“The Knight and The Dragon” by Tomie dePaola is a gem! The boy and dragon decide to battle, and use the library to research how. When things don’t work out as planned, the librarian offers them a path to work together. My girl loves that many pages are set up like comic panels so she can “read” those scenes to me. Knights and library love AND Tomie dePaola all in one book is a near perfect combination for me.

“Saint George and the Dragon” retold and illustrated by Trisha Schart Hyman is my personal favorite picture book of all time. Hyman’s award-winning illustrations are so elegant, so beautiful, so stunning, and her treatment of this classic tale is gutsy and noble. With 40+ words per page and some thrilling battle scenes, this book seems more geared toward a school-aged child, but the story is so engaging and the artwork so enchanting that my preschooler will not only sit through this one, but asks for it again and again.

I hope you enjoy them, too!