King Jack and the Dragon by Peter Bently
Illustrated by Helen Oxenbury
2011
King Jack and the Dragon had me from the moment I saw the cover. It just looked like one of those books I would've read so many times as a child that pages would've fallen off. And once I started reading I was not disappointed.
Jack, Zack, and Caspar are building a fort for King Jack and his men. They use a cardboard box, sheets and sticks and soon the King and his knight are ready to battle and defend their castle. They fight off dragons and monsters with their wooden swords and sticks and then they "returned to their stronghold for fabulous feast." They wanted to spend the night inside their fort, but a giant -his dad- came and took Zack home. Soon, another giant takes baby Caspar home for bedtime. As Jack is left alone inside the fort, he hears many scary noises but he's able to defeat his fears and stay. That is until a four-legged monster makes its way to the fort.
King Jack and the Dragon feels like a new classic. A tale about young boys using their imagination to play together for hours, building forts, and fighting all sorts of creatures. The illustrations by Oxenbury have that timeless feeling about them, just beautiful. This is a book that will be read and reread. No doubt. One of my favorites this year.
I loved how a child's imagination was brought to life in this one, both in the text and the illustrations!
ReplyDeleteCouldn't agree more Rebecca. It's a gorgeous book with a classic feeling to it.
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