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Knights vs. #1
Knights vs. Dinosaurs
New York Times bestselling, award-winning creator Matt Phelan’s Knights vs. Dinosaurs is a fast-paced and funny middle grade illustrated adventure.An ALA Notable TitleRenowned for their courage, their chivalry, and their ability to fight mythical creatures, the Knights of the Round Table must face their most dangerous opponents yet . . . Let me tell you a secret about King Arthur’s noble they don’t have much to do. The realm is at peace and dragons are few and far between. So Merlin decides to send them out on a real adventure to a world filled with the most terrible lizards of DINOSAURS!A hilarious, rip-roaring tale of derring-do perfect for reluctant readers and fans of How to Train Your Dragon, The Terrible Two, and The Wild Robot, Knights vs. Dinosaurs features art on nearly every page, including an epic fight scene depicted in several graphic-novel style spreads for an engaging story that reads like Monty Python for young middle school readers.“Whether jousting with a triceratops or facing down a T-rex, [squire] Mel should come with a She’s thoughtful, sensitive, and wise. . . . Drawn deftly, lightly.” —New York Times Book Review “Four braggart knights and one underappreciated squire off against dinosaurs, all while learning about teamwork and honesty. . . . As the time-traveling knights try to fight their way back to their true place in time, plot twists reveal the heroes’ true identifiers, adding depth to this hilarious slapstick romp.” —Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)“Absurdly entertaining. Victorious on all fronts.” —Booklist (Starred Review)Knights Vs.Knights vs. DinosaursKnights vs. MonstersKnights vs. the End (of Everything)
165 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 23, 2018
99 people are currently reading
2823 people want to read
About the author
Matt Phelan
49 books273 followersMatt Phelan made his illustrating debut with Betty G. Birney’s The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs (Atheneum/Simon & Schuster). Since then he has illustrated many picture books and novels for young readers, including Where I Live by Eileen Spinelli (Dial), Very Hairy Bear by Alice Schertle (Harcourt), and The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron (Simon & Schuster) winner of the 2007 Newbery Medal.
Matt studied film and theater in college with the goal of one day writing and directing movies. But his first love was always drawing, and the more he saw the wonderful world of children’s books, the more he realized that this was the place for him. Being an illustrator is in many ways like being an actor, director, cinematographer, costumer, and set designer rolled into one.
Matt writes: “I have a fascination with the decade of the 1930s. The movies were learning to talk (and in the case of King Kong, growl), the music was beginning to swing, and the nation was thrown into tremendous turmoil. On one hand, you see a level of suffering documented in the dramatic and gritty photography of Dorothea Lange and Walker Evans. On the other hand, consider what the American public was flocking to see in the movie theaters: the glamour and grace of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers dancing in a series of perfect musicals. For my first book as both writer and illustrator (coming in 2009 by Candlewick Press), I naturally gravitated to this complex decade, specifically the strange world of the Dust Bowl.”
Matt studied film and theater in college with the goal of one day writing and directing movies. But his first love was always drawing, and the more he saw the wonderful world of children’s books, the more he realized that this was the place for him. Being an illustrator is in many ways like being an actor, director, cinematographer, costumer, and set designer rolled into one.
Matt writes: “I have a fascination with the decade of the 1930s. The movies were learning to talk (and in the case of King Kong, growl), the music was beginning to swing, and the nation was thrown into tremendous turmoil. On one hand, you see a level of suffering documented in the dramatic and gritty photography of Dorothea Lange and Walker Evans. On the other hand, consider what the American public was flocking to see in the movie theaters: the glamour and grace of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers dancing in a series of perfect musicals. For my first book as both writer and illustrator (coming in 2009 by Candlewick Press), I naturally gravitated to this complex decade, specifically the strange world of the Dust Bowl.”
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 183 reviews
December 27, 2018
Magic Tree House on steroids.
December 26, 2018
Clever and perfect for grades 2-6. Adventure and camaraderie galore, with terrible lizards and much humor. Read this with my son.
July 3, 2019
This story included a mash-up of my son's favorite things: Knights and Dinosaurs. It was so imaginative and fun - the perfect summer read aloud.
