Sir Gawain and the Green Knight [Hardcover]

Michael Morpurgo (Author), Michael Foreman (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 9, 2004 | Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

A witty Arthurian tale receives a wondrous translation by England's Children's Laureate and an award-winning artist.

Think yourself back in years, my friends. . . .

It's New Year's Eve in Camelot, where King Arthur, Queen Guinevere, and all their good Knights wait breathlessly for an extravagant feast to begin. Suddenly, a strange and frightening Knight bursts into the hall — a giant of a man, green from head to toe, who mockingly challenges the Court to a shocking game. Only the chivalrous Sir Gawain dares to take on the hideous Green Knight. But over the unexpected course of his test,
will Gawain prove as brave and honest as he'd like to believe? Welcome to a medieval world full of sword fights and shape-shifting, monsters and magic, and timeless characters both gallant and wonderfully human. Written anonymously in the fourteenth century, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is retold in its entirety by Michael Morpurgo in a lively and accessible narration that captures all the tale's drama and humor. Vivid illustrations by the celebrated Michael Foreman infuse this classic tale with the sights and colors of dragons, swords, and medieval pageantry.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Starred Review. Grade 5-8–In the vibrant and compelling voice of a storyteller, Morpurgo retells this classic tale. With a lively, page-turning style, he sets the scene as a crude, gigantic stranger rides into King Arthur's hall. Sir Gawain accepts the challenge of the monstrous man and beheads the Green Knight with a single swing of his battle-ax. But then the enchanted knight picks up his severed head and announces that Gawain must, on his honor, meet his dreadful opponent on the next New Year's Day to receive the same blow. Gawain's travels to the Green Chapel at the end of the year, and the temptations he encounters along the way, are the stuff of legend and, like all folklore, are rich in metaphorical meaning about what it means to be human. Morpurgo's sprightly writing brings out all the humor as well as the horror of the original tale, and Foreman's profuse, evocative watercolor-and-pastel illustrations highlight the drama in each scene so that this version can easily be read on two levels–as a rollicking adventure tale or an allegorical saga, depending on the age and inclination of the reader. Selina Hastings's picture-book version (HarperCollins, 1981; o.p.), illustrated by Juan Wijngaard, is a much-abbreviated retelling; Morpurgo's version is notable for including every nuance of this complex and compelling tale.–Connie C. Rockman, Stratford Library Association, CT
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From Booklist

*Starred Review* Gr. 4-7. In this handsome volume, Morpurgo ably translates one of medieval England's greatest tales from verse into modern prose. When a bold giant, the Green Knight, challenges King Arthur's court to a contest that involves beheading, only one knight, Sir Gawain, steps between his king and the giant's battle-ax. Gawain, Arthur's nephew and one of his most courageous, virtuous, and beloved knights, travels through the wilds of the kingdom, testing his mettle against an ogre, a dragon, and a pack of wolves before he arrives at a castle. There the lord welcomes him like a brother and the lord's lady woos him, making advances that Gawain finds increasingly hard to resist. In the climactic meeting with the Green Knight, Gawain learns that the contest was not a trial of strength but of honor. Morpurgo has not neglected the underpinnings of knightly conduct, courtly love, and Christian virtue that are a vital part of the original, but children will read this story for the adventure--and what an adventure it is! Morpurgo's dramatic telling captures the vitality of the tale as well as its beauty and mystery. Foreman illuminates the book with watercolor-and-pastel illustrations that are true to the story, full of energy, and aglow with colors that are sometimes subdued and sometimes fiery bright. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 112 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick (September 9, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0763625191
• ISBN-13: 978-0763625191
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 0.6 x 10.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #572,994 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars my son totally enjoyed the book, April 23, 2010

By 

Lucy Yang (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (Hardcover)

My 6 year old son really enjoyed the book that he finished it upon its arrival and re-read it several times after that. As an advanced reader and a boy, he enjoys adventures, war/history, stories of knights, pirates, Greek heroes and mysteries. This book is nicely printed with really good quality paper and has vivid water color pictures inside. I always read the books myself before I decide if the content is appropriate for his age. For this book, I was surprised he enjoyed it more than I did.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Michael Morpurgo does it again, July 29, 2011

By 

M. Heiss (USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (Hardcover)

Michael Morpurgo did an awesome job with Beowulf -- simply breathtaking!

And this book will blow your socks off -- it is the full tale of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, nephew to King Arthur and renowned for his noble virtue.

Wowie! My knights-and-castles kid just loves this -- there is some real good boy stuff in here. Beheadings, too. Emphasizes keeping your word, courage in the face of certain death, resisting temptation, and honor. Also points out that there is some evil in the world that simply wants to destroy what is good, just for the simple fact that evil hates goodness.

Hunting scenes, illustrated beheading, a three seduction scenes (resisted by Sir Gawain). Masterful.

1 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Knight's tale, August 14, 2007

By 

Cheryl J. Allen "jchs mamabeta" (TN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (Hardcover)

I loved the pictures and the way the story is told in a new manner.