the monster’s house to meet his parents and play. The final two spreads show the duo getting ready for bed, which is a rather anticlimactic end to what has otherwise been a rambunctious tale. Elkerton’s bright illustrations have a TV-cartoon aesthetic, and his playful beast is never scary. The narrator is depicted with black eyes and hair and pale skin. Wallace’s limping verses are uninspired at best, and the scansion and meter are frequently off.
Only for dedicated fans of the series. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4926-4894-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A charming blend of whimsy and medieval heroism highlighting the triumph of brains over brawn.
A young owl achieves his grand ambition.
Owl, an adorably earnest and gallant little owlet, dreams of being a knight. He imagines himself defeating dragons and winning favor far and wide through his brave exploits. When a record number of knights go missing, Owl applies to Knight School and is surprisingly accepted. He is much smaller than the other knights-in-training, struggles to wield weapons, and has “a habit of nodding off during the day.” Nevertheless, he graduates and is assigned to the Knight Night Watch. While patrolling the castle walls one night, a hungry dragon shows up and Owl must use his wits to avoid meeting a terrible end. The result is both humorous and heartwarming, offering an affirmation of courage and clear thinking no matter one’s size…and demonstrating the power of a midnight snack. The story never directly addresses the question of the missing knights, but it is hinted that they became the dragon’s fodder, leaving readers to question Owl’s decision to befriend the beast. Humor is supplied by the characters’ facial expressions and accented by the fact that Owl is the only animal in his order of big, burly human knights. Denise’s accomplished digital illustrations—many of which are full bleeds—often use a warm sepia palette that evokes a feeling of antiquity, and some spreads feature a pleasing play of chiaroscuro that creates suspense and drama.
A charming blend of whimsy and medieval heroism highlighting the triumph of brains over brawn. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 15, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-316-31062-8
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2022
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