Don Tronchante

PreS-Gr 1—Don Tronchante has what it takes to be a brave knight, but he has no foes to fight so he entertains himself by cutting out paper dragons, playing chess with his dog, and tossing flying airplanes onto the ground. The excitement begins when a ferocious dragon appears. Just as he is about to slay it, Don Tronchante notices that the beast has funny hairs growing out of its nose, and he gets a case of the giggles. His laughter is so contagious that soon he and the dragon are howling together uncontrollably. His next challenger is a mean-faced giant. As Don Tronchante is about to strike him with his sword, he is tickled by the giant's silly hat and starts laughing again. Don Tronchante's final quest is to rescue a beautiful princess who is imprisoned in a Gothic tower. When she sees him, she thinks his metal suit is funny and they fall in love and laughter. The mixed-media, cartoon style illustrations include details such as a dragon-shaped topiary, a flattened mouse on the sole of the giant's boot, and a small "Tower, Sweet, Tower" sampler displayed on the wall of the imprisoned princess. The rhyming text makes an especially delightful read-aloud. The occasional use of European verb conjugations gives the book an authentic feel of feudal Spain This picture book is also available in English as Sir Laughalot (Orchard, 2010). From its pitch-perfect rhymes, to its storybook happy ending, it's a surefire hit.—Rebecca Hickman, Alvin Sherman Library at Nova, Fort Lauderdale, FL