First sentence: When I close my eyes, I ride up high on a horse the color of moonrise! But then I open my eyes, and all I see is Papa, selling the last of the horses from his stable--his sweet old swaybacked nag, a tired animal that would be happy to sleep all day. With eyes shut tight again, I picture a galloping steed that will carry Papa's sadness away...
Premise/plot: Miguel's Brave Knight is a nonfiction picture book biography of Miguel Cervantes written in verse.
My thoughts: I was super-excited to read this one. I have loved, loved, loved some of Margarita Engle's verse novels in the past. So I knew it would be good. But also I was interested in the subject itself. I was first introduced to Don Quixote in a college class. We were assigned several chapters of the novel, and were "treated" to a viewing of Man a La Mancha. Since then, "Impossible Dream" has never been out of my head--or heart. I have read the novel once, but I'd love to reread it again, perhaps in a new translation.
I loved this one. I did. I see the audience as being for older children--even slightly grown-up ones. I enjoyed the verse. I liked his spirit and courage. His life was hard, difficult, dreary. Yet he never gave up hoping, dreaming, believing, clinging to what might be, what could be, what should be.
© 2018 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
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