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Prince & Knight #1
Prince & Knight
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Picture Books (2018)In this modern fairy tale, a noble prince and a brave knight come together to defeat a terrible monster and in the process find true love in a most unexpected place.
“Thank you,” he told his parents.
“I appreciate that you tried,
but I’m looking for something special
in a partner by my side.”
Once upon a time, in a kingdom far from here, there was a prince in line to take the throne, so his parents set out to find him a kind and worthy bride. The three of them traveled the land far and wide, but the prince didn't quite find what he was looking for in the princesses they met.
While they were away, a terrible dragon threatened their land, and all the soldiers fled. The prince rushed back to save his kingdom from the perilous beast and was met by a brave knight in a suit of brightly shining armor. Together they fought the dragon and discovered that special something the prince was looking for all along.
“Thank you,” he told his parents.
“I appreciate that you tried,
but I’m looking for something special
in a partner by my side.”
Once upon a time, in a kingdom far from here, there was a prince in line to take the throne, so his parents set out to find him a kind and worthy bride. The three of them traveled the land far and wide, but the prince didn't quite find what he was looking for in the princesses they met.
While they were away, a terrible dragon threatened their land, and all the soldiers fled. The prince rushed back to save his kingdom from the perilous beast and was met by a brave knight in a suit of brightly shining armor. Together they fought the dragon and discovered that special something the prince was looking for all along.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2018
31 people are currently reading
3655 people want to read
About the author
Daniel Haack
5 books113 followersDaniel Haack began writing at a young age, although much of his earliest work centered exclusively around his desire to be a swashbuckling hero. Like the Prince and the Knight, he just wants to save the day and get the boy, too. He has since written for various publications and collections, and Prince & Knight is his debut children’s book. He graduated from Ithaca College and is a Saul Zaentz Fellow at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He currently works in children’s educational media, for which he won a Daytime Emmy Award. Originally from Mount Horeb, Wisconsin, and formerly a New Yorker, Daniel now lives in Los Angeles, California. Find out more about Daniel at danielhaack.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 796 reviews
November 11, 2018
Each year my family reads all the Goodreads-award-nominated picture books. This is book #12 (of 20) of 2018. This one is an example of where I differ from most of the rest of my family, and with the Goodreads community, that gives this a 4.45 rating, as of today. My overall rating reflects a family average, which is high because they want to support glbt romance above any other consideration, maybe. And okay, maybe they really do like it. Well, I want there to be glbt romances, too, and I do read them (especially in YA), but I want them to be great, edgy, original, none of which this one is.
Lyra (11): 4.5 stars. I like how the prince and the knight work together to fight the dragon, and while they are fighting, they realized they like each other.
Hank (12): 4.5 stars. Yay, he found his boyfriend!
Harry (13): 3.5 stars. I like how their teamwork brought them together.
Tara: 4 stars. I'm always a sucker for a gay romance.
Dave: 2.5 stars. Utterly bland and conventional knight-in-shining-armor-slays-the-dragon children's story in every respect except one, which I take it is the point. And yes, I am old enough to know of a time when such books would not have been published by a publisher named Little Bee (!) (and that time might have been even as recently as five years ago!). And yes, of course, I am glad the prince got his man and that such stories can be there for kids of all ages to see and accept as everyday fact for all of us together. But the art is unremarkable, the story is bland, and the rhyming verse doesn't even scan in some places! Was there an editor?!
Lyra (11): 4.5 stars. I like how the prince and the knight work together to fight the dragon, and while they are fighting, they realized they like each other.
Hank (12): 4.5 stars. Yay, he found his boyfriend!
Harry (13): 3.5 stars. I like how their teamwork brought them together.
Tara: 4 stars. I'm always a sucker for a gay romance.
Dave: 2.5 stars. Utterly bland and conventional knight-in-shining-armor-slays-the-dragon children's story in every respect except one, which I take it is the point. And yes, I am old enough to know of a time when such books would not have been published by a publisher named Little Bee (!) (and that time might have been even as recently as five years ago!). And yes, of course, I am glad the prince got his man and that such stories can be there for kids of all ages to see and accept as everyday fact for all of us together. But the art is unremarkable, the story is bland, and the rhyming verse doesn't even scan in some places! Was there an editor?!
