25 Days – Book 8: The Knights Before Christmas

We are eight days into the Christmas countdown and it is time for a little humor. Earlier this fall I got a note from author Joan Holub, excited to share about her Christmas book coming soon. I am a fan of Joan Holub’s writing so I happily obliged to take a look. I was delighted to receive a copy from her (with an awesome signature too!), and I was even more thrilled when the book turned out excellent. It is indeed a Christmas story, patterned loosely after the famed Christmas Eve poem I post so many books about, with a hilarious twist of clueless knights and a determined Santa. Tickle your funny bone this Christmas with The Knights Before Christmas by Joan Holub, illustrated by Scott Magoon, 2015.

It’s Christmas Eve and three knights are guarding the castle for their king. They each have their quirks – the Brave Knight, who is less than brave; the Silent Knight, who thinks and talks in song; and the Polite Knight, who is quite commanding and rude.

They are settling in for the night, doing their knightly duties, when “there arose such a clatter,” you know how it goes, but the knights apparently don’t and it is on the drawbridge. They race to check it out and spy Santa and his team trying to find a way in.

They perceive him as an invader, and with dragons too! They demand he take off, but Santa would not be deterred. A strange battle ensues, with sugarplums raining down on their heads as well as camouflage gifts.

The knights consult their instruction manual and being the clueless three completely misinterpret it. But in the end, victory is won, though I won’t say for whom. You must check this book out for yourself. I guarantee your kids will get a huge kick out of it. With all the holly jolly Santa stories and everything always going so easy for his holiday plans; this is a super fun twist in word puns, rhymes, and unlikely Christmas protagonists.

Also, I noticed on illustrator Scott Magoon’s site a social media contest to win a signed copy of the book from both him and Joan Holub. Check it out!

Hope to see you tomorrow on my 25 Days of Christmas Children’s Books countdown!