Kid Lit Reviews is proud to have Dragon—and a captive Knight—here today to talk about Penny Parker Klostermann and Ben Mantle’s debut picture book There Was an Old Dragon Who Swallowed a Knight. Tomorrow, Kid Lit Reviews will review this gorgeous and humorous picture book (read it here).

Please welcome Dragon and Knight.

Hi Dragon! Thanks so much for stopping by Kid Lit Reviews and bringing Knight with you. If it’s okay, I’d like to ask Knight a question.

Knight, with all the signs warning you about Dragon, why did you continue riding into the forest and the Dragon’s lair?

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“Signs? There were signs? I suppose I was too busy enjoying the beautiful day to notice signs. And, in case you haven’t noticed…I’m a knight! Oh, I think you may have noticed since you addressed me as “Knight”. Anyway, I’m a knight. A fierce knight. Why would a dragon swallow me? What? Oh. You’re asking the questions. Well, OK. Let’s get on with it.”

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What were your thoughts when Dragon swallowed you?

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“My thoughts? My thoughts! Well, “It’s not polite!” That’s exactly what I thought. And I thought, “This dragon has medieval manners!”

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“Hey, I have a joke for you!” 

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“Hmph, medieval manners!”

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Dragon, please, tell us your joke.

Dragon, you slay me!

Knight, “Shame on you!” Your unrestricted travels caused a ripple effect. First, you were swallowed and then, your steed and then . . . Anything to say in your defense?

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“Well I must say that I don’t believe I’m to blame. I say, “Shame on Dragon!” This is my kingdom, after all. But, I guess I might have caused a ripple effect given the fact that my steed has a tendency to clippity-clop without my expert steedmanship skills. I’m sure Dragon just wanted to be rid of the annoyance. And for that I apologize. Forgive me steed, squire, cook, lady, castle, and moat. I am most sorry.”

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“Clippity-clop?” Interesting. 

Let me officially welcome, Dragon.  My, you are one big creature! And (illustrator), Ben Mantle made you so handsome.  Just to clarify, how old are you?

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“Well, thank you. Most people find me handsome. And, FYI, you shouldn’t ask a dragon his age. It’s not polite! Bwahahaha! That’s what the knight says! He’s a stuffy old bit-of-breakfast. Back to your question. I’m old. Very old. At my last birthday party I lit 600 candles. I know that sounds like a lot, but it’s easy for a dragon to light candles.

“I have another joke for  you.”

You could be a comedian!

I think the reade—

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“Hey! Remember me? The knight in his belly? Well, I have a joke.”

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Um, okay. What’s your joke?

Don’t lose your day night job. (hehe)

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“You’re not polite!”

And you’re small. (hehe)

Dragon, I think I now know the answer, but I’ll still ask. Why did you swallow the knight?

“I like knights. They are most tasty. And remember, they come to do me harm so I think it’s very smart to swallow them before they get a chance to do the harm they’ve come to do.
Because . . .

“How much harm can a good knight do
if a good knight means you harm?
A lot! That’s the correct answer—a lot!

The knight said, “It’s not polite.” Is it really not polite for an old dragon to swallow a knight (or are knights a tad whiny)?

“They are more than a tad whiny. I’ve yet to swallow a knight (and believe me, I’ve swallowed my share of knights) that hasn’t whined. “It’s not polite!” “It’s not polite!” “It’s not polite!” You get the picture.”

Yep, I do. Dragon, I love your blue and white-dotted kerchief and that you try to be a neat eater. Here is a two-part question: Is neatness important to all dragons? What, or who, was the messiest to swallow?

“Thanks! My blue and white-dotted kerchief is a one-of-a-kind Ben Mantle special. Ben really knows how to make a dragon look his best. As to dragons and neatness, we do our best not to leave a mess. Swallowing “things” whole helps.

“The messiest thing to swallow? It’s hard to choose between the steed and the moat. The steed clippity-clopped and made a real mess of things inside my stomach. But then the moat was full of alligators and such so it was not easy to keep things neat. And then when the moat came back out . . . oh my! Let’s not go there.”