July 1, 2019
This is an adorable kid’s picture book about a prince who can’t find the right princess, because what he wants is actually a knight. There’s also a dragon. It's utterly charming.
March 15, 2019
5 stars.
This was the *cutest* thing and it would 100% work as a movie.
This was the *cutest* thing and it would 100% work as a movie.
June 5, 2025
A Pride month read!🏳️🌈 Super sweet and heavily banned picture book about a Prince searching for the “one” and the Knight he meets when off to do battle with a dragon and they totally rescue each other. Very loving & kind story, so sad about the haters…
August 8, 2019
Concept: 4 stars
Sure, gay guys deserve fairy tales, too! Of course, because it'd a fairy tale it is basically instalove where beautiful people fall in love with each other's faces, but whatevs, at least a knight is useful for dragon co-slaying. Nice that the parents were fine with their son's choice.
Art: 3.5 stars
I don't love this 21st century illustration that looks like it is done on computer for an animated show. But it was fine, cute.
Prose: 2 stars
Oh, man, this poetry was terrible. Forced rhymes and no meter.
The prince had climbed atop the dragon
and tied a rope around its head
He wrapped the cord around the neck
and down the body like a thread
You seem like a lovely person, author, next time just use your own natural voice.
Or hire a poet, they're cheap.
Sure, gay guys deserve fairy tales, too! Of course, because it'd a fairy tale it is basically instalove where beautiful people fall in love with each other's faces, but whatevs, at least a knight is useful for dragon co-slaying. Nice that the parents were fine with their son's choice.
Art: 3.5 stars
I don't love this 21st century illustration that looks like it is done on computer for an animated show. But it was fine, cute.
Prose: 2 stars
Oh, man, this poetry was terrible. Forced rhymes and no meter.
The prince had climbed atop the dragon
and tied a rope around its head
He wrapped the cord around the neck
and down the body like a thread
You seem like a lovely person, author, next time just use your own natural voice.
Or hire a poet, they're cheap.
May 11, 2019
This is so cute and sweet! I'm so happy that this explicitly gay prince and knight romance story is available as a picture book. I really like the rhyming text too and the fact that they just catch and tie up the dragon and don't kill it. The illustrations are mostly lovely, although a little bit pixelated on a few pages. I also wish there was some body shape and size diversity in addition to the skin colour diversity (every girl has a super tiny unrealistically small waist!).
March 31, 2024
So wholesome!
May 25, 2018
Awww, what a cute little book. I'd have loved this as a kid.
May 11, 2018
Cringe-inducing rhymes, great story.
August 14, 2018
Just a regular fairy tale plot line here, but with the twist of the prince being gay. Okay, this is not anything new, as we will all recall King & King did this years ago and that was fun. But this is a little different and yes, it has a cute story. The illustrations are fitting for the type of fairy tale that this is trying to be. But OH, the text is not good. It is forced and painful. Reading this book with its pictures only is the way to go. Disappointing overall.
March 10, 2019
CASI 4 ESTRELLAS
No me maten, pero este libro me huele a oportunismo.
La idea es muy linda, un príncipe que se niega a casarse que alguna doncella del Reyno, pero un día se enamora de un guapo y valiente caballero de armadura plateada.
Todo muy lindo y tierno, pero la prosa es horrible. En serio no tiene ritmo, no lleva bien la historia y parece que el autor pensaba que solo por ser un libro con personajes LGTBQ ya sería suficiente para triunfar que ni siquiera se tomó la molestia de darnos una escritura de calidad, o que fuera amena para los niños.
Buena idea, mal desarrollada. Aun así, le doy las 4 estrellas, porque las imágenes son muy bonitas y se agradece la inclusión.
No me maten, pero este libro me huele a oportunismo.
La idea es muy linda, un príncipe que se niega a casarse que alguna doncella del Reyno, pero un día se enamora de un guapo y valiente caballero de armadura plateada.
Todo muy lindo y tierno, pero la prosa es horrible. En serio no tiene ritmo, no lleva bien la historia y parece que el autor pensaba que solo por ser un libro con personajes LGTBQ ya sería suficiente para triunfar que ni siquiera se tomó la molestia de darnos una escritura de calidad, o que fuera amena para los niños.
