Knightly Behavior

This week's read-aloud selection - KING ARTHUR'S VERY GREAT GRANDSON - has drawn laughter, gasps, and nods of approval. The great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandson of King Arthur, Henry Alfred Grummorson, wakes up on his sixth birthday, determined to display his bravery and ferocity. He seeks out a dragon but is disappointed when it only breathes smoke rings. From there, he is referred to the Cyclops (at which point several of the boys on the story steps close one eye and peer at me with the other one) and then a griffin and finally a leviathan. Each surprises the boy with kindness instead of aggression, and he received the unexpected from all four: friendship. Excellent ink and watercolor illustrations add to the well-told story.