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The Knight Who Was Afraid of the Dark
When the castle bully discovers bold Sir Fred is secretly terrified of the dark, he tries to stir up trouble between that brave Knight and his Lady Wendylyn.
32 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
June 15, 2011
I have a six-year-old who is suddenly afraid of the dark, when he notices that he is alone, so this book is perfect. I let him sleep with a flashlight next to his bed, just in case, though he has not used it since he falls asleep a minute afer hitting the pillow. He mostly does not want to get up and go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Good thing he has a strong bladder. The knight in this story faces his fear with candles, an electric eel, and a jar of fireflies, so the flashlight is even more appealing now.
I enjoyed reading this aloud, both of my boys loved it, and the art is fantastic. The knight faces his fear and is rewarded. I liked the message and the tone of the book. I highly recommend buying it for a little one who is afraid of the dark.
I enjoyed reading this aloud, both of my boys loved it, and the art is fantastic. The knight faces his fear and is rewarded. I liked the message and the tone of the book. I highly recommend buying it for a little one who is afraid of the dark.
May 24, 2011
Truth to be told, I have actually heard of this book when I was small, but I have never read this book up until now. “The Knight Who was Afraid of the Dark” is a children's book by Barbara Shook Hazen along with illustrations by Tony Ross and it is about a brave knight named Sir Fred who was not afraid of anything...well except for the dark. “The Knight Who was Afraid of the Dark” is a truly fantastic book that children who are also afraid of the dark will easily relate to for many years!
Wow! I was so impressed by this rare gem of a book! Barbara Shook Hazen has done an excellent job at writing this book as it is truly hilarious and cute at the same time! I loved Sir Fred's relationship with Lady Wendylyn as they clearly care about each other and when you read the ending of this book, oh boy their relationship is even cuter! I loved the character of Sir Fred himself as he is extremely brave, but his fear of the dark makes him into an extremely endearing character that I could easily relate to as I was once afraid of the dark, but now that I have conquered my fear, I just love being in the dark all the time! I also loved the facet that the writing mainly focused on how Sir Fred was trying to conquer his fear of the dark and many children who also have the same fear of the dark as Sir Fred did will definitely be able to relate to him and his problems. Tony Ross' illustrations were extremely hilarious as the characters look extremely surreal and I loved how all the events are set during the nighttime. The images that really stood out to me were of the images of Sir Fred himself, especially as he is seen carrying an electric eel and a jar of fireflies to keep him comfortable in the dark. I also loved the image of Lady Wendylyn herself as she has long blond hair and a beautiful white dress that brings out the royalty in her.
Parents should know that the images in this book might be a little creepy to smaller children who do not like dark illustrations. Since most of the illustrations take place in the dark, kids might fear the illustrations, especially if they are afraid of the dark themselves. Also, most of the character in this book do look a little odd, so children who do not like surreal images might have trouble sitting through this book.
Overall, “The Knight Who Was Afraid of the Dark” is a truly fantastic tale about conquering your fears that children who are also afraid of the dark will easily enjoy! I would recommend this book to children ages five and up since smaller children might be scared by the dark illustrations.
Wow! I was so impressed by this rare gem of a book! Barbara Shook Hazen has done an excellent job at writing this book as it is truly hilarious and cute at the same time! I loved Sir Fred's relationship with Lady Wendylyn as they clearly care about each other and when you read the ending of this book, oh boy their relationship is even cuter! I loved the character of Sir Fred himself as he is extremely brave, but his fear of the dark makes him into an extremely endearing character that I could easily relate to as I was once afraid of the dark, but now that I have conquered my fear, I just love being in the dark all the time! I also loved the facet that the writing mainly focused on how Sir Fred was trying to conquer his fear of the dark and many children who also have the same fear of the dark as Sir Fred did will definitely be able to relate to him and his problems. Tony Ross' illustrations were extremely hilarious as the characters look extremely surreal and I loved how all the events are set during the nighttime. The images that really stood out to me were of the images of Sir Fred himself, especially as he is seen carrying an electric eel and a jar of fireflies to keep him comfortable in the dark. I also loved the image of Lady Wendylyn herself as she has long blond hair and a beautiful white dress that brings out the royalty in her.
Parents should know that the images in this book might be a little creepy to smaller children who do not like dark illustrations. Since most of the illustrations take place in the dark, kids might fear the illustrations, especially if they are afraid of the dark themselves. Also, most of the character in this book do look a little odd, so children who do not like surreal images might have trouble sitting through this book.
Overall, “The Knight Who Was Afraid of the Dark” is a truly fantastic tale about conquering your fears that children who are also afraid of the dark will easily enjoy! I would recommend this book to children ages five and up since smaller children might be scared by the dark illustrations.
June 19, 2017
A knight must overcome his greatest fear to be with his lady love.
Cute enough tale, though I enjoyed Tony Ross's illustrations more than the story.
Cute enough tale, though I enjoyed Tony Ross's illustrations more than the story.
