Sir Morien: The Legend of a Knight of the Round Table

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Sir Morien: The Legend of a Knight of the Round Table

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Overview

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Holly Black is a master storyteller. Her contemporary fantasy novels have topped the charts and for the first time, Black is writing for the youngest of readers alongside Kaliis Smith and illustrator Ebony Glenn — though Sir Morien will be enjoyed at any age. A fun, exciting and clever retelling of an often-overlooked figure of King Arthur's legend, this adventure is perfect for anyone who enjoys tales of bravery, as well as fans of knights, dragons, battles and finding friendship in the most unexpected places.

Full of humor, drama, and adventure, this retelling of a little-known figure of Arthurian Legend, co-written by friends Kaliis Smith and #1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black, is perfect for any knight in training.

Prince Morien was brave and clever and true…

The brave North African knight Morien is on a quest to find his father, who had set off on an adventure of his own and never returned. But every knight he meets wants to fight! At first, Morien is determined to best them all, until he meets some knights willing to quest with him. Together, they discover not only the importance of friendship, but also Morien’s long-lost father!

Product Details
About the Author

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316424134
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	10/24/2023
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	151,524
Product dimensions:	11.00(w) x 8.60(h) x 0.20(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Holly Black is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of over thirty fantasy novels for kids, teens, and adults. She has been a finalist for an Eisner and a Lodestar Award, and the recipient of the Mythopoeic Award, a Nebula, and a Newbery Honor. Her books have been translated into 32 languages worldwide and adapted for film. She currently lives in New England with her husband and son in a house with a secret library. Sir Morien is her first picture book.

Kaliis Smith is a poet originally from Boston. After graduating from Kenyon College, she released her book Finger and Thumb from Salt Publishing. She currently lives in Western Massachusetts.

Ebony Glenn is an Atlanta-based illustrator of numerous books for young readers, including Mommy’s Khimar by Jamilah Thompkins Bigelow, Cats Can by Roseanne Greenfield-Thong, and Flying High: The Story of Gymnastics Champion Simone Biles by Michelle Meadows. She has a passion for the arts, great storytelling, and advocating for more diverse narratives in children’s books. Visit ebonyglenn.com and follow her on Instagram @artsyebby.

From the B&N Reads Blog

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Editorial Reviews

08/14/2023
This mythical retelling from Black (Doll Bones) and Smith (Finger and Thumb, for adults), a double authorial picture book debut, has all the jaunty verve of a contemporary Disney animated feature. Crisp, saturated digital art by Glenn (Flying High) portrays Sir Morien as both hunky and heroic. He lives in northern Africa with his princess mother, and the two take up the questing life: “They tamed a dragon in Timbuktu. They surfed with crocodiles on the Nile and vanquished every last vegetable on the dinner table.” Journeying to England to track down his father, Morien’s search comes up short. He finds “Nada. Zip. Zilch” in the way of filial leads, defeats everyone he encounters, misses his mom, and hates the local food. But an initially hostile Welsh countryside meetup with Sir Gawain and Sir Lancelot turns salutatory: recognizing they are equals in battle, they become “a great questing team,” together rescuing both Morien’s dad and King Arthur from a castle prison. The story moves at a gallop and understands readers’ budding sense of irreverence: “NO ONE BEAT ANYONE,” says an exasperated Gawain after yet another squabbling among the pals. “IT WAS A TIE.” Sir Morien and his mother are portrayed with brown skin; the remaining knights are pale-skinned. Ages 4–8. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

"A winsome adaptation of a lesser-known Arthurian legend."—Kirkus

"Glenn’s crisp-lined vector art pair with speech-bubble quips to evoke Pixar-like style, lending an appealing quirkiness to Morien and company’s questing...Give this to the viewer who loves fantasy media, who is ready to be introduced to the Matter of Britain at an early age, or who could benefit from the reminder that the legends of King Arthur included a Black knight of the round table."—Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

"This mythical retelling from Black (Doll Bones) and Smith (Finger and Thumb, for adults), a double authorial picture book debut, has all the jaunty verve of a contemporary Disney animated feature."—Publisher's Weekly

"[A] lighthearted update on Arthurian legend."—Booklist

From the Publisher

11/24/2023
Gr 1–3—In this gleefully updated reworking of an obscure 13th-century Arthurian legend, Prince Morien, "brave and clever and true," receives tutelage in taming dragons and surfing the Nile on crocodiles from his intrepid "Moorish" mom, and then sets out from North Africa to find his white father, Sir Aglovale, who left when he was a baby. After defeating one tiresomely aggressive knight after another, he meets Sirs Gawain and Lancelot on the road, battles the latter to a draw, then forthrightly joins his new "questing buddies" to rescue not only his dad, but also the king himself from captivity—enjoying both an amicable reunion and a well-earned place of his own at the Round Table. Though not much for accurately depicting arms, armor, or other knightly detail, such as the proper way to hold a falchion, Glenn generally places her dark-skinned young hero in properly noble poses and captures the light tone of this tongue-in-cheek exploit. VERDICT Younger fans of knightly deeds will enjoy this version of an unjustly little known tale with its glimpse of a slightly more inclusive Round Table.—John Edward Peters

School Library Journal

2023-07-26
Brave Prince Morien sets out to find the father he’s never met.
Prince Morien lives in Northern Africa with his mother, a princess who accompanies him on adventures: taming dragons, surfing on the backs of crocodiles, and vanquishing dinnertime vegetables. Although he enjoys his life with his mother, he longs to meet his father, Sir Aglovale, a knight of King Arthur’s Round Table, who left long ago on a quest and never returned. So Prince Morien travels to England in search of his father. Sadly, no one has news of Sir Aglovale, and the other knights he encounters are interested only in fighting—until he meets Sir Lancelot and Sir Gawain. After a rough start, the three soon become good friends and an unstoppable team who eventually put things right. An authors’ note explains that this book is an adaptation of a 13th-century Arthurian tale. Digitally created illustrations employ a muted palette that effectively brings to life this medieval-set story. The use of panels and speech bubbles gives the work a graphic novel–like feel that will appeal to children. Prince Morien and his mother are brown-skinned, reflecting their Moorish heritage, while Lancelot and Gawain present white. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A winsome adaptation of a lesser-known Arthurian legend. (Picture book. 5-8)

Kirkus Reviews

Sir Morien: The Legend of a Knight of the Round Table

Sir Morien: The Legend of a Knight of the Round Table

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