Elephant Joe, Brave Knight!

PreS-Gr 1—Elephant Joe and his sidekick, Zebra Pete, set off on a quest to reclaim the king's stolen crown while a frog adds commentary and comic relief. Decked out as knights on horseback, they journey through the Enchanted Forest in search of the Dark Knight and come across a damsel (actually a crocodile) in distress. They get past a fierce, fire-breathing dragon by simply saying "please" ("no one had ever said 'please' to the dragon before") and discover that the crocodile damsel is really the Dark Knight. Wearing the stolen crown, she takes off on Zebra Pete's horse to conquer the kingdom. Elephant Joe and Zebra Pete follow behind on the flying dragon, reaching the castle just in time to raise the drawbridge, sending the Dark Knight into the moat. The king's crown is saved; Elephant Joe and Zebra Pete are knighted; and everyone enjoys a delicious feast. The Dark Knight's punishment? She must kiss the frog! Bright, textured illustrations with bold, black lines; speech bubbles; and varying font sizes perfectly complement this ridiculously fun fairy-tale spin-off that could easily be adapted for reader's theater.—Rachel Kamin, North Suburban Synagogue Beth El, Highland Park, IL