November 7, 2018
This was 100% the perfect book for me to share with my 10-year-old. Four knights from King Arthur's court (one of them the mysteriously silent Black Knight and the other three massively boastful but useless) get sent back to dinosaur times by Merlin to teach them all a lesson - and the results are genuinely hilarious. The book is full of fantastic dinosaur/knight action sequences that had both of us laughing like mad, along with surprising sweetness in the development of a real created family. There are some really funny graphic-novel sequences scattered throughout, and some wonderful character moments.
About 15% of the way through, I thought it was all great except that there weren't ANY female characters. Because I know I have friends here who also aren't fans of all-male adventures - without giving away any spoilers, I just want to reassure you guys that by 25% of the way through, those proportions had seriously changed in some really fabulous ways and this became a five-star book for me. It also got the HIGHEST POSSIBLE mark of approval from my 10-year-old, who not only took turns reading the book out loud with me, but - when I was too busy to keep going - snuck it off to read by himself because he COULD NOT WAIT to find out what happened next!
(And then later I went back and read those bits, too, because I needed to find out, too!)
We both laughed a lot throughout, the ending made me really happy - and my 5-y-o overheard us reading the last few chapters and demanded that I read it to him next!
About 15% of the way through, I thought it was all great except that there weren't ANY female characters. Because I know I have friends here who also aren't fans of all-male adventures - without giving away any spoilers, I just want to reassure you guys that by 25% of the way through, those proportions had seriously changed in some really fabulous ways and this became a five-star book for me. It also got the HIGHEST POSSIBLE mark of approval from my 10-year-old, who not only took turns reading the book out loud with me, but - when I was too busy to keep going - snuck it off to read by himself because he COULD NOT WAIT to find out what happened next!
(And then later I went back and read those bits, too, because I needed to find out, too!)
We both laughed a lot throughout, the ending made me really happy - and my 5-y-o overheard us reading the last few chapters and demanded that I read it to him next!
June 15, 2018
What a great book for the 3rd through 6th grade crowd, especially for those wanting (or requiring) a shorter chapter book. Knights vs. Dinosaurs offers plenty of excellent black and drawings to augment the exciting tale of 4 knights and a squire off to slay dragons, ah, terrible lizards, making it a promising pick for the reluctant to read students. Terrific tale for those who enjoy action-adventure, a bit of magic, and plenty of clashing weaponry but without a bunch of blood and gore. Readers of both genders will find plenty to enjoy with this one as several key characters are female and who doesn’t love a good tale of Merlin and King Arthur’s Knights of the Round Table? I will be adding this Matt Phelan book to one of my orders for Fall and am certain that it will be widely circulated. Thanks for the dARC, Edelweiss!
November 23, 2018
Imagine combining Knights of the Round Table, dinosaurs, and Magic Tree House and you will end up with this eminently readable action novel by Matt Phelan.
Writing notes: While the format and subject matter are going to likely appeal to reluctant readers, the 'knightly' writing style (while enjoyable and not over done) is going to be a bit more challenging than the format suggests.
However, your students who are heavy superhero comic readers may not be as put off as you might suggest and will likely pick up and enjoy it anyway--and isn't that the point?
Format notes: Is this a graphic novel? Is it a picture book or chapter book? In this case the story truly defined the format and while I may have wished on occasion for a bit more of one or the other, it was pleasurable in its own right.
Writing notes: While the format and subject matter are going to likely appeal to reluctant readers, the 'knightly' writing style (while enjoyable and not over done) is going to be a bit more challenging than the format suggests.
However, your students who are heavy superhero comic readers may not be as put off as you might suggest and will likely pick up and enjoy it anyway--and isn't that the point?
Format notes: Is this a graphic novel? Is it a picture book or chapter book? In this case the story truly defined the format and while I may have wished on occasion for a bit more of one or the other, it was pleasurable in its own right.
September 3, 2019
The Magic Tree House is merely the most popular and well-known time travel adventure series for young readers. It's a very common type. They all feature children journeying to various times and places. A good number even take their protagonists to encounters with King Arthur and his knights. None, until now, have done the opposite, and made the Knights of the Round Table the stars of the story and sent them on a most unexpected quest. There are no dragons in this tale, just a secret cave, a mischievous Merlin, and a prehistoric land filled with all manner of Terrible Lizards.