Buena idea, mal desarrollada. Aun así, le doy las 4 estrellas, porque las imágenes son muy bonitas y se agradece la inclusión.
May 9, 2021
Un album magnifique pour aborder l'homosexualité et la liberté d'aimer qui on veut. Le texte est écrit en rimes en plus! Un MAGNIFIQUE album!
July 16, 2019
Cute! Cute! Cute!
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June 19, 2018I love what this book is about, but PLEASE don't write a rhyming book if you're not going to be consistent with the meter. Just write a story. Most picture books are better without rhyming text. Seriously.
July 31, 2018
My three-year-old has spent a lot of time with people who are gay and definitely knows that some kids have two moms or two dads. Still, when we read this book she was surprised that the prince and knight get married. She was like, "But a prince has to marry a princess." And then I was shocked and was like, "But you know sometimes two men marry each other." And then she was like, "But not in PRINCESS STORIES!" Hoo boy. We clearly need more diverse "princess stories" in our life. The only other LGBTQ one I can think of is King and King.
I am so excited for Elsa to have a girlfriend in Frozen 2. Please make that happen.
I am so excited for Elsa to have a girlfriend in Frozen 2. Please make that happen.
April 19, 2019
This book has a 4.39 average rating because it's about a gay couple, not because it's a good book. The rhyming text is so basic, contrived, and horrible that it was a painful flashback to the kind of stuff I wrote in grade school, and even though the pictures are far better, the faces look really weird. Worse, the plot itself is an insta-love fairy tale that would garner a low average rating if it were about a heterosexual couple.
The story opens with a prince feeling incredibly uncomfortable as women swoon around him. His parents are trying to marry him off, but he turns away all of the princesses who are interested in him, saying that he is looking for something "special." Either he doesn't understand his own orientation or he doesn't know how to express it, because he keeps using the word "special," and he uses it IN FRONT OF ONE OF THESE WOMEN. Since no one else appears to have mentioned this in their review, I'm beginning to wonder if I misinterpreted the illustration and text, but from what I perceived, the prince tells his parents in front of a young woman that she isn't "special." There are SO MANY better ways for him to express his unease! This main character clearly has no qualms about rejecting women as not-special-individuals, rather than just rejecting male-female courtship bonding, and I don't know why all of the other reviewers are okay with this.
Then a dragon shows up! The prince goes to fight, and he meets a knight who helps defeat the dragon and save him! Now the prince has found someone "special," and he admires how "handsome" the knight is as soon as the other man takes off his helmet. (I wasn't seeing it, but like I said, this illustrator draws faces in a weird way.) The prince and the knight are automatically IN LOVE, even though they have only just met each other, and when they return to the kingdom, the prince's parents are glad that he has finally found someone "special," even though, since they were trying to marry him off in the first place, one would assume that they cared about continuing their bloodline. Apparently not!
Everything about this book is weird in one way or another. Also, I wonder how people would feel if I started using the word "special" in an affected voice as a substitute for the word "gay." I won't try it, since people would probably run after me with pitchforks, but just think about it! It's a funny concept, and this author really does use the word "special" as a substitute for "gay." It must make the book incredibly confusing to a small child, because it explains nothing about the dynamics of same-sex attraction, beyond the rejection of opposite-sex suitors. After all, it's not like the prince had a chance to learn what was actually special about the knight before the book ended. Would he have fallen equally head-over-heels in love with any other cardboard-cutout of a man who happened to show up? I'm thinking yes. This book is incredibly shallow and mediocre, and I can't stand it.
The story opens with a prince feeling incredibly uncomfortable as women swoon around him. His parents are trying to marry him off, but he turns away all of the princesses who are interested in him, saying that he is looking for something "special." Either he doesn't understand his own orientation or he doesn't know how to express it, because he keeps using the word "special," and he uses it IN FRONT OF ONE OF THESE WOMEN. Since no one else appears to have mentioned this in their review, I'm beginning to wonder if I misinterpreted the illustration and text, but from what I perceived, the prince tells his parents in front of a young woman that she isn't "special." There are SO MANY better ways for him to express his unease! This main character clearly has no qualms about rejecting women as not-special-individuals, rather than just rejecting male-female courtship bonding, and I don't know why all of the other reviewers are okay with this.
