Written by M. T. Anderson, based on the epic by Chrétien de Troyes, Illustrated by Andrea Offermann
This is probably a bit mature for elementary audiences due to violence and blood. The story is well told and the illustrations are a good complement. Students who like tales of knights or bloody battles will like this book.
Review by Jessica Riggs, Robert Frost Elementary Media Center
Rating: ★★★✩✩ (3 stars)
Interest Level: Grads 6-12
Eager for glory and heedless of others, Sir Yvain sets out from King Arthur’s court and defeats a local lord in battle, unknowingly intertwining his future with the lives of two compelling women: Lady Laudine, the beautiful widow of the fallen lord, and her sly maid Lunette. In a stunning visual interpretation of a 12th century epic poem by Chrétien de Troyes, readers are — at first glance — transported into a classic Arthurian romance complete with errant knights, plundering giants, and fire-breathing dragons. A closer look, however, reveals a world rich with unspoken emotion. Striking, evocative art by Andrea Offermann sheds light upon the inner lives of medieval women and the consequences Yvain’s oblivious actions have upon Laudine and Lunette. Renowned author M. T. Anderson embraces a new form with a sophisticated graphic novel that challenges Yvain’s role as hero, delves into the honesty and anguish of love, and asks just how fundamentally the true self can really change. –From the Publisher
Yvain: The Knight of the Lion
Written by M. T. Anderson, based on the epic by Chrétien de Troyes, Illustrated by Andrea Offermann
Candlewick Press
125 pages
Release Date: March 14, 2017
A review copy was provided by the publisher.
