Closeness with a loved one when reading, also known as joint attention reading, not only brings comfort, it also helps children learn. This is emphasised greatly within the visual narrative by the fact that those Leo is joint reading with are supposedly scary beasts, highlighting further the transformative powers of book sharing. This review is based on a copy provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The story is told in verse; the rhymes and lovely bouncy rhythm make it a delight to read aloud. There’s a warmth and gentle humour to the text too. Oh, and the dragon poo line made me laugh out loud! That being said, The Knight That Wouldn’t Fight, is one of those books that I think children will really enjoy. One that they are probably going to ask their parents to read again and again because it’s a wonderful story. Full of rhyming words and a courageous mouse, it’s a story that I hope will capture the soul of many children throughout it’s lifetime. Leo the mouse isn’t like other knights, he’d rather read a book than fight, much to his parents’ despair. So when an opportunity to tame a dragon arises, his parents volunteer him, hoping this is his chance to change his mind and become a ‘real’ knight. Leo reluctantly takes the challenge and along the way meets other scary creatures who need his help. Leo uses his most powerful weapon to tame them, his books, and the power of stories.Picturebook enthusiasts know just how much louder than words pictures speak for the little people that read them; they express those feelings that can be so difficult to put into words. With The Knight Who Wouldn’t Fight, Helen and Thomas Docherty have created a narrative which is exciting and entertaining with a big important theme at heart. All in all this is a beautiful book with a magnificent and educational story trapped inside. Well worth a read and one I think adults and children will definitely enjoy together and apart.

The rhyming text, which makes for a lovely read aloud, is where readers will find the overt messages about why reading and sharing stories is so important, but the artwork is where the covert, latent messages will be found. Two types of such messages are particularly striking in The Knight Who Wouldn’t Fight: images of closeness when reading and the use of light at nighttime. Both of these are vital to children in the preschool years, both convey safety and comfort to them. Helen and Thomas Docherty form a formidable pair while delivering a message through a rhyming story and wonderfully colourful illustrations of magical creatures familiar to us from other tales.

Teaching about the latest events?

It would be awful to finish this review without even mentioning the illustrations because they are central to this lovely picture book. They’re full of pastel colours that give off a friendly light, they’re full of minute details and tell they’re own story too – which is one of my favourite things about picture books in the first place. This is the kind of book that you could read simply by looking at the glorious illustrations. Oh man. If you are unfamiliar with the Docherty duo, get yourself acquainted now! They have to be one of the most adorable and extremely talented (and amazing) team ever. Ever! I have been completely enchanted with everything they produce since I stumbled across The Snatchabook on Netgalley a few years ago. The adult in me however cannot help but look a little deeper and see Leo as an unlikely political envoy somehow finding common grounds with big and mighty antagonists who could not be more different from him but also from each other. This only emphasises one truth that we only all know too well:” We have far more in common than which divides us.” The story is told in rhyme, which I always love as I feel it engages the children more in the story. My four year old was captivated. The illustrations are bright and beautiful.

Leo was a gentle knight in thought and word and deed.While other knights liked fighting, Leo liked to sit and read". Here is the beginning of this beautiful picture book about Leo, who couldn't understand why knights must fight.The Storybook Knight was written by Helen Docherty and illustrated by Thomas Docherty. It shares the story of a young gentle knight named Leo who is kind to creatures and prefers reading to any other activity. One day his parents send him to tame a scary dragon, armed with a shield and a sword. Leo loads lots of books too. In his way he crosses paths with a Griffin and a Troll, and both surrender to the storybooks smartly chosen by Leo, that have them as main characters. For older students (KS2), hereis an idea for a writing workshop based on the story of The Knight Who Wouldn’t Fight. If you know this blog well, you will know my penchant for picturebooks which promote books, shared reading and reading for pleasure; you might even be aware I am writing a MA dissertation about this right now, though I won’t bore you with those details. So, as you can imagine therefore, I loved The Snatchabook (see my review here), the first “picturebook about reading” collaboration between husband and wife team Helen and Thomas Docherty and I was delighted that Helen wrote a guest post for its publication at the time. The publication of The Knight Who Wouldn’t Fight (Alison Green books) has therefore been long-awaited and could not have come at a better time. Leo is only small but has a very powerful weapon, words! And this lovely tale follows him on his mission of peace.