December 4, 2018
Sir Fred a bold knight had only one chink in his armor, and Melvin the Miffed was out to expose him for it, and steal the fair Lady Wendylyn from Sir Fred with a devious plan. Melvin the Miffed convinced the Lady Wendylyn to ask Sir Fred to prove his love for her, by facing his biggest fear, although Lady Wendylyn didn't know it. The outcome of the plan wasn't what Melvin the Miffed expected.
March 27, 2018
I remember reading this when I was about six and being highly amused by a knight who was scared of all kinds of dark (even the momentary dark of putting his armour on), but the older I get, the more I relate; darkness is scary and that knight wasn't so silly after all.
July 20, 2018
Each page is a single illustration with one or two sentences at the bottom for the story part. A brave knight is forced to face his one fear in the name of love, and it is love that gives him enough courage to go out and face it. Very sweet, and very simple. Good for all ages.
September 19, 2018
Sir Fred is a brave and popular Knight by day but at night he is extremely afraid of the dark. A cute story with witty illustrations which encourages us to face our fears and to make us realise that everyone has something that they are afraid of.
October 4, 2019
The whimsical illustrations immediately alert the reader that this tale is one of light-hearted humor. The text and/or illustrations elicited multiple laugh-out-loud moments when I read it. And the ending is just sweet.
January 15, 2021
I read this book a long time ago as a little girl, and was so enchanted! The knight is so loveable, you just love reading about him and how he overcomes his fear! This book has stuck with me for almost two decades.
October 2, 2017
A knight is afraid of the dark and is having trouble going out in the dark to meet his true love. Will he make it? preschool and up for length
November 2, 2017
Brilliant story about overcoming fears. Uses some good vocabulary that can be explored further.
July 24, 2020
I love this book!!! It's about knights, dragons, damsels that need saving and medieval times! The knight isn't afraid to be vulnerable with his true love.
June 8, 2021
Another book picked up at my childhood home - love the illustrations and story of a knight and his lady facing their fears! Little Man loves it.
February 8, 2022
What a fun book to teach children about phobias.
Wonderful job Barbara Shook Hazen!
Wonderful job Barbara Shook Hazen!
January 1, 2014
This book is perfect to read to second graders or younger. The only difficulty is in deciding when to show a larger group the pictures, since the text crosses two facing pages, but the images on each page tell different parts of the story.
Adults would love this Knight, Sir Fred, who has a chink in his armor ... he's "knee-bumping, heart-thumping afraid of the dark." (Shook Hazen's words are a blast to read. She explains that Sir Fred was born in the dark ages.) The illustrations by Tony Ross are also loads of fun; I especially loved the Knight shown as "he sleeps with a bottle of fireflies, several bright candles, and a pet electric eel close by his bed."
Kids fall in love with Lady Wendylyn, Sir Fred's beloved, who has begun to worry about her Knight and requests that he meet her at midnight.
Adults would love this Knight, Sir Fred, who has a chink in his armor ... he's "knee-bumping, heart-thumping afraid of the dark." (Shook Hazen's words are a blast to read. She explains that Sir Fred was born in the dark ages.) The illustrations by Tony Ross are also loads of fun; I especially loved the Knight shown as "he sleeps with a bottle of fireflies, several bright candles, and a pet electric eel close by his bed."
Kids fall in love with Lady Wendylyn, Sir Fred's beloved, who has begun to worry about her Knight and requests that he meet her at midnight.
April 18, 2026
Genre: Modern Fantasy
Grade Level: 1st - 3rd
Such a sweet book about the normalcy of being afraid of things. Whether that be the dark or bugs/creatures, it's normal to be afraid of something. But I love how in this book, the main characters didn't let their fear control them forever, they faced their fear, were honest and told someone, and they grew out of their fear. Great for young students when talking about fears, doubts, and worries.
Grade Level: 1st - 3rd
Such a sweet book about the normalcy of being afraid of things. Whether that be the dark or bugs/creatures, it's normal to be afraid of something. But I love how in this book, the main characters didn't let their fear control them forever, they faced their fear, were honest and told someone, and they grew out of their fear. Great for young students when talking about fears, doubts, and worries.
December 15, 2014
Barbara Shook Hazen exemplifies in this book the overcoming of fears--especially the fear of the dark--and the importance of finding where a person feels accepted and belonged all in the realm of 'being themselves.' It teaches these lessons in a fun and interesting way which appeals to all audiences.
September 6, 2007
A jealous knight tries to come between the princess and her love. Will true love triumph? Of course! Very funny, especially the electric eels.
December 28, 2007
the dark's not so scary with someone.
December 7, 2008
Mommy says: Will Sir Fred overcome his fear of the dark for his ladylove? You'll have to read to find out.
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July 2, 2009JAR4OS-Haz Delightful -afraid of the dark
October 1, 2009
A story about being brave and facing fears. My boys who love to read about knights and princesses really liked it. I thought it was only okay. Ages 3 and up.
February 22, 2012
My kids were laughing and loving that a Knight was scared of the dark. He finds his true love and must face his fears to get her. Surprize ending! Loved the pictures too.
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March 6, 2012Sir Fred is afraid of the dark. Student learn how to deal with fear.
January 27, 2013
Fun, engaging and great for kids who are afraid of the dark! (My two are!)
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews