Recommended by Lauren B.

A knight - with closed eyes - mounts a horse and faces a series of frightening obstacles, passing each test with flying colors. In the last pages, the knight's eyes finally open...and then he begins to cry, as his dad reaches down to lift him off the carousel horse and lead him away.

An imaginative way to celebrate the imagination; genius. ( )

Adventure!!! ( )

I wanted to like this book. I am fond of many wordless books but this one didn't intrigue me or wow me with its drawings.

Is the little boy afraid of riding a merry-go-round horse? Or did the boy cry because he didn't want to get off the ride?

The boy is like a little barbarian and not afraid of cyclops or flying goblins or venus flytraps but he is afraid of his father?

I don't get it. ( )

The Little Barbarian
Author/Illustrator: Renato Moriconi

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Kids will be so tickled by this book (as was I)! It really captures the immersive and endlessly creative nature of children’s play.

Can you imagine how good it feels to gallop on your horse or fly through the air having brave adventures with your gallant steed? Well, that is the feel of this book. The “little barbarian” mounts his horse and races off. The enemies they face are culled from mythology and just pure kid thought. There are dragons, cyclops, a pit of vipers, a sea monster, a god-like character shooting lightening, etc. Sometimes he and his horse are on the ground and sometimes he flies overhead. Hs shield and sword move from side-to-side. Never does the reader need to feel fear because the main protagonist is never afraid. His expression remains calm throughout. The two of them can cope with any situation.

I don’t want to reveal the surprise ending but there are clues - the front cover illustration, the long and skinny format, the way the horse is drawn. The conclusion will charm parents and thrill children when they realize the barbarian is just like they are.

In conclusion, I highly recommend this story. It evoked so many wonderful memories of adventures on and off “horses”. I know this book will help your and your kids create new adventures as well. ( )

Renato Moriconi uses illustration to tell the story of a fiercely brave barbarian as he battles ogres, winged creatures and the weather. The illustrations tell the story without using words. My 4.5-year-old likes making up a different story each time he reads it. ( )