There Was an Old Dragon Who Swallowed a Knight ~ Picture Book & KID KANDY

Instead of an old lady, a dragon swallows everything!

By Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell

There Was an Old Dragon Who Swallowed a Knight
By Penny Parker Klostermann
Illustrated by Ben Mantle
(Random House, 2015)

There used to be an old lady who swallowed a fly. I don't know why, but she swallowed that fly. Kids love to read and sing this silly song.

Now we can enjoy There Was an Old Dragon Who Swallowed a Knight.

A dragon, not a lady. A knight, not a fly.

I love this book!

Part nursery rhyme song, part fairy tale, part humor, part adventure. This picture book has it all. Sure the knight gets swallowed (along with many other fairy tale sorts), but what happens in the dragon's belly is quite comical.

Told in rhyme, There Was an Old Dragon Who Swallowed a Knight is a delightful and inventive take on the old stand-by. Never fear, the dragon does not die at the end.

KID KANDY:

Make-Believe Castle Fun

Materials: connecting blocks, horse, people figures, blue felt, dragon (or a large sock)

Make up your own story or use the items to retell There Was an Old Dragon Who Swallowed a Knight.

1. Build a castle with connecting blocks.

2. Choose people figures to be the knight, cook, squire, and lady. Add the horse and blue felt water.

3. Retell the story and let the dragon pretend to gobble up the other characters in the story. Or put your arm in the sock and pretend it is the dragon grabbing things to eat.


What other things could the dragon eat? Make sure he burps at the end and spits out everyone!

The Princess and the Packet of Frozen Peas ~ Picture Book & KID KANDY

The Princess and the Packet of Frozen Peas
By Tony Wilson
Illustrations by Sue deGennaro
(Peachtree Publications, 2009)

The Princess and the Packet of Frozen Peas is a bit of a remake of the fairy tale The Princess and the Pea. Actually, the prince from that story is the brother of the prince from this story.

Prince Henrik wanted to marry a real princess - as long as she loved camping, hockey, and was the outdoor type. To thin the herd of interested suitors, Prince Henrik went one step further and planned to use an entire bag of frozen peas under a thin camping mattress for each real princess that stayed over. His top choice quickly went sour as she was too sensitive about everything and spent all of her time being sensitive. His experience was such that he gave up on a real princess and decided instead to marry an unreal princess - the opposite of a real princess.

So Prince Henrik enjoyed a lovely day with one of his old friends, Pippa. They played hockey, rode horses, and had a great time. When Prince Henrik used the bag of frozen peas and a camping mat on Pippa, he didn't hear a peep. The surprise ending is very satisfying.

The Princess and the Packet of Frozen Peas is a fun side story to an original fairy tale. If your child is unfamiliar with The Princess and the Pea, I would read that first to set up the whole princess and pea theme.

Young readers will enjoy the modern look and fun illustrations of The Princess and the Packet of Frozen Peas.

KID KANDY:

Can you sleep on a mattress that hides a packet of frozen peas?

Let's put this to the test, shall we? I know we keep a specific packet of peas in the freezer for icing injuries. It has been used, thawed, and refrozen so many times I doubt one would enjoy cooked peas from that pack!

Designate one packet for your ice pack. Play with the bag a bit. How does it feel? Hold it against a shoulder or knee. Does it cool you off?

Just before bed, tuck the pea packet under the mattress. Or to be fair, dig out a sleeping bag and tuck in under the bag. That's about as thick as a camping pad.

Good morning. Did you sleep well? Was the packet of peas lumpy? Did you wake up with them smushed and warm?

Are you a real or an unreal princess (or prince)?


It's all in fun. You can grow up and marry anyone you want to.