The Little Knight Who Saved the Day

Fans of the Little Knight buckle in for another adventure in this new book from award-winning author Gilles Tibo. In this story, the Little Knight learns that even a brave knight can use a helping hand from a good neighbor.

The story begins with the little knight hearing cries for help down by the river, but when he rushes to save his fellow townsperson, he sees that another, a white knight, has already saved the man and is charging away on horseback. The little knight hears another cry for help and once again rushes to save the person in danger, but the white knight has already saved that townsperson as well. Now frustrated and angry, the little knight cries out, “Hey! Who are you? Where are you going? I protect this kingdom!”

The little knight, to find out who the white knight is, decides to set a trap by pretending to have broken both his feet. What ensues is some fighting, an argument, and a knightly tournament of skill where the readers discover that the white knight is actually a red-haired, female knight from the Kingdom-Next-Door. Though subtle, this is a refreshing break from gender norms where it is often a male knight who saves the day.

During the tournament, the knights hear someone calling for help and so pause their “challenges of wit and ability” to help a man who has fallen down his well. The knights argue about the best way to help the man, with a ladder or a rope, and, during the course of their fighting, the man manages to save himself by using both the ladder and the rope. Shortly after, the two knights hear someone else calling for help, and it is at that point that the knights decide to work together. The story continues with the knights helping various other townspeople by working together. In an act of appreciation, the little knights organize a feast at the castle where villagers welcome the white knight warmly and the two knights part ways as friends, saying to each other, “If you ever need help, I’ll always be just a kingdom away”

The illustrations in this book can be a little confusing since they illustrate the main story but also include a cast of animal characters on the periphery of the story, with these characters having captions describing what they are thinking and doing. For first time readers of Gilles Tibo and the Little Knight books, these animals may seem distracting since they do not tie into the main story. For example, there is a fish that floats in the river but also in the grass of a meadow and in the air amongst bats. For fans of the series or for children doing a close reading of the story, these characters may work as a funny little side story.