“Knight Owl” by Christopher Denise.
Christy Ottaviano Books, Little, Brown and Company, New York, 2022, 48 pages, K-3.
Courage is a complicated subject. For example, some people exhibit courage by risking their lives in a perilous situation. Others show courage by persevering in a difficult event. Still others demonstrate courage by repeatedly facing frightening events in their lives. These people don’t quit, they just keep being brave and going forward.
Frequently, courage calls for the summoning of strength within ourselves that may be unknown to the persons involved. In this delightful picture book, Christopher Denise tells the story of Little Owl’s desire to become a knight. The only trouble is that he is tiny, and knights are large. How is he going to overcome this problem? Denise shows us the courage and intelligence of Little Owl’s quest. The name of this funny book is “Knight Owl.”
Ever since he was hatched, Little Owl has big dreams. He wants to be courageous and bold. He desires adventure and daring deeds. But how can this happen? After all, he is only a small owl.
One day, he spies a handout advertising a Knight School. At last, here is the opportunity he has been waiting for. Though his parents have their reservations, Little Owl applies and is accepted into the school. Quickly, problems arise. When he puts on the armor, the weight causes him to collapse. The sword is so heavy that he can’t lift it. This is not the way to succeed in the Knight’s School.
Fortunately, he is assigned night duty at the castle. He likes this because he is sleepy during the day but wide awake at night. His superior notices this and appreciates his nighttime alertness. One night, when all the other knights are sleeping, a huge dragon floats over the castle and lands near Little Owl. The dragon tells Little Owl that he wants to eat him. There, all by himself, Little Owl must confront the massive dragon. Drawing himself up as tall as he can, he stands his ground against the dragon. He cleverly and courageously confuses the dragon. How does he do it?
How can a tiny owl stop a dragon from attacking the castle? Where does he find his courage? Why does the dragon begin respecting the owl? How does his defense of the castle cause him to be rightly called Knight Owl? To find the answers to these and other questions, go to library and check out this funny, endearing story, “Knight Owl,” by Christopher Denise.
This story is a great read-aloud for a class in primary school. The pictures are humorous and readers will enjoy watching Little Owl grow into knighthood. This book is also beneficial for older family members to read to the younger members of the family. You just have to cheer for Little Owl as he succeeds in his quest to become Knight Owl.
Do yourself a favor and go to the library and check out this pleasant book by Christopher Denise.
