From the Publisher
Whether jousting with a triceratops or facing down a T-rex, [squire] Mel should come with a halo: She’s thoughtful, sensitive, and wise. ...Drawn deftly, lightly.” — New York Times Book Review
“All the glorious mashing and bashing leads to awesome feats aplenty. ...Phelan endows the all-white human cast with finely drawn, eloquently expressive faces but otherwise works in a loose, movement-filled style, pitting his clanking crew against an almost nonstop onslaught of toothy monsters...Epic—in plot, not length—and as wise and wonderful as Gerald Morris’ Arthurian exploits.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“This rollicking story is suspenseful and silly. . . .double-page, comic book-like spreads that even reluctant readers will enjoy. Themes of teamwork and feminism emerge, making this an excellent choice for all readers.” — School Library Journal (starred review)
“Catnip for kids...absurdly entertaining. ...Gender stereotypes and egos are challenged along with dinosaurs, giving readers a spectacular book that’s victorious on all fronts.” — ALA Booklist (starred review)
“In a highly illustrated chapter book, 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)
“Phelan crafts a lighthearted romp of an adventure sure to please readers looking for a chapter book full of both action and humor. ...Pen-and-ink spot art and full-page illustrations, as well as intermittent comic-style sequential art, bring the swordplay action to the forefront and keep the tone light enough for the book’s young audience.” — The Horn Book
“Comedic...Phelan’s black and white art moves effectively from goofy portraitures and spot illustrations to speedy panels and dramatic full spreads, matching the humor and/or action of the plot.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
Comedic...Phelan’s black and white art moves effectively from goofy portraitures and spot illustrations to speedy panels and dramatic full spreads, matching the humor and/or action of the plot.
ALA Booklist (starred review)
Catnip for kids...absurdly entertaining. ...Gender stereotypes and egos are challenged along with dinosaurs, giving readers a spectacular book that’s victorious on all fronts.
New York Times Book Review
Whether jousting with a triceratops or facing down a T-rex, [squire] Mel should come with a halo: She’s thoughtful, sensitive, and wise. ...Drawn deftly, lightly.”
The Horn Book
Phelan crafts a lighthearted romp of an adventure sure to please readers looking for a chapter book full of both action and humor. ...Pen-and-ink spot art and full-page illustrations, as well as intermittent comic-style sequential art, bring the swordplay action to the forefront and keep the tone light enough for the book’s young audience.
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Comedic...Phelan’s black and white art moves effectively from goofy portraitures and spot illustrations to speedy panels and dramatic full spreads, matching the humor and/or action of the plot.
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2018-06-25
Who needs dragons when there are Terrible Lizards to be fought?Having recklessly boasted to King Arthur and the court that he'd slain 40 dragons, Sir Erec can hardly refuse when Merlin offers him more challenging foes…and so it is that in no time (so to speak), Erec, with bookish Sir Hector, the silent and enigmatic Black Knight, and blustering Sir Bors with his thin but doughty squire, Mel, in tow, are hewing away at fearsome creatures sporting natural armor and weapons every bit as effective as knightly ones. Happily, while all the glorious mashing and bashing leads to awesome feats aplenty—who would suspect that a ravening T. Rex could be decked by a well-placed punch to the jaw?—when the dust settles neither bloodshed nor permanent injury has been dealt to either side. Better yet, not even the stunning revelation that two of the Three Stooges-style bumblers aren't what they seem ("Anyone else here a girl?") keeps the questers from developing into a well-knit team capable of repeatedly saving one another's bacon. Phelan endows the all-white human cast with finely drawn, eloquently expressive faces but otherwise works in a loose, movement-filled style, pitting his clanking crew against an almost nonstop onslaught of toothy monsters in a monochrome mix of single scenes and occasional wordless sequential panels.Epic—in plot, not length—and as wise and wonderful as Gerald Morris' Arthurian exploits. (Graphic/fantasy hybrid. 9-11)