Then a dragon shows up! The prince goes to fight, and he meets a knight who helps defeat the dragon and save him! Now the prince has found someone "special," and he admires how "handsome" the knight is as soon as the other man takes off his helmet. (I wasn't seeing it, but like I said, this illustrator draws faces in a weird way.) The prince and the knight are automatically IN LOVE, even though they have only just met each other, and when they return to the kingdom, the prince's parents are glad that he has finally found someone "special," even though, since they were trying to marry him off in the first place, one would assume that they cared about continuing their bloodline. Apparently not!
Everything about this book is weird in one way or another. Also, I wonder how people would feel if I started using the word "special" in an affected voice as a substitute for the word "gay." I won't try it, since people would probably run after me with pitchforks, but just think about it! It's a funny concept, and this author really does use the word "special" as a substitute for "gay." It must make the book incredibly confusing to a small child, because it explains nothing about the dynamics of same-sex attraction, beyond the rejection of opposite-sex suitors. After all, it's not like the prince had a chance to learn what was actually special about the knight before the book ended. Would he have fallen equally head-over-heels in love with any other cardboard-cutout of a man who happened to show up? I'm thinking yes. This book is incredibly shallow and mediocre, and I can't stand it.
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September 30, 2021#BannedBooksWeek
This charming picture book provides a new twist on a tried-and-true fairytale theme, as a handsome young prince, encouraged by his parents to find his bride, discovers he is looking for a different kind of life partner. The illustrations have great appeal and will surely be enjoyed by readers who learn that love comes in many forms. -Louisa A.
(Challenged for acceptability by a patron in Upshur County, WV Public Library, but retained)
This charming picture book provides a new twist on a tried-and-true fairytale theme, as a handsome young prince, encouraged by his parents to find his bride, discovers he is looking for a different kind of life partner. The illustrations have great appeal and will surely be enjoyed by readers who learn that love comes in many forms. -Louisa A.
(Challenged for acceptability by a patron in Upshur County, WV Public Library, but retained)
December 7, 2019
I read a lot of books with my children (two girls age 2 and 4) but I don't add any of those books to my GR. But I decided to add this one because it was such a wonderful book that I think more people need to hear about. My two favourite things about this book are the beautiful, fun, and colourful illustrations, and the ending.
It starts out with a prince whose parents are trying to find him a bride, but none of the girls he is introduced to interest him. Then, when the prince hears about the threat of a dragon he races off to save his kingdom. Also appearing is a knight. The two work together to defeat the dragon. Once the two speak together and the knight takes off his helmet, they fall in love. It seems instant because young children want to hear about the dragon, not the romance. I can assume there was more to it than that. 😂 The prince introduces the knight to his parents and they are overjoyed that their son has finally found someone perfect for him. And then they get married. There is no mention of the fact that he is not a princess, or not a woman. Not an eye is batted. That was my favourite part. The pairing was treated as normal despite his parents originally trying to pair him with a princess. I actually teared up at that part, despite the book only being a few pages long. And then of course the fact that they get married, which would not be true in a real medieval setting but just shows our kids a more wonderful reality. I want a copy of this book! 🥰 🏳️🌈
It starts out with a prince whose parents are trying to find him a bride, but none of the girls he is introduced to interest him. Then, when the prince hears about the threat of a dragon he races off to save his kingdom. Also appearing is a knight. The two work together to defeat the dragon. Once the two speak together and the knight takes off his helmet, they fall in love. It seems instant because young children want to hear about the dragon, not the romance. I can assume there was more to it than that. 😂 The prince introduces the knight to his parents and they are overjoyed that their son has finally found someone perfect for him. And then they get married. There is no mention of the fact that he is not a princess, or not a woman. Not an eye is batted. That was my favourite part. The pairing was treated as normal despite his parents originally trying to pair him with a princess. I actually teared up at that part, despite the book only being a few pages long. And then of course the fact that they get married, which would not be true in a real medieval setting but just shows our kids a more wonderful reality. I want a copy of this book! 🥰 🏳️🌈
May 18, 2022
Again, so sweet <3
March 10, 2022
Cuuute.
