SMALL KNIGHT AND THE ANGRY PRINCE

A royal visit goes awry.

Small Knight is a petite child with peach skin and curly brown hair who uses they/them pronouns. They live with their parents, the king and queen, in a vaguely rendered castle. When Small Knight’s aunt—a famous warrior—and her son come to visit, Small Knight is too starstruck by the Warrior Queen to notice their cousin’s moodiness. The prince is about Small Knight’s size, with the same light skin as the rest of the characters but with vibrant crimson hair that accentuates the angry red vibrations he gives off. The prince’s foul mood is highly contagious, but after some cathartic sword practice and thoughtful discussion with Tiny Bear (Small Knight’s plush but sentient ursine pal), Small Knight nobly decides to help. The prince confides that living up to his mother’s example is overwhelming and that he feels jealous of Small Knight, and eventually the two bond over some butterfly watching and sword practice. An author’s note reassures readers that “if the air was to go red with anger again, Small Knight and their cousin know exactly what to do”—though no real resolutions to the prince’s jealousy or the complicated relationships with any of the parents are presented in the shallow plot. Unsophisticated ink and watercolor illustrations on stark white backgrounds pace out the story in a mix of spots and spreads. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A short-term solution from a very short knight.