Customer Reviews

Good Night, Good Knight (Penguin Young Readers, L2)

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Delightful beginning reader that is also a delight as a bedtime, good night book. It centers around the efforts of a knight to help three little dragons get to sleep with the usual glasses of water, bedtime stories and a lullaby. Repetition in words, actions and illustrations both facilitate its function as an early reader and as a sleep inducer. Vocabulary like, crumbly tumbly tower, clippety-clop make it fun and the juxtaposition of the very loud roars the knight hears and the little dragons with their jammies on and their inocent requests are delicious. The story may remind readers of "The Wolf's Chicken Stew."

We've been reading this book just about every night for 6 months now. My kids(aged 3 and 5)are busily galloping around on their stick horses while shouting "away!"; climbing crumbly-tumbly towers, and hiding in deep, dark caves. Get ready--for three months I had to build deep dark caves for my little dragons to sleep in.

And there's a sequel--"Get Well, Good Knight"! My kids love that one, too!

I like the books, as well. Any parent can sympathize with the Good Knight's situation. All in all, this is a good read for the pre-k/k set.

Ah, sweet metaphor. Do children get metaphors? Studies show.... actually I haven't a clue what studies show. I haven't a clue if kids, little kids who are just beginning to read on their own, understand metaphors. Some do, I suspect. Others, not so much. Now, the book "Good Night, Good Knight", is a pretty obvious metaphor. And little children reading it will probably understand what the dragons in it represent and what the knight himself represents. Even if they don't, it's a smashing good tale. Sweet without descending into saccharine. Cute without being cutesy. It has just the right amounts of adorableness and neediness within its pages. Parents will be able to read it again and again without gagging. Kids will be able to read it with pure unadulterated pleasure.

Once there were three little dragons who didn't live all that far away from a good knight. One night the knight hears a roar. He hops on his horse to investigate and meets a small dragon in a cave. The dragon is not particularly surprised to see the knight (words along the lines of "Oh good. You have come" are bandied about) and asks for a drink of water before it goes to bed. The knight is wary but acquiesces and the little dragon is tucked into bed. No sooner than the knight goes home does he hear another roar. This comes from a second dragon who wants a story plus the first dragon who wants another drink of water. By the time the knight is called to take care of a third little dragon the reader sees where all this is going. The story is an excellent tale of an increasingly weary knight as he attempts to cajole and tuck in three mildly demanding little dragons for beddy-bye. At the end, the dragons are asleep (finally!) and the knight finally gets to fall into his own bed for the night.

I think what saves this book is the fact that though the dragons are somewhat demanding, they are quite polite. A story about three spoiled tantrum-throwing dragons who refuse to go to bed would have been, how do you say, not so nice to read. These dragons speak in full sentences and request only those things that small children would request. Stories, kisses on their scaly cheeks, stories, and songs. An added pleasure comes in the form of Jennifer Plecas' illustrations. Rendered in somewhat cartoony watercolors, the little dragons all have nightgowns, pjs, and various toys and stuffed animals. The knight, for his part, often looks surprised but never outright displeased. Like every patient parent he gets a little weary with the continual requests (his facial expression when all three roar for him together is one that every parent will recognize and sympathize with) but rarely upset.

There is nothing frightening in this book. There is nothing mildly disturbing. There is just a sweet bedtime story about a knight and his sudden dragony charges. This is a good bedtime book, if only because it's one of the few whose plot isn't based on children refusing to go to bed. This time it's children perfectly willing to go to bed but with some stipulations beforehand. If you'd like a book that will amuse you and please your children all at once, "Good Night, Good Knight" does indeed fit the bill. Sweet without insulting anyone's intelligence.

I checked this book out at the library for my pre-school daughter. We both absolutely loved it. Loved it so much, that I placed an order with Amazon to purchase our own copy at home. The author does a wonderful job of repeating phrases and words such as "clippety-clop" and the "crumbly tumbly tower". The 3 dragons in the story are the cutest little things, all wanting something before they can go to bed....one more drink of water, one more story read, etc. Sound familiar?
Amazon lists this book as Ages 9-12, which has to be inaccurate. This is an Easy Reader type book designed for Preschool to second grade in my opinion.

I read this book to my two-year-old in a doctor's office and ended up retelling the whole story to my husband that evening. We had to buy it we liked it so much, and we've read it over and over. It has great repetition and sound effects (my son loves to roar every time we get to that part). I also love the way it teaches children to be kind to others, even something that might seem scary like a dragon. It gave my parent ego a little boost too, since I'm often that "good knight" who's willing to get one last drink of water, read one last story, or give one last good night kiss. Definitely a must-read.

A sweet bedtime story with charming illustrations. The story has a lot of repetition and good opportunities to add fun sound effects making it lots of fun to read (over and over again!).

My two year old loves to listen to the story (even though it is more words than his typical picture books). I suspect this book is appealing to 2+ through 6 year olds.

This is one of the best kids books I've ever read! My twins are at the age that they have a decent attention span, which is needed for this sort of-lengthy book. We act it out together: we pat our legs for "clippity clops", we shout "Away, he cried", and they see who can roar the loudest. I've gotten a list of great books to give as a baby gift. This one and "Harry the Dirty Dog" top the list. I just love the dragons, and I am so glad that my girls choose it to read a lot. FYI: Get Well, Good Knight is not as good.

You'll love reading it as much as the kids. The dutiful knight, grudgingly following the dragons' bedtime requests, is a hoot. And how can you not love a little dragon in pyjamas who just wants another glass of water so that he can fall asleep? A wonderful, smartly written story that delights with repetitive lines (good for young ones to fill in), onomatopoiea ("clippety-clop"), play on words (night/knight) and great vocabulary choices. Adorable illustrations too. Funny & sweet without going over the top.

This book is aimed towards 5-7 year olds -- beginning readers who may still need some help, although it would be totally appropriate for you to read to younger kids.

Our library just purchased this book and after just one read I am ready to purchase it. Very easy reading and extremely entertaining (esp. if you let the kids fill in the repetitive parts). My 3 and 5 year olds love it.

This is the kind of book that even parents will want to read again and again. Moms and dads will be able to relate to the bedtime struggles, and kids will see themselves in the whiny little dragons (and so will their parents). This book makes me smile every time, even if I am reading it for the hundredth time!