Small Knight and George: Small Knight and George

by Ronda Armitage, Arthur Robins (Illustrator)

Knights are supposed to be big, brave dragon fighters, but Small Knight doesn't feel big or brave. In fact, he shivers in his boots as he rides out on his horse in search of a fierce dragon. He goes from place to place, asking the local people if they've seen a dragon that he can fight, but he is always a little too late. A fierce dragon has already come and then gone from each place he visits. The people tell him frightening dragon stories, which makes Small Knight realize that he really doesn't want to fight a dragon at all. On his way home at the end of the day, Small Knight meets a strange but friendly little creature hiding in the shrubbery. What Small Knight fails to realize is that this friendly meeting will cause general panic the moment he returns home to his castle. Very funny color illustrations on every page.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2007

About the author

Ronda Armitage is the author of many children’s books, including the Lighthouse Keeper series.
She attended University of Auckland, 1963, 1969, and Massey University, 1965; Hamilton Teacher's College, certificate of teaching, 1963, diploma of teaching, 1969.
She lives in England with her husband, illustrator, David. They have two children.

Reviews

[Nola Lorraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Small Knight's father gives him a suit of armour and a sword and tells him to go out and fight his very first fierce dragon. Little Knight isn't too keen on the idea, but he follows his father's wishes and sets off to find a fierce dragon. He asks people on the way for help, but they just tell him about the horrible things the dragon has done. Along the way, he finds a little friend called George and takes him back to the castle. It's not what his father was expecting, but could George be the answer to Little Knight's dilemma?

This was a cute book. The text was mostly fine, though I felt the two little songs Little Knight made up each needed another two lines to round off the rhyme. The illustrations were brilliant, with lots of detail and fun things to spot.

[Portable · Rating 4 out of 5]

Small Knight wants to be brave, but he doesn't feel brave. In order to become a Big Knight, he'll need to catch a dragon, so he sets out on an adventure, though he does not feel brave at all. Along the way, he meets a new friend, and when he brings his friend back home, everyone gets a surprise. Great for practising recall - encourage your child to retell the story in their own words!

[Rima Aroutiounian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for kindergartners and first graders. The print is large and will help with print awareness. Also will help children to develop vocabulary. The chronology of the story was predictive, which is good for narrating skills.

[Simone Colwill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this story, although the storyline was a little predictable. Kids will really relate to a knight who doesn't feel big and brave, but is small and afraid. The illustrations are very detailed. I recommend it!

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely story.