Sleepless Knight by James Sturm, Andrew Arnold, and ALexis Frederick Frost, 40 pp, RL: 1.5


Hooray! My favorite publisher of graphic novels (for kids, teens, and adults) First Second has been taking strides into the world of picture books with Sleep Tight, Anna Banana! by Dominique Roques and  Alexis Dormal and Julia's House for Lost Creatures by the amazing Ben Hatke. 

And now, with Sleepless Knight, billed as an Adventures in Cartooning Jr. book, the picture book version of James Sturm, Andrew Arnold and Alexis Frederick-Forest's graphic novel series, Adventures in Cartooning (my review hereit feels like First Second is also taking a step into the world of graphic-novels-as-beginning-readers, previously inhabited (dominated) by my longtime favorite, TOON Books. I couldn't be happier! There is plenty of room on the shelf for all kinds of beginning-reader-graphic-novels and I hope to see more from First Second.

In Sleepless Knight we find the Knight and his trusty, chubby steed Edward preparing for a camping trip. The Knight has packed everything he will need from his rock collection, to his scooter to Edward's ukelele. They are about to depart when he remembers his teddy.



Leaving the castle is only the first of many challenges for the Knight and Edward, who make it a few yards from the drawbridge before calling it a day. The two unpack, pitch the tent and have a fine time around the campfire consuming the thirty bags of marshmallows the Knight packed. The illustration of Edward, flat out on his back with marshmallow goo dripping from his snoring snout is hilarious. 



However, the night is not over for the Knight, or Edward, for that matter. When the Knight's teddy goes missing, more silliness ensues, followed by a happy ending. As with the Adventures in Cartooning series, the endpapers of Sleepless Knight have step-by-step instructions on how to draw characters from the story. I can't wait to get this book on the shelves of my library where I know it will be a smash hit! 


Coming in September! The second Adventures in Cartooning Jr. book!



The Adventures in Cartooning Series:






Source: Review Copy

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