Excalibur

Children's Literature - Deborah Zink Roffino

The dramatic story of young King Arthur's grasp of the fabled sword from the Lady of the Lake is reborn in lavish shades of blue and purple. It is a mighty tale of strength that comes not from a sword, but with wisdom. The youthful ruler is a compassionate hero and this version of English lore will induce a thirst for more of Arthur's adventures.

School Library Journal

Gr 2-4-- In her retelling of the story of Excalibur from Malory's Le Morte D'Arthur , Heyer makes some minor alterations, such as changing Sir Pellinore's name to the Black Knight. She also eliminates the ``holdeth's'' and ``hadst thou's'' of Malory's 15th-century prose. She makes a mistake, however, in attempting to show the underwater home of the Lady of the Lake, turning this magical kingdom into an exercise in drawing brightly colored fish that surround the decidedly unmagical-looking castle in the background. Otherwise, her dark and brooding pencil and acrylic illustrations work well with the text. While the book has some flaws, Heyer does an adequate job of presenting a young Arthur, unsure of himself and heavily dependent upon Merlin. A good starting point for younger readers not quite ready for Pyle's The Boy's King Arthur (Scribners, 1989) .--George Delalis, Oakland Public Library, CA