April 27, 2018
SO GREAT! It’s essentially your typical prince needs to find a princess to marry story but turned around to be a same-sex marriage. The best part is that the kingdom and the Prince’s parents are totally happy that the Prince found someone perfect for him. A fantastic alternative!
December 19, 2018
I really wanted to like this one more because we need more books like this, but I got off to a bad start with the bad rhyming and couldn't get beyond it. Cute pictures. I like the idea of what this book was trying to portray, but I think that this could have been much better.
February 10, 2018
I wanted to like this, but the rhyming lines are all over the place in length, and I can't wrap my head around royal parents not caring if the line continues.
April 30, 2018
An absolutely sweet rhyming story about a prince looking for his partner. LGBTQ friendly that also teaches children about acceptance.
July 10, 2018
What a cute Children's story!
April 9, 2019
Un libro di “favole” con una storia d’amore gay semplice ma dolce. Forse un po’ troppo corto, ma direi perfetto per i più piccoli. E anche per i più grandi.
October 14, 2018
The prince searches high and low for someone to rule beside him. Happily, he finds his partner when he and a knight work together to defeat a dragon.
A lovely new take on a traditional fairy tale story.
A lovely new take on a traditional fairy tale story.
April 16, 2019
In rhyming text, first-time author Daniel Haack spins the tale of a prince who looks in vain for love, until he finally finds it in the gallant knight who helps him defeat the dragon threatening his kingdom. Although his parents, determined to have him happily settled, attempt to find him a bride at first, it soon becomes clear that he isn't interested. He's looking for something different in a partner, the narrator tells us, and eventually he finds it, to the joy of all...
A sweet same-sex fairy-tale, Prince & Knight pairs a fairly engaging narrative from Haack with cute illustrations from artist Stevie Lewis, who has previously worked as an animator. There were times I felt that the rhyme scheme here was a little forced, throwing off the rhythm when reading aloud, but overall this makes for a pleasant read. It will be an especially welcome one, I would imagine, for those looking for fairy-tales featuring same-sex couples. Recommended to young fairy-tale lovers in general, and to anyone looking for picture-books with an LGBT theme.
A sweet same-sex fairy-tale, Prince & Knight pairs a fairly engaging narrative from Haack with cute illustrations from artist Stevie Lewis, who has previously worked as an animator. There were times I felt that the rhyme scheme here was a little forced, throwing off the rhythm when reading aloud, but overall this makes for a pleasant read. It will be an especially welcome one, I would imagine, for those looking for fairy-tales featuring same-sex couples. Recommended to young fairy-tale lovers in general, and to anyone looking for picture-books with an LGBT theme.
June 8, 2018
I thought this book would be about which man (the prince or the knight) that would win the princess's heart - not that they would win each other's heart! So yup, Prince and Knight marry and have a royal wedding.
**Like my reviews? I also have hundreds of detailed reports that I offer too. These reports give a complete break-down of everything in the book, so you'll know just how clean it is or isn't. I also have Clean Guides (downloadable PDFs) which enable you to clean up your book before reading it! Visit my website: The Book Radar.
**Like my reviews? I also have hundreds of detailed reports that I offer too. These reports give a complete break-down of everything in the book, so you'll know just how clean it is or isn't. I also have Clean Guides (downloadable PDFs) which enable you to clean up your book before reading it! Visit my website: The Book Radar.
September 28, 2020
My very first Banned Books Week book for 2020! I was instantly in love with this book when I started reading the blurb, and I can tell you my love only grew as I read the book. It is an adorable tale about a prince who needs to marry because he just cannot manage the wide lands on his own and how he and his parents seek around for the one. But as you can see the one isn't a princess. It is a very swoony and strong knight! How they meet, I loved that, and I just loved the love between these two when they truly met. It just oozed out of this book.
I love love love how everyone was accepting. The people in his country, his parents. They were all just so happy for the prince and the knight and I almost cried because of that, because that doesn't always happen so this is just YAS!.
The art was really great and I loved the style.
All in all, a book I would highly recommend.
I love love love how everyone was accepting. The people in his country, his parents. They were all just so happy for the prince and the knight and I almost cried because of that, because that doesn't always happen so this is just YAS!.
The art was really great and I loved the style.
All in all, a book I would highly recommend.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 796 reviews