Jason Deeble

Crawling into the kitchen cupboard one morning, a young boy finds himself confronted by the king of the pots, dubbed "Sir Ryan," and departing on an epic quest, armed only with a soup-pot helmet. As he climbs a mountain (the household stairs), explores a jungle (his parents' closet), visits a castle (the garage), and descends into a dark and moldy cave (the basement), Sir Ryan collects the knightly accoutrements he needs, and is eventually banqueted in a royal style...

I always appreciate show more tales which explore a child's imaginary world, and Sir Ryan's Quest certainly fits the bill. I like that it highlights the kind of play which uses the objects and settings at hand, and that Deeble - who makes his picture-book debut here - manages to paint such a sympathetic portrait of a young boy's game of make-believe. That said, I don't know that I was as touched by this as some other reviewers, and I can't honestly say that the cartoon-style artwork was really to my taste. Still, I think this will make a good story-hour selection, particularly for those children who like to play such games themselves. show less

In this story, Ryan is a young boy who uses his imagination. He crawls into the cupboard and begins his quest. He climbs mountains, tames a boxy beast, and explores a dark jungle.

I enjoyed this book so much; I would include it in my personal library. The illustrations were bright and imagination was perfect for a young reader.

In the classroom, I would have the students create a story using their imagination. This story would be written and allowed to include illustration if desired

24 months - fun and creative!