Let’s not! Today is International Dot Day. Dragon, what does your dot look like?

“My dot looks like this. I’m on the outside looking in and that is extremely satisfying.”

Very nice!

How about you, Knight, what does your dot look like down in the belly of the beast?

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“Well, my dot looks exactly like Dragon’s dot except that I’m on the inside looking out, which is not satisfying at all. In fact, it makes me want to holler, “It’s not polite!”

Not as original as Dragon’s, but you don’t really have any art supplies down there, do you?

“Hmph! You’re NOT POLITE!”

And you’re still small. (hehe)

“You. Are. Not. Pol—“

And smaller . . . 

Dragon, many, many kids will read your story. If you could reach out to them, what advice would you give these kids?

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“I hope my book will make kids laugh. So I would tell them to embrace their sense of humor because laughter is good for the soul.”

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Dragon, thank you for stopping by KLR. I enjoyed our little chat. And I appreciate your restraint by not swallowing me! Will you ever let Knight go free?

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“Thanks for having me. I do my best not to swallow those who have been kind enough to have me as a guest. About the knight’s future? It’s not in my nature to be lenient with knights, so I’d say the chances of me letting him free are slim to it’s-not-going-to-happen :D”

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I hope you don’t get indigestion.

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“Its not po—“

I know “Polite!” But it is fun. (heeh) Seriously, Knight, thanks for tagging along.

I must also thank the author, Penny Parker Klostermann for bringing Dragon to this interview and, Knight for being such a captive guest. Penny, I love your story. What is next for you? Any sneak peaks you can give away?

“Thank you for having Dragon for an interview. It’s very brave of you.

“My next book is A COOKED UP FAIRY TALE. In this fairy tale mash-up, a well-meaning chef accidentally cooks with ingredients essential to famous fairy tales—Snow White’s apple, Jack’s magic beans, and Cinderella’s pumpkin. Ben Mantle will be illustrating this book, too. It is slated for Spring 2017 with Random House Children’s Books.”

What a brilliant idea. I cannot wait to read A Cooked Up Fairy Tale. 

Thank you Penny and Dragon for stopping by Kid Lit Reviews. Oh, yeah, um, thank you Knight.

Dragon’s story can be found at your local bookstore or, if you prefer to order online, you can find There Was an Old Dragon Who Swallowed a Knight at Amazon—Book Depository—iTunes Books—IndieBound Books—Random House Children’s Books.

Want a Signed Copy? Go to the Texas Star Trading Company HERE and leave details in the Gift Message field or call (325) 672-9696.

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Much thanks to Penny Parker Klostermann—is this a cool alliterative name for a writer (or a superhero)—who spent way too much time helping me get all of the above together. Readers know I love debut authors and Ms. Klostermann is one of the most impressive “newbies” I’ve met. I truly think she is a star in the making. Read more about her debut, There Was an Old Dragon Who Swallow a Knight, tomorrow in my review (here) (you never know, I might hate it).

You can find Penny Parker Klostermann at her website:  http://pennyklostermann.com/
.     .     .   .Blog :  http://pennyklostermann.com/blog-a-penny-and-her-jots/
.     .     .   .Twitter:  https://twitter.com/pklostermann
.     .     .   .Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/penny.parkerklostermann
You can meet Ben Mantle at his website:  http://www.benmantle.co.uk/
.     .     .   .Blog:  http://benmantleillustration.blogspot.com/
.   .     .     .Twitter:  https://twitter.com/BenMMantle
.    .     .    .Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ben-Mantle-illustration-163019703868052/
You can meet the Knight in Dragon’s stomach.
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Copyright © 2015 by Sue Morris/Kid Lit Reviews. All Rights Reserved

Full Disclosure: There Was an Old Dragon Who Swallowed a Knight by Penny Parker Klostermann and Ben Mantle is published by Random House Children’s Books. Dragon and Knight’s interview answers by Penny Parker Klostermann. Images copyright © 2015 by Ben Mantle. This post is for entertainment purposes. Any opinions expressed are my own and no one else’s. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”