BOOK REVIEW: The Knight Who Wouldn’t Fight by Helen & Thomas Docherty

BOOK REVIEW: The Knight Who Wouldn’t Fight by Helen & Thomas Docherty

Alison Green Books
August 2016
Paperback $15.99
Reviewed by Steph O’Connell

Picture Book

7/10

Leo the knight is the kind of character many book lovers can relate to; he wants to be left to read in peace, but other people think there are other activities that would prove a better use of his time.

So, when his parents insist he do “more knightly” things like, perhaps, slaying dragons, he takes a pile of books along with him and encourages reading and discussion instead of fighting and slaying. A mouse after this book lover’s own heart.

The illustrations throughout are not the kind so often seen today; they almost feel a little like the illustrations in Little Golden Books, with what seems to be a combination of drawing and watercolour. No doubt this will appeal to the nostalgic element of parents who grew up with that style of story. And the rhymes throughout are sure to captivate younger readers, too. 

The message, in the end, is books over violence, and the story encourages book lovers to stick to their guns, as it were, and spread that love of words to those we come across in our own adventures. 

Books are cool, and interesting, and encourage us to look at the world with an open mind, and readers should be encouraged to use those tools to their advantage. And sometimes, all it takes to entice someone to pick up a book is finding the right story for them.

Category: Book Reviews, Other Reviews