Official Review: A dragon a princess and a should be knight

CataclysmicKnight · Post by **CataclysmicKnight** » 08 May 2018, 22:02

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "A dragon a princess and a should be knight" by Matthew Hudson.]

4 out of 4 stars

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Children's picture books usually do their best to balance two things: be silly and fun books that that teach children something. Many seem to do one or the other well, but it's been a long time since I saw one walk the line between the two as well as Matthew Hudson does it in his book A Dragon, a Princess and a Should be Knight. Not only will children learn about the importance of character and Christian values, they'll be laughing along the way.

The story is much like classic fables and begins with a King hiding his daughter, protecting her with a dragon, saying that anyone who can defeat the dragon will have her hand in marriage. Not only will the brave man get her as a prize, he'll earn half the kingdom as a wedding gift . While the majority of the people are far too scared to go up against a dragon, a few men try. Sir Fullofhimself is the first, and when he announces his plan to the king to defeat the dragon the king is excited to have him as a future son-in-law. Sadly, Sir Fullofhimself, "the most famous knight in all the kingdom" who "won all the tournaments" is easily killed by the dragon.

The story continues with other hilarious knights until an otherwise-ordinary boy tells the king he'll defeat the dragon, but he doesn't even want half of the kingdom, he's always loved the princess and all he cares about is her. The king laughs, wondering how someone who isn't a knight and who doesn't even have a weapon could possibly take on a ferocious dragon. The boy is confident, though, and the ending is hilarious, charming and educational.

The artwork is lovely too. Matthew has written two children's picture books and has used the same illustrator, Aneeza Ashraf, for both. The art is just like what's on the cover; it reminds me of improved bitmojis with layers of really sharp, colorful background behind them. It makes the images really pop, and the pages are big enough that the art is easy to see from a distance. The text was also easy to read, and there were some great, humorous details, especially on Sir Textsalot who has what seems like a mobile phone or computer monitor in his chest armor.

Books rarely surprise me the way that A Dragon, a Princess and a Should be Knight did, let alone children's books! I had a wonderful time reading it and it's something I want to share with everyone I know. The only people I wouldn't recommend this to are people who are so upset about God being mentioned in a book that they'll turn it away; everyone else should definitely check it out. For those who are both Christian and have children, the book is absolutely perfect! It was like the best Pixar or Disney movies, just as good for adults (or at least for this adult) as it is children. My rating is definitely 4 out of 4 stars, and the only flaw I found was a single error - a quotation mark that was accidentally attached to the wrong word.

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A dragon a princess and a should be knight
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Thuletso · Post by **Thuletso** » 19 May 2018, 10:44

A DRAGON A PRINCESS AND A SHOULD BE KNIGHT
Wow this is a wonderful book, I really enjoyed reading it

Montero002 · Post by **Montero002** » 19 May 2018, 16:28

Really interesting, the story line is really close to David and Goliath. Nice one.

Jackie Holycross · Post by **Jackie Holycross** » 20 May 2018, 00:32

I love the names of the knights. That’s hilarious.

Angie Fushi · Post by **Angie Fushi** » 20 May 2018, 04:32

its intresting and also has great values to learn from it....i loved it

NL Hartje · Post by **NL Hartje** » 20 May 2018, 10:58

What age children is this for? Is it a picture book, or more of a children's chapter book?

I only ask because although I love "Sirfullofhimslef" and snorted at the inclusion of the name, I wonder if it translates to young readers? I don't think my kids would understand the meaning of "full of himself." Are the other names equally adult references or are there some more kid-friendly?

Laura Ungureanu · Post by **Laura Ungureanu** » 20 May 2018, 11:08

The story is typicall, there are too many to count, but I guess this one brings humor to the usual story. I mean, the knight Fullofhimself. That is enough said to know how the book will be. A fun experience I am sure. Thank you!

Kat Berg · Post by **Kat Berg** » 20 May 2018, 20:09

I love the title, the cover, and the clever names. This seems like a promising book, especially considering how much you love it. I will have to check it out. Thanks for the review.

kfwilson6 · Post by **kfwilson6** » 21 May 2018, 07:55

The cover art is quite vivid so it is great to know the artwork is consistently wonderful through out. I particularly love Sir Fullofhimself. That might be hard for a kid reading to himself to catch on to but if this book is being read out loud I don't think it would cause any hiccups. A Dragon, a Princess and a Should Be Knight sounds like a great book for kids. I enjoyed your description of who should steer clear of this one. Great review.