These knights aren't quite the heroic types one might expect, though. They are a group of bumbling, boastful glory seekers who haven't faced a fearsome foe except each other. So they are most unprepared to deal with beasts of any sort, much less actual dinosaurs. Thankfully, after plenty of mishap and silliness that will keep readers laughing throughout, they manage to learn a few things and survive to fight another day. This is top-notch fun.
These knights aren't quite the heroic types one might expect, though. They are a group of bumbling, boastful glory seekers who haven't faced a fearsome foe except each other. So they are most unprepared to deal with beasts of any sort, much less actual dinosaurs. Thankfully, after plenty of mishap and silliness that will keep readers laughing throughout, they manage to learn a few things and survive to fight another day. This is top-notch fun.
November 25, 2019
Arthur and his Knights
During the Knights currents age, they boasted and made up fights with dragons.. ten Merlin sends them on a quest to find a terrible lizard.. and also makes up a story about the lizard King. Merlin as awesome, he taught the knights how to work together. During the journey they find out that the Black Knight is something different and when they fight the lizards the black knight gets recognition and acceptance along with Mel the squire. Good story for middle grade and for juveniles to enjoy!
During the Knights currents age, they boasted and made up fights with dragons.. ten Merlin sends them on a quest to find a terrible lizard.. and also makes up a story about the lizard King. Merlin as awesome, he taught the knights how to work together. During the journey they find out that the Black Knight is something different and when they fight the lizards the black knight gets recognition and acceptance along with Mel the squire. Good story for middle grade and for juveniles to enjoy!
September 23, 2023
Is it weird to call a book about knights and dinosaurs cute? A fun read, full of action, some knights end up fighting “terrible lizards”. They learn how to work together and how to be humble and brave. The Black Knight is my favorite. Kids who are fans of the King Arthur period or dinosaurs will enjoy this quick read. There are some great illustrations too. Some violence, but nothing scary and most of it is comical violence. 3rd grade and up.
January 22, 2025
A roaring good time! The first read aloud that Rigby (6) has been really invested in. It would have been 5 stars except that I got a little tired of *all* the boys being bumbling fools and *all* the girls being heroes. The male characters each experience some personal growth, but it didn't seem like the girls ever learned to ask for help. (Maybe that happens in book 2?) Still, it was good clean fun and extremely engaging! Would recommend for reluctant readers.
September 2, 2025
Very silly concept that actually has something to do with tracking toxic masculinity, “rugged individualism” and boastfulness.
And although at the end, there is a joke about “going to find the holy Grail” I feel like it dragged on just a little bit too much. Adult readers would definitely get the joke.
And although at the end, there is a joke about “going to find the holy Grail” I feel like it dragged on just a little bit too much. Adult readers would definitely get the joke.
April 23, 2019
An utter delight!
September 6, 2022
A funny take on Camelot and the knights of the round table.
December 29, 2024
Very playful read. Had a fun time with the story and illustrations. Very creative.
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March 6, 2020I think this just reaffirmed that Matt Phelan's books are just not quite my cup of tea. I love the concept, but it just kind of fell flat for me. I do know kids that will like it though; it kind of has a Magic Tree House feel, but with higher vocabulary.
October 20, 2020
I enjoy all of Matt Phelan’s books, so I was excited to see something new from him. It didn’t disappoint!
November 11, 2018
I just finished reading this swashbuckling adventure of knights of the round table battling instead of dragons, surprise dinosaurs! After the knights gather to report to King Arthur their brave feats, especially the 40 dragons Sir Erec reported vanquishing, Merlin dangles a quest. The quest is to slay the Terrible Lizard. Instantly regretting his bragging, Sir Erec has no choice but to accept. Of course all of the other knights compete for this challenge too, and thus begins the expedition to find dangerous creatures the knights must conquer. Told with humor, surprising twists and turns, and page flying high action battles, this is a title I can't wait to hand out to our kids looking for an exciting tale. Especially one with loads of paneled illustrations beautifully depicted in ink to ignite their imaginations and increase the pleasure this story brings. I love the combination of knights and dinosaurs so original, quite brilliant.
October 26, 2018
King Arthur’s Knights of the Round Table love to tell tall tales of their adventures, but they are all lies. There just aren’t enough mythical beasts for them to battle. When Sir Erec brags that he’d slain forty dragons, he knew that he’d pushed the storytelling too far. It caught Merlin’s attention and Merlin suggested that Sir Erec, Sir Bors, Sir Hector and the Black Knight explore one particular cave. As they did so, along with Bors’ brave squire, they are transported back in time to when dinosaurs roamed the earth. Now there were more than enough “dragons” to battle! But they may just prove to be too much for our hearty knights. The question becomes who would win in a battle, a knight or a dinosaur?
