Knights vs. Dinosaurs

by Matt Phelan

Overview

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 Title
Renowned 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 knights: 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 all: 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 halo: 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. Dinosaurs
Knights vs. Monsters
Knights vs. the End (of Everything)

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062686251
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	09/22/2023
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	157
Lexile:	610L (what's this?)
File size:	16 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Matt Phelan is the author and illustrator of the novels The Sheep, the Rooster, and the Duck; Knights vs. Dinosaurs; Knights vs. Monsters; and Knights vs. the End (of Everything); and the picture books Sweater Weather; Turtle Walk; Pignic; and Druthers. He is also the creator of the graphic novels The Storm in the Barn (winner of a Scott O’Dell Award); Around the World; Bluffton; and the New York Times bestseller Snow White. Matt Phelan lives in Pennsylvania. 

Editorial Reviews

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

From the Publisher

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

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)

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

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

★ 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)

Kirkus Reviews