A long but sometimes-delightful illustrated work for young readers.
In debut author/illustrator Cassis’ children’s book, a 600-year-old family heirloom sparks a grandfather’s story about a squire’s values.
Seven-year-old Mac asks Grandpa about the gold ring he wears, and he explains to her that it’s been handed down through their family for centuries—ever since their ancestors served as squires. Back then, they began training at the age of 7, and if they proved themselves worthy at 14, they received a gold ring. Cassis illustrates Grandpa’s explanations of ancient chivalric traditions with colorful diagrams of a knight’s outfit, explanations of a squire’s stable responsibilities, and information about the family’s ancestor Mackenzie Stewart, a Scottish knight in the service of the legendary Sir Galahad. Grandpa uses tales from the past and the ideals of chivalry to provide Mac with guidance and direction, and the book focuses on the necessity of believing in oneself, treating others with respect, and being helpful and fair. Grandpa also tells Mac that squires aspired to be good friends to others, and to avoid bullying behavior. Overall, this effort is clearly a labor of love, and its heart is in the right place. That said, the text sometimes feels wordy and somewhat didactic. However, kids will likely enjoy a tale that Grandpa spins in the book’s latter half, which features several illustrations of an enormous, marvelously scary green dragon named Spitfire who lives in a dark, smelly cave. The queen sends Sir Galahad to rid the villagers of the dangerous creature, and brave Squire Mackenzie must step up when the dragon breaks Sir Galahad’s arm; however, Squire Mackenzie realizes that the creature is only irritable because it’s suffering from a bad cold. The story ends with a well-handled revelation that Mackenzie Stewart, for whom Mac is named, is female.
A long but sometimes-delightful illustrated work for young readers.Pub Date: Nov. 5, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5255-3242-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: FriesenPress
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Broccoli: No way is James going to eat broccoli. “It’s disgusting,” says James. Well then, James, says his father, let’s consider the alternatives: some wormy dirt, perhaps, some stinky socks, some pre-chewed gum? James reconsiders the broccoli, but—milk? “Blech,” says James. Right, says his father, who needs strong bones? You’ll be great at hide-and-seek, though not so great at baseball and kickball and even tickling the dog’s belly. James takes a mouthful. So it goes through lumpy oatmeal, mushroom lasagna and slimy eggs, with James’ father parrying his son’s every picky thrust. And it is fun, because the father’s retorts are so outlandish: the lasagna-making troll in the basement who will be sent back to the rat circus, there to endure the rodent’s vicious bites; the uneaten oatmeal that will grow and grow and probably devour the dog that the boy won’t be able to tickle any longer since his bones are so rubbery. Schneider’s watercolors catch the mood of gentle ribbing, the looks of bewilderment and surrender and the deadpanned malarkey. It all makes James’ father’s last urging—“I was just going to say that you might like them if you tried them”—wholly fresh and unexpected advice. (Early reader. 5-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-14956-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity.
A collection of parental wishes for a child.
It starts out simply enough: two children run pell-mell across an open field, one holding a high-flying kite with the line “I wish you more ups than downs.” But on subsequent pages, some of the analogous concepts are confusing or ambiguous. The line “I wish you more tippy-toes than deep” accompanies a picture of a boy happily swimming in a pool. His feet are visible, but it's not clear whether he's floating in the deep end or standing in the shallow. Then there's a picture of a boy on a beach, his pockets bulging with driftwood and colorful shells, looking frustrated that his pockets won't hold the rest of his beachcombing treasures, which lie tantalizingly before him on the sand. The line reads: “I wish you more treasures than pockets.” Most children will feel the better wish would be that he had just the right amount of pockets for his treasures. Some of the wordplay, such as “more can than knot” and “more pause than fast-forward,” will tickle older readers with their accompanying, comical illustrations. The beautifully simple pictures are a sweet, kid- and parent-appealing blend of comic-strip style and fine art; the cast of children depicted is commendably multiethnic.
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: April 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4521-2699-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2015
© Copyright 2025 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.
