The Kitchen Knight: A Tale of King Arthur

by Margaret Hodges, Trina Schart Hyman (Illustrator)

Here noble Gareth, King Arthur's nephew is knighted by Sir Lancelot, vanquishes the dreaded knight of the Red Plain, and wins the hand of a fair maiden.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fantasy, Arthurian, Fairy Tales, Medieval, Fiction

32 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 1990

About the author

Margaret "Peggy" Hodges was an American writer of books for children.

She was born Sarah Margaret Moore in Indianapolis, Indiana to Arthur Carlisle and Annie Marie Moore. She enrolled at Tudor Hall, a college preparatory school for girls. A 1932 graduate of Vassar College, she arrived in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with her husband Fletcher Hodges Jr. when in 1937 he became curator at the Stephen Foster Memorial. She trained as a librarian at Carnegie Institute of Technology, now Carnegie Mellon University, under Elizabeth Nesbitt, and she volunteered as a storyteller at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. Beginning in 1958 with One Little Drum, she wrote and published more than 40 books.

Her 1985 book Saint George and the Dragon, illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman, won the Caldecott Medal of the American Library Association.

She was a professor of library science at the University of Pittsburgh, where she retired in 1976.

Hodges died of heart disease on December 13, 2005 at her home in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. She suffered from Parkinson's disease.

She wrote her stories on a notepad or a typewriter. "I need good ideas, and they don't come out of machines," she once said.

Reviews

[Jenelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well, well, well.

Looking at fairytale books on amazon, this one came up with good reviews, so I finally checked it out at the library (good thing I didn't buy it sight unseen!). Just read it to the kids tonight, making snarky side comments all the way through.

I'm not a fan of authors who adapt fairy tales for kids without making it kid friendly. It's like she literally translated the text from the old english or whatever, regardless of whether or not it made sense. My kids were slightly confused at times, because there isn't always an explanation for why someone says this or does that. In the end it came off as incomplete and cheesy.

More than that, though, I'm really sick of stories that are pure quackery. My girls are intensely interested in the female characters of these kinds of stories, so when a girl goes around bad mouthing a guy who is helping her out, I want her to get her come-uppance so at least there's a moral to it all. But no, she just keeps on abusing him, and then suddenly feels ashamed, and then he admits that the more she angered him, the harder he fought for her...suuuuuuure.

But wait, it gets better.

So I guess I should explain that they're traveling to free her sister who's being held prisoner. Anyway, they finally get there, she points out her sister in a window, and he's like, 'ok, she looks nice enough, I'll go to battle for her.' Then he goes to battle the other knight, who apparently is keeping her prisoner cause he has a crush on her, and so our hero tells him he's an idiot for trying to love someone who doesn't love you back...Ok. Wise words.

So they start to duel, which goes on for hours. What I loved though, is that they apparently take breaks: "and now and again they unlaced their helmets and sat down to rest." THANK YOU!! Someone is finally addressing the logistics! Kids totally understand the need for a drink or a potty break or being just plain tired, which is never, never mentioned in battle scenes.

Well, anyhow, during these rests, the hero looks up at the sister in the window to regain his courage, and just when he's about to lose, the other sister is all yelling at him to get up cause her sister is looking. Apparently that was pretty embarrassing cause he gets up and beats his opponent. Now the loser knight, who incidentally has a bunch of knights of his own, goes up and asks forgiveness of the girl he kidnapped, but she won't let the hero through the door to her until she knows him better.

Uhhhhh. Didn't he just save you? You're ok with the evil knight but not the good one? Uhhhhhh. How about asking your sister?

No, instead, her great girly subterfuge is to capture his dwarf to get info from him. So she sends them packing, they wander around the countryside, and in the middle of the night someone comes and steals his dwarf. He tries to chase after them, but he and his horse get stuck in some swamp and he sloshes around in the dark for the better part of the night. Finally he ends up back at the castle, where his dwarf has already dished the dirt, and he tries busting in to get him back, "shouting to the guards that the must give him back his dwarf!" (Um, I'm pretty sure that's kind of insensitive/politically incorrect, FYI.) So they open the doors, he walks in and immediately is relieved and yet somewhat irritated to see his dwarf just hanging out like nothing was wrong.

Meanwhile, formerly kidnapped princess decides to disguise herself as...............wait for it.............................. a princess!
(good one honey, he'll never guess. I mean, he only saw you from a mile away, and how many princesses can be in this castle anyway?)

So she apparently successfully dupes him, and they spend they day exchanging 'fair words and kind looks' between dancing, while he's wondering in the back of his head about whatever happened to the girl he rescued. But she has already decided she's going to marry him, so she reveals all her little tricks, and then walks smart-mouth sister, who obviously has all the history with him, and our hero takes one girl in one hand and the other girl in the other hand, and 'he was more glad than ever before. Thus ends the tale of Sir Gareth of Orkney."

