Review by Booklist Review
In a kitchen cupboard, pajama-clad Ryan meets the king of pots, who knights Ryan and sends him on a quest. Wearing a protective, cooking-pot helmet, Sir Ryan climbs stair mountains and explores a closet jungle and a garage castle before finally confronting the basement cave's moldy monster. Retrieving his wooden sword, he returns triumphantly to the kitchen, where his supportive, smiling mom provides a royal banquet and hugs the brave knight. The colorful, softly textured, detailed illustrations cleverly depict how everyday objects and settings together with a child's imagination and creativity can inspire playtime adventures. A hanging shirt and tie transforms into a mysterious man; a tool cabinet and rake become a castle guard. The descriptive narrative incorporates knightly references and amusingly elevated language: Look upon my enchanted cape and know that I have faced great danger to visit your castle today. An artful blend of the fantastical and familiar, this charming debut closes with an affectionate, reassuring ending, in which the little knight discovers that his quest's true rewards are the comforts of home.--Rosenfeld, Shelle Copyright 2009 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A typical household provides the perfect landscape for adventure-as seen through the eyes of a boy's imagination in this picture book debut. The king of pots-who rules the kingdom in the kitchen cupboards-sends a brave and armored Sir Ryan on a far-reaching quest beginning with the "jungle" of a bedroom closet, the garage "castle" filled with oily machines, and finally, the "cave" beneath the kingdom, home to a "moldy monster" (a collection of old boxes). Ryan gathers courage-and knightly accessories like a cape and shield-along the way. Young readers may grow weary of Ryan's elevated and somewhat cumbersome knight-speak, and may be puzzled that Ryan never seems to find what he seeks (the quest ends with a hug and some soup from Mom). However, the preschool set will surely relate to the boy's passion for active, imaginary play. Deeble's colored-pencil illustrations keep readers clued in to reality and fantasy alike and have a rough childlike quality that suits the subject matter. Ages 4-8. (Apr.) Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-Young Ryan, a barefoot boy in blue pajamas, is on a quest. He begins at the kitchen cupboard, where he dons a saucepan helmet. Along the way, the brave knight gets assistance from the king of pots and a moldy monster in the dark basement, and acquires such necessities as a "cape" (a red sweater) and a "sword" (a yardstick). The tyke's adventures take him mountain climbing (up the stairs), to a wilderness (a closet), and into a castle (the garage), where he meets an array of characters created from ordinary objects found in the home, such as a box. Eventually, the boy's journey leads to his mom-"Where have you been, Ryan?"-who serves him "a royal banquet." The cartoonlike art depicts the protagonist from various perspectives that often accentuate his small stature, but it is flat and the figures are awkward. While children who indulge in fantasy play might find this book appealing, it is at best an additional purchase.-C. J. Connor, Campbell County Public Library, Cold Spring, KY Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.
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Review by Horn Book Review
Playing in the kitchen, Ryan imagines meeting "the king of pots," who sends him on a mission. Ryan's journey takes him around the house, where everyday items become friends--and foes--encountered on his knight's quest. Ryan's imagination is commendable, but the quest itself could have used more substance than taking him from breakfast to lunchtime. The childlike illustrations have a Flat Stanley-ish appeal. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Imagination lives large in this debut. Who knew that a king could live in a cupboard, that a mountain was only a staircase away or that a jungle could exist in a closet? Sir Ryan certainly does, and he crawls into the kitchen cupboard after breakfast one morning for an adventure. There he meets a king who is a creative hodgepodge of pots, strainers and forks. From the kitchen cupboard he ventures forth, meeting many men and even a monster, all amalgamations of common household objects. Each equips him further for his quest and points the way to his next stop. Deeble's artwork does not shy away from those household places usually deemed scary by the youngest set. Instead, against closet- and cellar-black backgrounds, he depicts beings who, although not un-scary, are also helpful, and most importantly, who realistically reflect the tangle of clothes hanging in the closet or the jumble of junk in the garage. The dauntless Ryan's adventure is sure to be emulatedthis is the spark for an imagination bonfire. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.