Children love humor, comics, and drawing books. SLEEPLESS KNIGHT (2015) by James Sturm, Andrew Arnold, and Alexis Frederick-Frost has it all. Even the pun in the book’s title will make elementary children giggle.
Many young readers will be familiar with the characters from Adventures in Cartooning. In this hilarious episode, the Knight along with Edward the horse embark on a camping adventure. Everything goes as planned untilit’s bedtime and a beloved teddy bear goes missing.
From the well-drawn panels to the easy-to-read speech bubbles, the book models outstanding sequential art writing. Many children want to make their own cartoons. Unfortunately some youth, particularly boys, have trouble with fine-motor control and quickly become frustrated. Sturm, Arnold, and Frederick-Frost make drawing fun and easy. Whether following the step-by-step visual instructions for drawing a knight or a bear, all children will be successful creating their own stories that extend the fun of Sleepless Knight.
Graphic novels for young readers fly off the shelves. Sleepless Knight is an outstanding example of a quality comic for youth.
NetGalley ARC used for review