And the final parting shot?

The three of them walking off, hand in hand, into the sunset, with smart-mouth looking back at the reader with a devious smirk.

So what should we conclude kids? That he's got two wives? One wife and one mistress? A mistress plotting against the wife? It leaves so many, many questions unanswered.

and I'm pretty sure there isn't really anything here for kids.

[Melody Schwarting · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, if Hodges and Schart Hyman set out to retell all of medieval English literature in picture book format, I'd be down.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, I have modern sensibilities and could never get into Arthurian lore. But I loved Saint George and the Dragon by this team, and so I had to try this. Very glad I did. Not dumbed-down for kids, not updated for feminists, it is what it is. And it does set up the scene, tone, atmosphere, values... well enough that I almost feel as if I could read further. And of course it's beautifully illustrated.

I only give it four stars because I reserve five for books I can recommend to just about anybody, and I know lots of ppl who would not like this... but, their loss.

[Sarah Monette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trina Schart Hyman's illustrations are AMAZING. She manages a mesmerizing combination of fine detail and a richly saturated palate.

[Set · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a medieval tale about a damsel in distress and a valiant knight that served in king Arthur's kitchen and how he sets out to save the lovely lady in the tower. This story is based on part of The Tale of Sir Gareth of Orkney but based on the reviews, this story is not for everyone, especially feminists but I personally loved this medieval tale. I know that today, the damsel in the tower would have saved herself but I personally love the damsel/knight in plight and a satisfying HEA.

[Andrea Renfrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up because we already own and adore Margaret Hodges's Saint George and the Dragon. But after reading this, I'm not content to merely own all her work, I'd love to start collecting any books illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman; her artwork is glorious and captures the middle ages so beautifully.

[Monique · Rating 5 out of 5]

But which lady does he marry? (I figured it out for sure but it took more than a couple readings. The language is beautiful and readable and holds up to repetition. The illustrations add depth and detail. And this one of the best stories about King Arthur and his Knights.)

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice little self-contained story of King Arthur's court with beautiful illustrations. It is well written and kept my 5 year old daughter's attention throughout.

[Jennifer Heise · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of the Kitchen Knight is one of my favorites, not just for the kitchen connection, but for Lynet's recognizable teenage spirit and Gareth's patience... and this is illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman. What else do you need to know?

Ok, my six year old son liked it. Hodges' writing doesn't follow Mallory completely, but gives a good flavor of it, and lets Gareth fight his own battles. While Hodges doesn't clarify Lynet's behavior as well as even Mallory does, for this age group with its experience of animation series full of what TV Tropes calls "Belligerent Sexual Tension" and "Slap-Slap-Kiss". :)

Best of all Gareth IS a great role model for youth, especially youth of the SCA. Washing dishes and humility; patience and gentleness, are not incompatible with prowesse and nobility: Schart-Hyman's powerfully built Gareth is definitely a mighty man. :)

[♥♣Mary♦♠ If She So Pleases · Rating 5 out of 5]

The feels, the feels are too much! I love medieval literature and this collection is just splendid. I highly recommend this book. It makes a great addition to any collection.
✨✨✨✨✨

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Retold from Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte D'Arthur, this is the story of Gareth, King Arthur's nephew, who vanquishes the dreaded Knight of the Red Plain, and wins the hand of a fair maiden. Trina Schart Hyman's glorious watercolor paintings, and the blocks of text, are surrounded by wooden frames.

[Volsung]

Another triumph of a children's "Arthurian" book from Hodges and illustrator Hyman. Like their "Saint George and the Dragon," it is finely told and excellently illustrated.

[Victoria · Rating 2 out of 5]

I LOVE St George and the Dragon by this duo, but what the heck is happened here. I wouldn't have minded a little more sanitation at the end.

[Becca Tillotson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brother-book to St. George, and we loved it just as much.

[Bayou des Cannes Cajun · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a lovely adaptation of the first part of "The Tale of Sir Gareth of Orkney." As a parent and one who adores Arthurian tales I was familiar with Le Morte D'Arthur and left numerous adaptations of Arthurian tales scattered about my home as my children grew up. Today, when one of my daughters and I were in a local library this book caught our eye. She shared how much she had enjoyed this book as a young child. We enjoyed this book today primarily for the lovely illustrations and fond memories. The story is told fabulously, engaging yet simply. Trina Schart Hyman's illustrations are beautiful and etch themselves forever in my mind.

[Ernie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trina Schart Hyman is among the greatest of all illustrators, for children's books or otherwise. Every illustration in this book is astounding, and the story isn't too bad either.

For those who are wondering, this book IS better than Hodges' St. George and the Dragon, even if St. George won the Caldecott.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

First reading 2014: 3 stars. The illustrations make the book. The story itself is a little strange- well, it's not a modern tale, it's a medieval one, isn't it? And so it feels strange to us. Still, I have to say that Sir Gareth seems like kind of an idiot.