Phelan clearly has had a ball writing this book. It is filled with jaunty references to King Arthur’s court and has a humor that children will love. The knights have distinct personalities from one another and beautifully grate on one-another’s nerves. The knights enter a world of real peril where Phelan creates moment after moment of battles, dangers and sword-swinging good times.
There are a couple of reveals here that invite young women to see themselves as knights too. In fact, the female knight completely rocks! The dinosaurs who battle one another with a joyous abandon add so much to the tale, something that dinosaur fans will love to see. The book has illustrations sprinkled throughout, breaking up the text for young readers.
A boisterous, battle-filled book that will appeal to young knights and young dinosaur experts and anyone looking for a good read. Appropriate for ages 6-9.
Phelan clearly has had a ball writing this book. It is filled with jaunty references to King Arthur’s court and has a humor that children will love. The knights have distinct personalities from one another and beautifully grate on one-another’s nerves. The knights enter a world of real peril where Phelan creates moment after moment of battles, dangers and sword-swinging good times.
There are a couple of reveals here that invite young women to see themselves as knights too. In fact, the female knight completely rocks! The dinosaurs who battle one another with a joyous abandon add so much to the tale, something that dinosaur fans will love to see. The book has illustrations sprinkled throughout, breaking up the text for young readers.
A boisterous, battle-filled book that will appeal to young knights and young dinosaur experts and anyone looking for a good read. Appropriate for ages 6-9.
July 14, 2018
Absurd fun for the 2nd-5th set and kids looking for short chapter books. Kids will love being on the inside of the joke and knowing more than the knights!
In King Arthur's court, the bored knights mostly fight among themselves or invent battles to boast about because real battles are pretty scarce. When Erec carries the exaggeration a bit too far, Merlin challenges him to take on a "terrible lizard" and some of his fellow knights join in the quest. Merlin send the unsuspecting group back to a time of dinosaurs and the battle is on!
Lots of comic silliness ensues but there are is also a gender role theme and a wonderful pointed jab at the value of actually reading the book sent along. Lots of illustrations including action panels make this a great choice for fans of graphic novels or needing short chapter books with plenty of clues.
Read in galley and am really eager to see the finished copy. Looks like there is to be some back matter on the various dinosaurs along with a note saying these various species of dinosaurs didn't all live at the same time.
In King Arthur's court, the bored knights mostly fight among themselves or invent battles to boast about because real battles are pretty scarce. When Erec carries the exaggeration a bit too far, Merlin challenges him to take on a "terrible lizard" and some of his fellow knights join in the quest. Merlin send the unsuspecting group back to a time of dinosaurs and the battle is on!
Lots of comic silliness ensues but there are is also a gender role theme and a wonderful pointed jab at the value of actually reading the book sent along. Lots of illustrations including action panels make this a great choice for fans of graphic novels or needing short chapter books with plenty of clues.
Read in galley and am really eager to see the finished copy. Looks like there is to be some back matter on the various dinosaurs along with a note saying these various species of dinosaurs didn't all live at the same time.
March 15, 2018
As you can tell from the 4 stars I gave this book, I really enjoyed it! It was fast-paced, funny, and filled with Phelan's quiet and amazing illustrations. This books follows four knights of Sir Arthur's Round Table on a quest to defeat a terrible monster. Merlin sends these four knights, and squire Mel, to a time when dinosaurs roamed. We see many different dinosaurs, some which lived at different times, but Merlin explains at the end that this was done to add more excitement. An underlining point to this story is that when you work together to accomplish something, or defeat a monster, you will have more success than if you tried to do it alone. The other reason I really enjoyed this book is I can see myself handing this to patrons and them also enjoying it. I am excited to see the final illustrations, and with the ending I know I'll get to see more adventures of these knights!
November 14, 2018
I picked up this book thinking it would be an excellent read aloud for my 6-year old and after the first chapter, he lost interest and didn't want to come back to it. This is a book that should appeal in every way to children...knights, dinosaurs, battles, etc. but instead everything falls flat and seems awkward. I finished the book but quite frankly, I found it difficult to get through and was bored. Disappointment!
