Product Description

Young Arthur spends his days toiling as a squire--feeding the horses and hauling his big brother's armor. Around him, England is in turmoil, left without a king. But all that changes in one day, with one pull on the mysterious sword in the stone. Guided by Merlin the Magician, Arthur takes his place as the rightful heir to England's throne. He receives the sword Excalibur and wins the loyalty of the Knights of the Round Table. But can the young king win peace and freedom for England?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #32627 in Books
• Published on: 2007-10
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 48 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780822564836
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Review
"Fast and simple . . . all action, right to the end." -- Library Media Connection

"Full-color, realistic illustrations, dramatic points of view and stylish layouts make these old stories visually fresh and accessible to modern audiences." -- BayViews

From the Publisher
Graphic Myths and Legends

The Graphic Myths and Legends series brings to life some of the most enduring tales from a variety of cultures. Action-packed and richly illustrated, the age-old stories will engage readers in new ways.

Graphic Myths and Legends Titles
Amaterasu: Return of the Sun
Atalanta: The Race Against Destiny
Demeter & Persephone: Spring Held Hostage
Hercules: The Twelve Labors
Isis & Osiris: To the Ends of the Earth
Jason: Quest for the Golden Fleece
King Arthur: Excalibur Unsheathed
Robin Hood: Outlaw of Sherwood Forest
Thor & Loki: In the Land of Giants
The Trojan Horse: The Fall of Troy
Yu the Great: Conquering the Flood

About the Author
Jeff Limke was raised in North Dakota. His Graphic Myths and Legends work includes King Arthur: Excalibur Unsheathed, Isis & Osiris: To the Ends of the Earth, Thor & Loki: In the Land of Giants, Jason: Quest for the Golden Fleece, Theseus: Battling the Minotaur, and Arthur & Lancelot: The Fight for Camelot. Other stories have been published by Caliber Comics, Arrow Comics, and Kenzer and Company.

Thomas Yeates's art training began in high school and continued at Utah State University and Sacramento State. Subsequently, he was a member of the first class at Joe Kubert's School, a trade program for aspiring comic book artists in New Jersey. Yeates has worked as an illustrator for DC Comics, Marvel, Dark Horse, and many other companies. For Graphic Myths and Legends, he illustrated King Arthur: Excalibur Unsheathed, Robin Hood: Outlaw of Sherwood Forest, and Atalanta: Race Against Destiny. Yeates lives in Northern California with his wife and daughter.

Customer Reviews

Courtesy of Teens Read Too
Based on the legendary King Arthur, this English tale has been entertaining audiences since Sir Thomas Malory created the character in the 15th century. Whether or not King Arthur was inspired by a real man has never been determined, but one thing is certain: Malory's Le Morte D'Arthur looked nothing like the Limke-Yeates version.

According to Yeates, he used both historic and traditional sources when shaping the artwork for the book. Together, he and Limke created a 21st-century version of Arthur that fans of both Arthurian legend and graphic novels will be unable to resist. Limke's adaptation of Malory's story is strong. This particular telling of the legend begins with the young Arthur, when he was a squire and England was in turmoil, without a king. When he pulls the sword from the stone, he becomes the next king of England--quite a responsibility for a boy. But, with the guidance of Merlin the Magician and the loyalty of the Knights of the Round Table, he becomes a good and powerful leader.

The colorful graphics supplied by Yeates are stunning, and the glossary, index, and list of Web sites at the end will enhance this Arthurian experience for younger readers. Additionally, readers who enjoy this book should check out other books in the publisher's "Graphic Myths and Legends" series.

Reviewed by: Mechele R. Dillard

Excellent graphic novel
I found this graphic novel excellent in all its features. The graphics are colorful. The characterization of King Arthur and other important characters made the story interesting and gave the old legend a refreshing view. Another important aspect is that this graphic novel only covers the beginning of the legend of Arthur until he recieves Excalibur from the hands of the Lady of the Lake, and it does so in 48 pages. This gives enough room to give new life in Jeff Limke's adaptation.
I purchased this product with the aim of using it in the classroom in ESL context. However, most sentences are complex, and most of the narration in the yellow boxes is too long. I find this inadequate for low proficiency ESL learners. I may consider using some of its graphics, though, avoiding to burden students' working memory as they try to comprehend the story.

Bunk!
Right off, I confess that I didn't read the whole book. I just looked at the first few pages in the on-line preview. That was enough to convince me not to purchase it. I don't know what sources the author used, but the idea that the sword-in-the-stone was located near Westminster Abbey is ludicrous. King Arthur is a semi-mythological figure lost in the mists of the post-Roman chaos in Britain. If there was a King Arthur, he must have lived in the period 400-800 A.D. Furthermore, all the King Arthur literature I've read places him in western Britain (Cornwall or Wales). The Westminster Abbey pictured in the book was finished in 1065, just before the Norman invasion. There was certainly no King Arthur during or after this time.

I was looking for graphic novel versions of classic literature, to introduce my 6-year-old son to some of these famous stories. The least I expect is for the graphic version to be faithful to the sources, both historical and literary.