Midsummer Knight
Starred Review.Kindergarten-Grade 4—When last seen inThe Boy, the Bear, the Baron, the Bard(Roaring Brook, 2004), the Bear was drifting alone down the Thames River. His journey takes a new twist in this wordless companion book when he lands at the edge of a wood and stumbles into a magical forest inspired by Shakespeare'sA Midsummer Night's Dream. Here he is rescued from a free fall by a small fairy boy (readers of the first book will recognize him as the Boy, now sporting tiny wings). Soon the two find themselves in the midst of a palace intrigue, and they must work together to free the imprisoned fairy king and queen and defeat a villain before he can escape with the castle's gold. Other characters from the previous book reappear in new roles, including the Bard, now an arch fairy villain wearing a bumblebee-striped tunic. Comic-book panels interspersed with full-page spreads keep the chain of events clear and well paced. Pen and watercolor illustrations add to the lighthearted tone and provide ample detail of the setting and the characters' emotions. Literary allusions and deft use of perspective will appeal to sophisticated readers, while the younger set will enjoy the clear, straightforward story.—Suzanne Myers Harold, Multnomah County Library System, Portland, ORCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.