April 9, 2019
Magic Tree House meets King Arthur's Knights of the Round Table meets Jurassic Park. With a feminist slant. A little odd, but interesting. Probably about 3rd-5th grade level, reading-wise.
March 28, 2020
Let's be honest - how could a book where the Knights of the Round Table fight dinosaurs not be awesome?
December 31, 2018
Sir Erec joins in the required boasting of King Arthur's knights of the round table saying he vanquished 40 dragons. Merlin, seeming to want some fun, tells Sir Erec that there's a cave he knows of with many terrible lizards in it. Sir Erec has to take the quest. Three more knights can't resist joining the fun and one drags along his squire. Upon reaching the cave the company just finds a book, but after one of the knights opens it, they find that the entrance to the cave no longer looks out on England. They venture out into the world Merlin has sent them to and do indeed find some very terrible lizards as well as some surprises among their company. They must figure out a way to survive in a land with very read monsters and find their way back to England.
Leave it to good ol' Merlin to decide to teach some of Arthur's knights a lesson about boasting by sending them back in time to face dinosaurs. Phelan has added a nice twist to the mysterious identity of the Black Knight by having him turn out to be "no man" (think Tolkien). The knights all have to learn about boasting, using their heads instead of their might, and working together instead of each looking out for themselves. I thought this would be a graphic novel since that's the format of most of Phelan's books. There are illustrations scattered through and one section that is graphic novel format, but most of this is text. Recommended for reluctant readers (since it is a quick read and does have illustrations), time travel fans, Arthur legend fans, and epic matchup fans.
Notes on content: No language issues. No sexual content. Some dinosaurs are injured in this story, but not all of the encounters between the knights and dinosaurs resolve with the death of a dinosaur (sometimes it is more outwitting the creature). Some of the people get scratched up and bumped around but everyone makes it through the adventure ok.
Leave it to good ol' Merlin to decide to teach some of Arthur's knights a lesson about boasting by sending them back in time to face dinosaurs. Phelan has added a nice twist to the mysterious identity of the Black Knight by having him turn out to be "no man" (think Tolkien). The knights all have to learn about boasting, using their heads instead of their might, and working together instead of each looking out for themselves. I thought this would be a graphic novel since that's the format of most of Phelan's books. There are illustrations scattered through and one section that is graphic novel format, but most of this is text. Recommended for reluctant readers (since it is a quick read and does have illustrations), time travel fans, Arthur legend fans, and epic matchup fans.
Notes on content: No language issues. No sexual content. Some dinosaurs are injured in this story, but not all of the encounters between the knights and dinosaurs resolve with the death of a dinosaur (sometimes it is more outwitting the creature). Some of the people get scratched up and bumped around but everyone makes it through the adventure ok.
July 2, 2025
Yes, I know this book is aimed at kids. Yes, I know the premise is fairly stupid. But sometimes, especially between heavier reads, you just want something silly and FUN to cleanse your palate. And Knights vs. Dinosaurs is just such a palate cleanser -- silly, goofy, with a ridiculous premise that puts a humongous smile on your face.
The story has no pretentions of being a grand epic -- it's as simple as it sounds. Four knights from King Arthur's Round Table are bored, so Merlin sends them off to fight a menace he describes as the Terrible Lizard. Said knights (and one brave squire) end up in a cave that leads them to a realm chock-full of strange monsters known as... dinosaurs! And soon they find themselves fighting, jousting, and running away from prehistoric beasts, all in a quest to defeat the most terrible tyrant of all in order to get home... the Tyrannosaurus Rex!
If you're reading this expecting some grand plot -- that perhaps Merlin had some ulterior motives for sending the knights to a land of dinosaurs, or that defeating the beasts will save Camelot somehow -- you're going to be disappointed. This book is as simple as the title makes it out to be -- just pitting knights against dinosaurs. And the characters are fairly flat and static throughout, so don't expect them to develop much or get character arcs.
But honestly, it's easy to forgive this book for not being terribly "deep" or substantial, because dangit I had FUN reading it. I laughed and enjoyed myself watching knights and dinosaurs duke it out, and was charmed by the illustrations and the fish-out-of-water experience of knights trying to make sense of these strange creatures. And the Black Knight was an additional surprise... though I'll save that one for the reader to figure out.
