Sloane hands me the book Knight Owl.
“Again! Read me this one again, Grandma,” she pleads.
She really does not need to beg.
I will happily read and then reread Knight Owl whenever asked.
Why would I agree to such repetition?
The illustrations and clever word play are what make Knight Owl a favorite for both the reader as well as a toddler.
Summary:
Owl dreams of being a knight. When knights start disappearing from the castle, a call goes out to the kingdom for those interested in attending Knight School. Despite his tiny size, and his habit of falling asleep during the day, Owl is accepted.
“Knight school was hard, but Owl worked and worked.
He graduated with honor, as all knights do”
(see the word play: “knight school”?, “with honor”?)
Owl is assigned to the Knight-Night Watch. While the other knights tend to fall asleep, Owl patrols the castle ramparts with enormously long lance in hand, protecting the castle .
Suddenly, he has to confront a very large (and hungry) intruder!
While Owl may be tiny, he still has his wits!
Audience:
Suggested ages for this picture book are 3-6 years, however, all readers will be charmed by this steadfast little Owl whose true measure is in his heroism.
There are 48 beautifully illustrated pages with limited text. The wide-eyed little owl is often dwarfed against the larger dark outlines of his fellow knights or the shadowy castle battlements.
Author/Illustrator:
Christopher Denise was awarded the Caldecott Medal (illustrations) for Knight Owl in 2022 by the American Library Association.
Denise has illustrated over 20 books including Alison McGhee’s Firefly Hollow, Rosemary Wells’ Following Grandfather, Phyllis Root’s Oliver Finds His Way, and for Brian Jacques’ Redwall .
He has also illustrated for his wife Anika Denise’s Bunny in the Middle and Baking Day at Grandma’s.
Knight Owl was Denise’s debut as an author-illustrator. The picture book remained on the New York Times bestseller list for 15 weeks.
Reading Opportunities:
Our regular reading of Knight Owl has been supported with “knight-wear”.
Sloan and her little brother, David, have collected a few plastic medieval weapons and (on occasion) engaged in combat with an inflatable dragon.
We have also added the picture book sequel Knight Owl and Early Bird to our evening routine. In this second adventure, Knight Owl is befriended by an even smaller avian, Early Bird, who proves to be a challenging chatter-box during the day. The same rich illustrations are in this sequel. The fire-lit, cozy castle interiors are contrasted with the dangerous wolves who lurk in the forest below the castle walls (and in the margins of the text).
Another book is due out in the Fall 2025, this time a board book titled Knight Owl’s Little Christmas.
Sloane can recite both picture books by heart.
She tells me she can be “brave” like Knight Owl.
Then she adjusts her helmet to stare out at the night sky and howls like a wolf…”Ahoooooooooooooo” for Knight Owl.
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