HERE AT THE CASTLE

A lamb is saved from a hungry dragon by a valorous lion in this illustrated Christian allegory.

Little lamb Nathaniel is lost. He remembers wanting to play, and perhaps running away from something, but he’s not sure how he ended up in a scary castle with his wool such a dirty mess. Things get much worse, though, when a dragon shows up. It threateningly tells Nathaniel that there’s nowhere to hide, and soon looms over the poor little creature. Just when all seems lost, a lion appears through the mist, and Nathaniel isn’t sure who’s more dangerous. Just as the dragon moves to attack, “The lion bravely pounced, and He scratched the beast’s eye. / Then the feisty dragon fell back with a ‘ROAR’ and a cry!” The battle is on, with the lion fighting to protect Nathaniel from the dragon’s flames. Though the reptilian beast bloodies his adversary’s paw in battle, it’s with that same paw that the lion marks Nathaniel as his own, forcing the dragon to give up. Finally, with the danger gone, the lion asks Nathaniel to follow him to freedom. Drawing on older Christian allegories, such as John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress as well as C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Hyslop uses the trappings of fantasy to retell the story of a savior who defends lost sheep through his own sacrifice. For readers already familiar with the story of Jesus, the parallels will be evident; others may find that the story doesn’t stand entirely on its own as a fantasy tale. In any case, Hyslop’s endnotes lay out his intended, direct correlations to Scripture. His rhymes are consistent throughout and mostly flow naturally. Jasinski’s painterly, full-color illustrations lend action and urgency to the tale, especially in showing the villainous dragon with a mouth that seems to drip lava. The depiction of the bloody paw mark on Nathaniel’s back may be off-putting to some young readers, but it reinforces the poetic imagery. 

An earnest picture book that blends fantasy elements with straightforward religious symbolism.