This book probably won't win any awards, but it was a lighthearted and silly read in between heavier reads for me. And kids will love it too.
The story has no pretentions of being a grand epic -- it's as simple as it sounds. Four knights from King Arthur's Round Table are bored, so Merlin sends them off to fight a menace he describes as the Terrible Lizard. Said knights (and one brave squire) end up in a cave that leads them to a realm chock-full of strange monsters known as... dinosaurs! And soon they find themselves fighting, jousting, and running away from prehistoric beasts, all in a quest to defeat the most terrible tyrant of all in order to get home... the Tyrannosaurus Rex!
If you're reading this expecting some grand plot -- that perhaps Merlin had some ulterior motives for sending the knights to a land of dinosaurs, or that defeating the beasts will save Camelot somehow -- you're going to be disappointed. This book is as simple as the title makes it out to be -- just pitting knights against dinosaurs. And the characters are fairly flat and static throughout, so don't expect them to develop much or get character arcs.
But honestly, it's easy to forgive this book for not being terribly "deep" or substantial, because dangit I had FUN reading it. I laughed and enjoyed myself watching knights and dinosaurs duke it out, and was charmed by the illustrations and the fish-out-of-water experience of knights trying to make sense of these strange creatures. And the Black Knight was an additional surprise... though I'll save that one for the reader to figure out.
This book probably won't win any awards, but it was a lighthearted and silly read in between heavier reads for me. And kids will love it too.
February 26, 2019
Note: I’m not usually one to add the books I read with the kids on here, but I’ve decided if it’s a longer “chapter book” I’m going to give credit where it’s due. Also I don’t give spoilers.
Basics: Another spin on the Knights of the Round Table that is entertaining and modern enough to keep kids engaged. The story is kind of like comic books meets Jurassic Park meets medieval storytelling. It’s a quick read for the voracious YA reader who likes a bit of fantasy or knighthood stories. My kids are 6.5 & 4.5 at the time of this review and begged me to read more every night (in fact, we read the last third of the book today alone because they didn’t want to stop and wanted to see how the story ended). There are some great twists that you don’t expect while still highlighting some of the great characters of Arthurian lore.
I will say - don’t let the theme of the book deter your reader if your reader is a girl. I know that sounds ridiculous this day and age, but I volunteer in the school library on occasion and I see what girls check out. I would highly recommend this to the girls out there who like dinosaurs and general bad-ass stuff. My daughter enjoyed it and was engaged start to finish.
Basics: Another spin on the Knights of the Round Table that is entertaining and modern enough to keep kids engaged. The story is kind of like comic books meets Jurassic Park meets medieval storytelling. It’s a quick read for the voracious YA reader who likes a bit of fantasy or knighthood stories. My kids are 6.5 & 4.5 at the time of this review and begged me to read more every night (in fact, we read the last third of the book today alone because they didn’t want to stop and wanted to see how the story ended). There are some great twists that you don’t expect while still highlighting some of the great characters of Arthurian lore.
I will say - don’t let the theme of the book deter your reader if your reader is a girl. I know that sounds ridiculous this day and age, but I volunteer in the school library on occasion and I see what girls check out. I would highly recommend this to the girls out there who like dinosaurs and general bad-ass stuff. My daughter enjoyed it and was engaged start to finish.
December 18, 2018
I was expecting a bit more of a graphic novel with this, since I learned about it through one of those recommendation emails from goodreads after reviewing Phelan's
Snow White
. Instead it is a sort of hybrid, mostly a novel, but with many illustrations, and sometimes the illustrations take over and we have full sequential art mode (i.e., a comic). Nothing wrong with that, it was just a bit odd.
The story is rather ridiculous but generally fun. However, it is sort of generic in many ways, and built up of tropes and cliches so it is only a light entertainment, nothing really spectacular. Also, I take objection to how the dinosaurs are depicted. Most of them are alright, if you like your dinosaurs with few to no feathers, but there is an early encounter with some dinosaurs that look like a type of hadrosaur but with bulls horns, which is just wrong. And the "brachiosaur" looks like a generic sauropod, without the characteristic forelimbs longer than its hindlimbs-- its name is "arm lizard" for a reason.
