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Knights
of the Grail
Linda Proud
 £14.99
Hardback with
dustcover. Two colour illustrations throughout. 200pp, 22.5
x 16cm.
978-1-903-843-16-1
The
new, special edition of Linda Proud's mystical story drawn from
the Arthurian legends is superbly illustrated by Roderick Freemantle,
a combination of text and 40 two-tone pictures making the book
a delight for readers of all ages.
Sir Bedivere is a rather clumsy knight of the Round Table
whose wife is a cat. Pulled out of the Otherworld by the sound
of a dog in pain, he must relate his tale in full before he
may return. But there is no-one to listen except one lonely
boy with a runny nose and a thug for a brother.
This retelling of the Arthurian legend is an ancient and
modern story, set both in present day and mythical past. In
the Otherworld are vivid encounters with Merlin the Wizard,
the Lady of the Lake, Excalibur, Lancelot and the Gwinhavar.
King Arthur does battle with the evil Red Dragon to return
Albion to lawfulness and peace, while his knights venture
in the search of the mysterious Grail, the Light beyond all
light. Gawain sleeps on a bed of marvels with its sheets made
from the skins of dead snakes. The peasant boy Parsifal sits
on the seat of shocks, with far-reaching consequences. Meanwhile
the here-and-now world is being turned into a lawless wasteland
by the gang led by the boy's brother. Can Bedivere do anything
to put things right?
Knights of the Grail is told in 21 marvellous episodes specifically
written to be read out loud, parent to child, child to parent,
or little boy to big brother, and for children to have the
experience of hearing, touching and seeing a very beautiful
book.
'There is nothing quite like this on the market. I warmly
recommend it.' NATE News (National Association for the Teaching
of English).
'This is my best King Arthur book. It's very interesting
and it's got a lot of detail and I love it at the court of
the Fisher King and when the Questing Beast stops burping.'
William Hardyman, aged 5.
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