An old-fashioned telling with definite contemporary appeal.
A beloved Swedish tale, literally from long ago, is now published in English.
The 1923 story is a simple and sweet one. A brother and sister, Kai and Kelly, play on a fallen tree trunk outside their woodland cottage. The children imagine it is a dragon, covered with moss and supplied with wings from an old umbrella. A mischievous gnome brings the tree dragon to life, and the children fly to the Land of Long Ago. They rescue a knight (in shining armor, no less) from the troll king and his princess from a fierce (but non-flying) dragon; they bring the pair home to her parents’ kingdom and stay for the wedding. They are sent off to school when they allow little troll children to sully the palace gardens. Meanwhile, the repentant gnome finds Kai and Kelly and reanimates their tree dragon, and all return to the cottage and their own parents. The illustrations have the lovely faded texture of a well-worn and oft-read story, with soft colors and edges and static tableaux. The particular images of princess and knight, dragon and meadow, sheep and garden echo antecedents in medieval manuscripts and in 19th-century book illustration. There is no indication of who did the translation, but the language is clear and smooth.
An old-fashioned telling with definite contemporary appeal. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-86315-771-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Floris
Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A Valentine’s tale that even the grumpiest readers won’t be able to resist.
A put-upon goblin learns to feel the love.
Gilbert, a bald, mint-green goblin, is far too busy for Valentine’s Day. From bird-watching to goat yoga, his schedule is full. Besides, “Valentine’s Day is all about love and flowers and all that other mushy malarkey”—Gilbert doesn’t need it! He isn’t interested in those heart-shaped boxes of candy with their gross coconut surprises, and he’s not a fan of the so-called stars of Valentine’s Day: cupids with their gorgeous hair and love arrows. But the cupid squad doesn’t give up on Gilbert and sends him zigging and zagging to avoid their arrows. Believing he’s been hit (in fact he unwittingly backed up into a cactus), Gilbert finds himself falling in love with love and eagerly accepting his friends’ valentines. Humor certain to please readers young and old is woven throughout Gilbert’s sassy narration and the candy-colored illustrations, which trace the goblin’s metamorphosis from sourpuss to lovebug. The reasons for Gilbert’s true change of heart—and why he was so loath to celebrate to begin with—are left unspoken, but readers may enjoy coming up with their own ideas. Front endpapers featuring candy hearts festooned with “meh” and “nope” capture the anti-Valentine vibe, while supportive cards from Gilbert’s friends can be found on the back endpapers.
A Valentine’s tale that even the grumpiest readers won’t be able to resist. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Dec. 23, 2025
ISBN: 9781665962612
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 13, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2025
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
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