The story is rather ridiculous but generally fun. However, it is sort of generic in many ways, and built up of tropes and cliches so it is only a light entertainment, nothing really spectacular. Also, I take objection to how the dinosaurs are depicted. Most of them are alright, if you like your dinosaurs with few to no feathers, but there is an early encounter with some dinosaurs that look like a type of hadrosaur but with bulls horns, which is just wrong. And the "brachiosaur" looks like a generic sauropod, without the characteristic forelimbs longer than its hindlimbs-- its name is "arm lizard" for a reason.
July 1, 2019
First sentence: When Sir Erec thought the whole thing over, he supposed that he shouldn't have said he'd slain forty dragons.
Premise/plot: Sir Erec is one of King Arthur's knights. When he exaggerates a little too much, Merlin sends him on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure to face off with The Terrible Lizard. Three of his fellow knights (Sir Bors, Sir Hector, the Black Knight) and one of the squires (Mel) accompany him to the cave Merlin described. Once there they find a book....and venture outside the cave. The England they know and love is GONE....Merlin has sent them back in time....you see. What kinds of stories will they bring back with them?! That is if they survive....
My thoughts: For young readers craving action, adventure and humor....I recommend Matt Phelan's new series. This first book is Knights vs. Dinosaurs. These "brave" knights encounter PLENTY of "terrible lizards" (aka dinosaurs.)
Premise/plot: Sir Erec is one of King Arthur's knights. When he exaggerates a little too much, Merlin sends him on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure to face off with The Terrible Lizard. Three of his fellow knights (Sir Bors, Sir Hector, the Black Knight) and one of the squires (Mel) accompany him to the cave Merlin described. Once there they find a book....and venture outside the cave. The England they know and love is GONE....Merlin has sent them back in time....you see. What kinds of stories will they bring back with them?! That is if they survive....
My thoughts: For young readers craving action, adventure and humor....I recommend Matt Phelan's new series. This first book is Knights vs. Dinosaurs. These "brave" knights encounter PLENTY of "terrible lizards" (aka dinosaurs.)
January 13, 2019
Pretty good! What kid doesn’t want to read about knights... and dinosaurs?!?. The story opens with the Knights of the Round Table bragging about their adventures and all they have accomplished. Merlin challenges their stories and four knights rise to his proposal to battle giant lizards. After traveling to a cave, The knights are transported back to the time of dinosaurs.
I loved that the author included so much in a book that is the perfect length for elementary aged kiddos-even illustrations. Matt Phelan incorporates characters that bust our preconceived notions of a knight. He includes lessons on unity, choosing to work together because it is better. He does all this without being preachy and even a bit sneaky so that kids might not notice they are learning how to treat others.
If you have a reluctant reader, this would be a great purchase for them. Not just for boys!!!
I loved that the author included so much in a book that is the perfect length for elementary aged kiddos-even illustrations. Matt Phelan incorporates characters that bust our preconceived notions of a knight. He includes lessons on unity, choosing to work together because it is better. He does all this without being preachy and even a bit sneaky so that kids might not notice they are learning how to treat others.
If you have a reluctant reader, this would be a great purchase for them. Not just for boys!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 22, 2019
Basic plot: Several of the knights of the Round Table are sent to the past.
This book was actually really funny, dealing with a very silly concept. It turns out that Arthur's knights might have had a bit of a problem with bragging about killing dragons they hadn't even actually seen. They end up going to the past through Merlin's tricks.
There were plenty of little illustrations on the pages to keep things lively for more reluctant readers. There were also some surprises for less traditional knights. The humor was on point and the vocabulary was good. My son has been resisting the transition from picture books to chapter books, so this book was bought as part of my effort to move him forward. He was super proud of himself for finishing the whole thing, and it did take us quite a while to get through. It was definitely worth it.
This book was actually really funny, dealing with a very silly concept. It turns out that Arthur's knights might have had a bit of a problem with bragging about killing dragons they hadn't even actually seen. They end up going to the past through Merlin's tricks.
There were plenty of little illustrations on the pages to keep things lively for more reluctant readers. There were also some surprises for less traditional knights. The humor was on point and the vocabulary was good. My son has been resisting the transition from picture books to chapter books, so this book was bought as part of my effort to move him forward. He was super proud of himself for finishing the whole thing, and it did take us quite a while to get through. It was definitely worth it.
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