The Kitchen Knight: A Tale of King Arthur

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0823410633 ISBN 13: 9780823410637

Publisher: Holiday House, 2007

The creators of the Caldecott Medal book, Saint George and the Dragon, tell the Arthurian tale of Sir Gareth of Orkney's first adventure.

The Knights of the Round Table were in their glory. When an unknown stranger visits the castle and asks Kin Arthur's favor, he is allowed to serve in the kitchen for his meat and bread.

Little does anyone suspect that he is of noble blood and will soon be knighted by the famous Sir Lancelot. Lush illustrations bring the reader into the book, as Sir Gareth meets adventures and battles to free a princess from the fearsome Red Knight of the Plain.

Based on an excerpt from Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte D'Arthur and in consultation with both the famous Caxton and Winchester texts, this enduring story of gallant knights in armor, epic battles, and quests fulfilled has broad appeal for young adventurers.

About the Author:

Margaret Hodges (1911-2005) was a distinguished children's book writer particularly known for her retelling of traditional folk tales. Her past titles include Saint George and the Dragon, The True Tale of Johnny Appleseed, and Up the Chimney. Her title Merlin and the Making of the King received many starred reviews.

One of the most distinguished and celebrated illustrators of her generation, Trina Schart Hyman (1939-2004) was awarded the Caldecott Medal for St. George and the Dragon, retold by Margaret Hodges, and Caldecott Honors for A Child's Calendar, by John Updike, Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins, and Little Red Riding Hood. Born in Philadelphia, she lived most of her life in New Hampshire.

From School Library Journal:

Grade 3 Up-- While this tale is retold in most adaptations of Arthurian legend, it is not readily available in a single, lavishly illustrated version such as this one. The story is of Gareth of Orkney, Gawaine's brother, who hides his identity to serve a year as a kitchen boy in King Arthur's court, and his quest to the Perilous Gard in the company of Linette, who also hides her identity and reviles him throughout their journey to rescue her sister, Linesse. He falls in love at first distant sight of Linesse, who checks him out by kidnapping his dwarf, but decides he's worthy and agrees to marry him. There is a lot more to the story, of course, and Hodges gets in all the essentials that Malory included, leaving out some unexplained characters and repetitive battles. She also leaves out Gareth's comment that he doesn't listen to women, anyway. Just as well, even though it's a comment appropriate to its time, and quite telling about chivalry. Linesse's testing of a man who saved her life may be understood to be wise in a time when women were kidnapped and treated as property. The loose ends tend to be Malory's own. This does not tell in quite the straight line of Gawaine's adventure with the loathly damsel, told also by Chaucer's Wife of Bath. Hyman's richly romantic illustrations are lush watercolors, framed and broken with framed insets for closeups and framed text inside the panoramic picture. The format is horizontal, capturing the sweep of the story. While not a tale of King Arthur, it's a wonderful taste of Arthurian legend, hopefully whetting young appetites for more. --Helen Gregory, Grosse Pointe Public Library, MI
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.