The Adventures of Sir Lancelot the Great by Gerald Morris Illustrated by Aaron Renier


The Adventures of Sir Lancelot the Great by Gerald Morris Illustrated by Aaron Renier
Knight’s Tales #1
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Genre: Action/Adventure, Historical
Length: Short story (92 pages)
Age Recommendation: 6+
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Poinsettia

Many years ago, the storytellers say, the great King Arthur brought justice to England with the help of his gallant Knights of the Round Table. Of these worthy knights, there was never one so fearless, so chivalrous, so honorable, so…shiny as the dashing Sir Lancelot, who was quite good at defending the helpless and protecting the weak, just as long as he’d had his afternoon nap. Behold the very exciting and very funny adventures of Lancelot the Great, as only acclaimed Arthurian author Gerald Morris can tell them.

Prepare to meet Lancelot, the greatest (and shiniest) knight of them all!

Lancelot is a flawed, but very lovable character. He is vain, and his motivation for becoming a knight has more to do with fame and shiny armor rather than helping others. However, Lancelot is also brave, courageous, and always willing to rescue a damsel in distress. Unfortunately, being the greatest knight in Camelot comes with some serious drawbacks. Lancelot becomes disillusioned with being a knight and walks away from King Arthur and Camelot. However, about a year after Lancelot leaves, King Arthur finds himself in desperate need of his greatest knight. I’m pleased to say Lancelot is more than up to the challenge. In this moment, Lancelot realizes what it truly means to be a knight.

The Adventures of Sir Lancelot the Great is such an entertaining tale! Mr. Morris brings out themes of loyalty, chivalry, and helping others in a fun and easy way for children to understand. The book is filled with clean, goofy humor sure to bring on the giggles, but the humor is never overdone. I particularly enjoyed reading Lancelot’s encounter with a “recreant” knight named Sir Phelot. This story is perfect for reading aloud to younger children, and the short, fast paced chapters make it a good stepping stone toward longer chapter books for readers. The illustrations add to the fun as well. Mr. Morris does take some liberties with Lancelot’s story. For example, Lancelot’s affair with Guinevere is not mentioned. While this might upset some, I was not bothered. In fact, I feel this omission serves to make the tale more accessible to a younger audience.

I had so much fun reading The Adventures of Sir Lancelot the Great! I highly recommend this adventure to young fans of Arthur and his knights.

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