King Jack and the Dragon by Peter Bently

Note: I occasionally accept review copies from the publisher. Posts written from review copies are labeled. All opinions are my own. Posts may contain affiliate links. I may receive compensation for any purchased items.

King Jack and the Dragon by Peter Bently and illustrated by Helen Oxenbury (Dial Books, 2011) fits in my self-imposed description of a perfect picture book: the text and the pictures are both required to tell the full story.

Jack, Zack, and Jack’s baby brother Caspar are knights fighting dragons, planning to spend all night in their wonderful fort. Of course, when a “giant” comes to take Zack home, the illustrations help us see it’s a parent figure, and when Jack remains alone in his fort, the scary sounds and sights are also revealed to be their true nature in the illustrations.

King Jack’s story shows how a child’s imagination can run away with him, something my similarly-minded son can relate to. The illustrations are classic, and the rhyming text is so well done that one doesn’t even notice that it’s rhyming (another sign of “perfect” for a parent-child read-aloud). 

Reviewed on November 28, 2011

About the author 

Rebecca Reid

Rebecca Reid is a homeschooling, stay-at-home mother seeking to make the journey of life-long learning fun by reading lots of good books. Rebecca Reads provides reviews of children's literature she has enjoyed with her children; nonfiction that enhances understanding of educational philosophies, history and more; and classical literature that Rebecca enjoys reading.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

{"email":"Email address invalid","url":"Website address invalid","required":"Required field missing"}