The Knight Who Said "No!" by Lucy Rowland, Kate Hindley
Published by Nosy Crow on September 3rd 2019
ISBN: 1536208132
Pages: 32
Goodreads

Ned is lonely, the only child living in his medieval village. He’s an agreeable fellow, though, always answering “Yes!” when asked to do something. Until one day he wakes and feels a little different, a little mad, a little hot, maybe even a little mischievous.  On that day, Ned says “No!” and everything changes. When the dragon swoops into town, Ned refuses to hide inside as he usually does, and when the dragon refuses to roar, the two discover they are both lonely and find friendship in each other.

The colorful cartoon illustrations are charming and fun. Characters have telling expressions and little treasures can be found on each page. The story is told in playful rhyme, and children will delight in chiming in with the  repeated “Yes!” or with the occasional No!” The overall message is a good one: sometimes even the most agreeable kids can be a little bad-tempered, and that’s okay.

Reviewed by Kelly Greenlee, Prince Memorial Library, Cumberland