Second reading 2018: 4 stars. The story kind of grows on a body.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Margaret Hodges is a wonderful author, and with Trina Schart Hyman illustrating it, it has to be good.

[Julie G · Rating 4 out of 5]

An introduction to the King Arthur stories for the early grades. . . great story and exceptional illustrations.

[Christine Kallner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am only superficially familiar with the King Arthur legends, so I cannot really say how "authentic" this retelling is. It's certainly a damsel-in-distress saved-by-a-brave-knight-who-wins-her-hand sort of tale, but it is a medieval King Arthur story after all. I may not want a steady diet of that kind of story, but I enjoyed this as a picture book. In fact, my main reason for reading it at all was Trina Schart Hyman's illustrations. I recently read a profile of her in Show and Tell: Exploring the Fine Art of Children's Book Illustration and promptly borrowed/reserved a stack of her books from the library. I'm really looking forward to experiencing many more picture books illustrated by this talented artist.

[Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really excellent kids’ adaptation of one of the lesser known side stories from Arthur’s court. Has all the elements that make Arthurian literature (real medieval Arthurian literature) so wonderfully odd, and—contra at least one other reviewer on here—it’s nice that its oddity and dreamlike qualities weren’t softened or modernized, allowing it to retain that unique feel. If you enjoy this, I believe the same story appears in Roger Lancelyn Green’s book of Arthur stories, which has the same virtue of adapting without destroying the stories’ medieval sensibilities.

[Nakedfartbarfer]

This was drawn by my childhod fave illustrator, whose username is as frank and undesigning as mine: Trina Schart Hyman. She serves to lend an idyll coziness to the stodgy moralizing of English folktales and to draw a hale & collegial Albion that probably never existed. But it looks really nice 😊

It's a tragedy that Trina Schart Hyman was taken from us too soon, and that we missed out on other collaborations. She might find an eager confederate in storyteller Drew P. Bahls, or even littérateur Jenna Taylia, of her former publishing house, Hugh Jaynus, Limited.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Saint George and the Dragon" has been one of our favorite books for years. I've snagged anything illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman at every thrift store and library booksale since I discovered that book; and I have even purchased several new. "The Kitchen Knight" is one I purchased new because I saw it at an Ignatius book fair at my kids' school.

On a first reading, I didn't enjoy this 'Tale of King Arthur' quite as much as the Saint George book by this author illustrator pair, but it sure is beautiful and makes me want to read and learn more about Arthurian tales / legends.

[Bekah Hastings · Rating 3 out of 5]

Illustrations are wonderful! Not as good as Saint George and the Dragon (in my opinion), but still good. Some strange things in the book that might be due to Hodges faithfully re-telling old tales and not catering to modern ears, but overall Gareth is humble, hard-working, and courageous; even when a spiteful, grouchy woman is angry at him for doing what needs to be done, he maintains masculine decorum. Good soul food for sons, and great for dipping your toes into Arthurian legends with your kids.

[Colin · Rating 5 out of 5]

My littles (6 & 8 at this time) really loved the version of the Kitchen Knight that was in a "Knights of the Round Table" anthology we read, so I thought they would get a kick out of this lavishly illustrated and well-researched version by Margaret Hodges. They really did love this version, even though it was different from the version they liked first! I like that they are learning the lesson early that there is more than one version of most of these stories . . .

[Conrad Kinch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Margaret Hodges is just the gift that keeps on giving and she has produced another magnificent book. A wonderfully retold version of Mallory, beautifully illustrated by Trina Schart-Hyman, each page oozes atmosphere. I think I enjoyed it as much as the Kinchlets, Arthur was particularly taken with the pictures.

A delight from beginning to end.

[Kimberly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was hoping this tale would go one way, but it went the obvious (and cliche) way. Not to mentioned that the afterword stated this book is only the first part of the tale...Well, where's the rest? This book is short enough as it is; why not finish the tale rather than leave us with that half-hearted, confusing ending?

[Kate Frantz · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations in this book are BEAUTIFUL. I love the story of the Kitchen Knight and his quest to save the far-off princess. It was exciting to read about King Arthur as an older king and Sir Gareth as he sought to prove he was worthy of knighthood by merit and not name. Traveling, in part, with a lady who did not respect him, Gareth proved he was noble, brave, and determined.

[Allie Outhouse · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations but I didn't care for some of the story's plot. Personally I feel like he picked the wrong chica. Nonetheless, it was sufficiently written to keep the magic of engagement going throughout the tale.

[Eva · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations by TSH, as always...but all the classical Arthurian tropes of beauty=nobility=goodness, and attraction=love grate rather badly. Decided not to read it to my kids evn though I love Hyman's art.