Dough Knights and Dragons

In an epic fairy tale opening scene, a reader will guess that they have entered an enchanted forest, complete with knights, swords and crystal-clear waterfalls gushing through emerald forests. While we return to what might seem to be another epic snapshot of a classic fairy tale when the books’ point of contention arises —“but in that great kingdom so far to the east, / friendship was outlawed between night and beast”—the rest of the illustrations remind us squarely that we are rather in the delightful land of a fractured fairy tale. At the revelation of the point of tension, both the knight and dragon are shrouded in darkness, featureless and with no connection existing between knight and dragon. Rain streaks down, and for a brief moment one feels a sense dark foreboding. The juxtaposition of this tableau with the colorful scenes of the evolving friendship between our knight and our dragon unfolding on either side of this reveal serve to remind us of the illuminating nature of empathy, and elevate the joy of their successful problem solving. While the genre of fractured fairy tales most often relies on the twist coming from a strengthened female character, Dough Knights and Dragons adds empathy and friendship to the relationship between knight and dragon in a way that is sure to delight everyone, and reminds us that all classic fairy tale characters have room to grow. The boy and the dragon are both “redheads,” serving to emphasize the message that we aren’t so different from those we may think or may have once thought our enemies. If you enter this book thinking it will be a great tale of adventure, you may be disappointed, as the primary action revolves around cooking, but to allow that to lessen your enjoyment would be foolish. Excellent rhyme scheme and word choice combined with fun illustrations make this an excellent read aloud.