Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-With clever rhymes and imaginative illustrations, this is the story of an unlikely friendship between a young dragon and a knight who accidentally become friends rather than seeking to destroy each other. Their story begins when baby dragon Dram is booted out of his nest and told to "go bite a nibblesome knight of your own!" When a thunderstorm causes Dram to crash land in a pond, young knight James believes that he is a "rare kind of duck" in need of assistance. James creates a sling for Dram and then gives him some food before tucking him into bed "in the moon-marbled night." The next day, the two are shocked to discover each other's true identities: "You're a knight?" shouted Dram. "You're not simply a lad?" "You're a dragon?" yelled James. "You're all beastly and bad?" Luckily, they realize their shared experiences of the day before has made them friends rather than enemies, and they embrace rather than slaying one another. Their friendship allows all the other knights and dragons in the fairy-tale land to reevaluate their behavior. The energetic cartoon art is pure fun. The dragons are a wonderful blend of scary, scaly, and silly, and young James looks like a small blond cherub who is practically overpowered by his suit of armor. This story will make a wonderful read-aloud, and young children will enjoy noticing all the details in the colorful illustrations. VERDICT A crowd-pleasing rhyming picture book that -children will beg to have read repeatedly. Sure to be a storytime hit.-Sally James, South -Hillsborough Elementary School, CA © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Baby dragon Dram crash-lands while trying to find his first "nibblesome knight." Young "lad" James (disrobed of armor) thinks he's rescuing an injured duck. "'Oh duckie!' cried James as Dram struggled to roar. / 'What a strange sort of quack. Why, your throat must be sore!'" In this tale of mistaken identity leading to friendship, Davies's charmingly detailed pictures let readers in on the truth before the bouncy rhymes do. (c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A bit of a mix-up results in an unlikely friendship.The rhyming text opens the story on a young dragon named Dram who is sent out into the world to capture and eat his first "nibblesome knight." The big-eyed, small, green dragon doesn't appear frightening at all and looks downright vulnerable when he crash-lands in a pond after bad weather strikes during his flight to hunt down a knight. A knight who is a blond, white boy named James witnesses the little dragon's fall, takes off his armor, and wades into the water to rescue Dram. He's never seen a dragon before and thinks Dram must be a duck of some sort. For his part, Dram doesn't recognize James as a knight and thinks he's just "a lad." Nurturing, empathetic James feeds and cares for Dram until he's well enough to go off on his own. When the pair meet up again on the castle grounds, James is wearing his armor and wielding a sword, and they recognize each other's true identities. There's a brief moment of tension to make readers wonder if they will do battle or not, but the gentle tone of art and text alike propel the story toward its satisfying, happily-ever-after ending. The refrain of "dribblesome, nibblesome, knobble-kneed knights" will have listeners joining in with glee.Slay storytime (if not dragons) with this good knight book. (Picture book. 2-5) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
