The Knight Who Wouldn't Fight: 1

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Picturebook enthusiasts know just how much louder than words pictures speak for the little people that read them; they express those feelings that can be so difficult to put into words. With The Knight Who Wouldn’t Fight, Helen and Thomas Docherty have created a narrative which is exciting and entertaining with a big important theme at heart. If you know this blog well, you will know my penchant for picturebooks which promote books, shared reading and reading for pleasure; you might even be aware I am writing a MA dissertation about this right now, though I won’t bore you with those details. So, as you can imagine therefore, I loved The Snatchabook (see my review here), the first “picturebook about reading” collaboration between husband and wife team Helen and Thomas Docherty and I was delighted that Helen wrote a guest post for its publication at the time. The publication of The Knight Who Wouldn’t Fight (Alison Green books) has therefore been long-awaited and could not have come at a better time.

For older students (KS2), hereis an idea for a writing workshop based on the story of The Knight Who Wouldn’t Fight.The story is told in verse; the rhymes and lovely bouncy rhythm make it a delight to read aloud. There’s a warmth and gentle humour to the text too. Oh, and the dragon poo line made me laugh out loud! I really like how this book doesn't condone that you need to fight to be brave and to solve your problems. That you can use a book (and your smarts) and find a solution. Also, I like that it shows that books bring people (or creatures!) together! I adored the message this book gives young readers. It also let's them know there is nothing wrong with having your nose in a book. Leo's experience with his parents is something all book lovers have faced at one time or another. The Storybook Knight reminds us it is ok to be you, to do things different and above all to love reading. One day his parents send him to tame a scary dragon, armed with a shield and a sword. Leo loads lots of books too. In his way he crosses paths with a Griffin and a Troll, and both surrender to the storybooks smartly chosen by Leo, that have them as main characters.

This review is based on a copy provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I absolutely LOVE this book for children. First of all, the message. The message! The moral of the story here is this: you do not need to fight to get what you want accomplished, you can use your brain. And that, my friends, is what this world needs a little (or a lot) more of. If we can teach our children this, our future would be bright. And, of course, the best part – in my opinion – is that the Knight doesn’t fight but instead encourages the beasts he encounters to read. And I think that is absolutely wonderful. Because in this age where technology is running fast, it’s good to remind children that a good book is also good entertainment. Plus, it’s funny because the children are reading about reading! The use of light is also quite striking in the book; we know how important light is in making children feel safe at night-time. In both concluding spreads of The Snatchabook and The Knight Who Wouldn’t Fight, the radiance and warmth of light against darkness of the night surrounding the characters are used beautifully to convey the sense of contentment and sanctuary that reading brings: One morning, Leo’s parents said They’d like to have a chat. There was nothing wrong with reading, But he couldn’t just do that! They’d seen a lovely advert

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Helen and Thomas Docherty form a formidable pair while delivering a message through a rhyming story and wonderfully colourful illustrations of magical creatures familiar to us from other tales. The adult in me however cannot help but look a little deeper and see Leo as an unlikely political envoy somehow finding common grounds with big and mighty antagonists who could not be more different from him but also from each other. This only emphasises one truth that we only all know too well:” We have far more in common than which divides us.” Leo, the main character, is a pacifist bookworm (love him) whose parents want him to be a knight. All he wants to do is read (I get it, Leo. Here too).