Gryphons Aren't So Great

July 1, 2015
The Knight and his noble steed, Edward, find their friendship challenged when the Knight turns his attention to a new friend: a gryphon. The garrulous Knight and his trusty, taciturn horse, Edward, are the best of friends. One day, while gallivanting around the kingdom (and unsuccessfully attempting to fly by jumping off a cliff), the Knight spies a gryphon aloft. Excited at the prospect of actual flight, he calls out to the mystical creature, and the two-after a slightly rocky start-become fast friends. They spend their day soaring across a robin's-egg-blue sky, as poor, forgotten Edward sits on the ground awaiting his friend's return. The next day, the Knight can barely contain himself as he waits for the gryphon's arrival. However, their sophomore flight doesn't go as smoothly as yesterday's, and suddenly it's up to Edward to help his friend. Sturm et al. have crafted a gentle yet effective tale of friendship laid out in a clean panel structure and related with economical prose. This lively frolic is sure to please young readers, who should be not only able to relate to the feeling of being cast out of a friendship when someone new comes along and changes the dynamic, but also to read this independently.Gryphons might not be great, but this sweet tale of friendship certainly is. (Graphic early reader. 4-7)

COPYRIGHT(2015) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

April 1, 2015

K-Gr 3-The Knight and his horse, Edward, enjoy jumping from great heights into the lake below, but the Knight is soon entranced with the idea of flying after a chance encounter with a gryphon. The "Adventures in Cartooning" cast returns in a medieval story told through sequential art, reminding readers of the loyalty of a good friend and that sometimes taking a ride on a gryphon isn't all it's cracked up to be. Much of the art is composed of simple shapes drawn in a thick line, producing characters that stand out and can be easily drawn or replicated by young readers. The story progresses quickly through the paneled art and the speech bubbles are illustrated to emphasize the emotion conveyed in the dialogue. The character design is great and the art works hand-in-hand with the text to move the story forward. VERDICT The memorable tale will be enjoyed by a wide range of readers time and again.-Matthew C. Winner, Ducketts Lane Elementary School, Elkridge, MD

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2016
A knight (Ycf2]Sleepless KnightYcf1]) wants to fly, and he leaves his loyal horse, Edward, behind to go on an adventure with a gryphon. This comic book is silly, short, and easy to read, while the illustrations, with simple shapes and coloring, are engaging; however, the story itself feels more scattered than other installments. Endpapers contain instructions on drawing the characters.

(Copyright 2016 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)