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Summary
Summary
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.
Author Notes
When Gerald Morris was in fifth grade he loved Greek and Norse mythology and before long was retelling the stories to his younger sister and then to neighborhood kids. He began carrying a notebook in which he kept some of the details related to the different stories. The joy he found in retelling those myths continued when he discovered other stories. According to Gerald Morris, 'I never lost my love of retelling the old stories. When I found Arthurian literature, years later, I knew at once that I wanted to retell those grand tales. So I pulled out my notebook . . . I retell the tales, peopling them with characters that I at least find easier to recognize, and let the magic of the Arthurian tradition go where it will.' Gerald Morris lives in Wausau, Wisconsin, with his wife and their three children. In addition to writing he serves as a minister in a church.
Reviews (4)
Horn Book Review
This book chronicles an oafish Sir Lancelot's deeds and adventures as a Knight of the Round Table. Though some of the humor is forced, readers will laugh at the way Lancelot stumbles and bumbles his way out of danger; they may also learn a little something about Arthurian legend. Cartoon brush and ink illustrations add to the fun. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
Written for a younger audience than that of Morris' Squire's Tales series, this book kicks off The Knights' Tales series with an episodic story about Sir Lancelot. In the long tradition of writers choosing elements from Arthurian lore, embellishing them, and creating their own versions of the stories, Morris fashions a tale in nine chapters that will appeal to readers with a greater appetite for adventure and comedy than for romance and tragedy. The book opens with Lancelot joining King Arthur's court after defeating a string of knights at a tournament, and continues with a series of journeys and heroic combats. These are followed by Lancelot's year as a hermit and with the knight's returning to court to save Queen Guinevere from an evil plot and rejoin the Round Table. The art catches the tone of the writing in the often-amusing ink drawings. A promising series debut for young readers intrigued by chivalrous deeds of daring.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2008 Booklist
School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-5-Sir Lancelot arrives at Camelot to join Arthur's court, becoming the greatest knight of all. Morris laces the adventure with gentle humor, echoed in the cartoon-style illustrations. Short chapters, lively language, and skillful plotting add appeal for emerging readers. See also The Adventures of Sir Givret the Short (2009), The Adventures of Sir Gawain the True (2013), and The Adventures of Sir Balin the Ill-Fated (2013). © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Rejoice, fans of the Squire's Tales, Morris is finally bringing his terrific recastings of Arthurian legend to a younger audience. Setting out to join King Arthur's knights because they have "the bravest hearts, the noblest souls, and the shiniest armor in all the world," Lancelot so easily defeats all of his peers in mock battles that he is forced into (temporary) retirement. He has plenty of other adventures too, from being imprisoned by female admirers to foiling a plot to force Arthur into condemning his beloved queen. Combining strength, a good heart, sharp intelligence and a fondness for afternoon naps, Lancelot reflects Morris's view that true heroes are good in fights, but equally capable of solving problems nonviolently, and of not letting all the shiny armor go to their heads. A happily-ever-after ending replaces the tragic love affair with Guinevere, but strict adherence to traditional versions never has been Morris's practice. Renier reflects the generally light mood with simply drawn full-page and spot-cartoon scenes of knights and damsels. More, please. (Fantasy. 9-11) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Excerpts
Excerpts
Chapter 2 The Fastest Knight in England In no time at all, the storytellers say, Sir Lancelot became the most famous of all King Arthur's knights in shining armor. No other knight rescued so many damsels in distress or slew so many dragons or overcame so many recreant knights or, for that matter, kept his armor so tidy. He performed so many great deeds that he soon became known as Sir Lancelot the Great. Minstrels sang songs of his adventures, damsels sighed when he passed by, boys playing knights all wanted to be Sir Lancelot, and young knights dreamed of one day defeating Sir Lancelot, because whoever did that, they thought, would be regarded as the greatest knight in England. That last part soon got to be a problem. Everywhere Sir Lancelot went, knights were waiting to challenge him, all hoping to win fame and glory with one battle. Sir Lancelot defeated them all, but fighting every knight he met grew rather tiresome. So, when he rode out on a quest, he chose lonely paths. This was why he was riding alone through a quiet forest one day when he heard an unexpected sound. "WAAAAAH!" It was a damsel in distress. When you ride out on enough quests, you get to know that sound. Sir Lancelot turned toward the wailing and soon came to a woman sitting alone beneath a great oak tree, crying with gusto. "Good day, my lady," Sir Lancelot said politely. It was hard to know the right thing to say at times like this. "WAAAAAH!" the lady said. Sir Lancelot said, "May I be of service, my lady?" "WOOOO-HOOOO-WAAH!" "Can you tell me what is distressing you, my lady?" "WAAAH! BLUH-BLUH-WOO-WAAH!" "I'll just wait here a bit, then, shall I?" "WIBBLE-BLIDDER-WO-WO-HAH-WAAH!" So Sir Lancelot sat on his horse and waited. No one can cry forever, and when at last the lady had used up all her tears, Sir Lancelot asked again, "Can you tell me what is distressing you?" "It's my . . . my fal-fal-falcon!" the lady gasped. Now in those days, noble lords and ladies used to train falcons to hunt for them. They kept them on leashes, then set them free to hunt small birds. A well-trained falcon--that is, one that would come back--was quite valuable. "What happened to your falcon, my lady?" "It flew away! It was a gift from my husband," the woman wailed, beginning to cry again. Not all falcons were well trained. "I'm sorry to hear it, my lady," said Sir Lancelot. "I wish I could help you." "Would you?" the woman exclaimed, her tears stopping at once. "Er . . . if I could," Sir Lancelot replied. "But how? I can't chase a falcon through the sky." "Oh, you don't have to chase her at all," the woman said, smiling brightly. "She's right up there!" The woman pointed up. There at the top of the oak tree was a falcon, her leash tangled in the small branches. "Oh," said Sir Lancelot. "You said you'd help," the woman reminded him. "Er . . . yes, I did. The thing is, it's rather hard to climb trees in armor." "Can't you take your armor off?" the woman asked. She sniffled. Sir Lancelot frowned. He had just had his armor shined and didn't like to leave it lying around. Then he sighed. "Of course, my lady." Twenty minutes later, his armor and sword stacked neatly beside a bush, Sir Lancelot began climbing the tree. While he climbed, he wondered how to untangle an angry falcon from a tree without getting pecked, but soon he saw what to do. Coming to the branch where the bird was tangled, he simply broke it off at the base and tossed the whole branch free. Bird and branch fluttered and crashed to the ground, and Sir Lancelot wiped his brow with relief. Excerpted from The Adventures of Sir Lancelot the Great by Gerald Morris All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
