Book Review: “Tales of the Time Dragon #1: Days of the Knights” by Robert Neubecker
Age recommendation: 8 to 12 (though children of all ages can enjoy reading this with their families)
What Makes This One of the Best Children’s Books
Many fairy tales paint a rosy picture of the Middle Ages, with gallant knights, glittering royals and lavish balls. But in reality, the Middle Ages were far more dangerous and dirty – and more interesting, too.
Robert Neubecker’s “Days of the Knights” showcases the fascinating realities of the Middle Ages, even including the feudal land system, all described with upbeat simplicity by a chipper dragon giving a ride to some time-traveling kids. Every page of this book reveals facts about this time period that will surprise kids and adults alike, while balanced with sweet pictures that take care not to depict too much of the era’s dreariness.
The book lays out this information through a simple premise that will enchant kids: a computer sucks two modern-day children back in time to the Middle Ages, where a cheerful dragon gives them a tour.
Thank goodness they enjoy their trip from the safety of a dragon’s back, because they glimpse some harsh aspects of this era’s lifestyle. The dragon dishes out plenty of details about the peasant villages they pass, including how most peasants can’t read or write, sleep with animals for warmth in the winter, and keep a safe distance from the creature-infested forests nearby.
Neubecker’s cheery pictures also lend more details. They depict the walls surrounding villages to keep out strangers, for instance, and also show people simply tossing their trash outside, due to lack of organized garbage disposal.
I learned plenty alongside my son during the dragon’s tour. I never knew that cathedrals had been outfitted to protect against attacks. And I’d never fully grasped the feudal structure in which knights owned castles and land, and peasants paid them to use it.
To give the story an optimistic ending, the dragon rouses an uprising against a despicable knight abusing his power… and one of the time-traveling kids writes a stellar report for school about it.
After reading this book, young readers should be well versed enough in the Middle Ages to write a report of their own, and will likely be interested to learn more.
How My Child Reacted to This Book
This book hooked my preschool-age son from the start, with the two kids getting sucked into the computer. As we read, he had many questions about what knights used to do, and whether people in the Middle Ages had modern amenities like parks and toys.
He seemed thrilled to hear various facts about this era, especially how most people went almost their entire lives without bathing. He became the most exhilarated when the dragon singes the knight at the finale.
Potential Conversations to Pair with This Book
“Days of the Knights” provides a rare chance for families to discuss a long-past era of history, and one that offers so many interesting details.
Adults can start by reading the additional facts about this time period at the back of the book. And if kids show real interest in this era, families might pair this book with a related craft, like drawing a castle with moat and drawbridge, or making a crown like monarchs of this time wore.
Families might also want to compare the lifestyle of that era to ours today, with an emphasis on being grateful for all we have. I explained to my son how people live much longer today because we have access to more kinds of food and medicines, and that our modern society also understands the importance of washing hands and disposing of garbage in a way that keeps germs at bay.
Without a doubt, this book can give families plenty to discuss.
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