The Angry Little Knight

Gr 1–4—This odd picture book begins well enough but falls flat. Sir Henry Oliver Theodor Herbert Egbert Albert Dewinterbottom, an angry little knight also known as "Sir Hothead," only practices battling. But one day, wanting real adventure, he mounts his steed and trots off into the forest, where he finds a baby dragon that has a bad case of the hiccups. With a feather from his helmet, Hothead tickles Dripdry, curing him. The two go swimming and have a campfire, eating sausages grilled by the dragon "with a single burst of flame," securing an unlikely friendship. Langen tries to keep the feeling playful, but the narrative and dialogue meander at times in lengthy paragraphs. The plot becomes too convenient when Hothead's horse, Roswitha, produces the sausages for the campfire, having cleverly remembered to bring them. The illustrations are colorful, but do not always support the text. For example, on one spread Dripdry finds himself alone in the forest and feeling threatened. "The branches of the trees looked like sharp claws…, his skin became all goose bumpy and his teeth chattered like ice cubes." Yet the branches don't look menacing, the dragon's scales show no signs of distress, and his mouth is closed, with no chattering teeth revealed.—Anne Beier, Hendrick Hudson Free Library, Montrose, NY