The Knight and the Dragon
by Tomie dePaola
In a modern twist on the classic tale of knights and dragons fighting, Tomie dePaola gives us The Knight and the Dragon
Readers of all ages will enjoy this story of a bumbling knight and a not-so-fierce dragon that meet for an unforgettable duel that ends in the most entrepreneurial manner. Young readers will love scouring Tomie’s colorful illustrations for pictorial details to fill in the limited text and maybe even adding their own contributions to the story as it is read over and over again (We know it will…it’s just that good!).
In this Issue
- Like the Knight's shiny armor, Shining Aluminum Foil Sculptures will engage readers and may even inspire their own (miniature) armor building!
- Knight and Dragon Kabobs mimic the entrepreneurial happy ending to this wonderful tale.
Shining Aluminum Foil Sculptures
Inspired by the shining armor worn by the knights in the days of dragons and duels, encourage your young reader to experiment with aluminum foil as art medium. The fun of this activity is the exploration and imagination used in exploring with an everyday kitchen staple in a totally unexpected way.
Will the foil become an animal, a building, a bracelet, or a piece of modern art? Will it stand along alone or will your young artist decide to glue to foil to paper or cardboard? Will the foil need a bit color added with markers or paint? Be ready for lots of exploration as little fingers twist, roll, cut, fold, maybe glue or staple, and perhaps even color this kitchen workhorse into something glorious.
Shining Aluminum Foil Sculptures
- Cut or tear off various sizes of aluminum foil.
- Shape as desired!
Be prepared for dragons or knights, bracelets and rings, shiny crowns, dogs, snakes, swords, or family portraits... the possibilities are endless!
Knight and Dragon Kabobs
While not dragon-fire-roasted, we're fairly sure these tasty and nutritious fall-flavored kabobs are on the menu at the K&D Bar-B-Q. We hear they're a bit hit with the vegetarian knights and princesses (and of course young readers)!
Roasting in the oven makes these a perfect snack or side, even in the colder months when it's too chilly to grill. A simple yogurt dipping sauce is easily mixed together while the kabobs are baking.
Young Readers in the Kitchen
Kids can thread potato and apple pieces on to the skewers, and measure and mix up the yogurt dipping sauce.
Knight and Dragon Kabobs
Ingredients
- 2 small or 1 medium sweet potato
- 1 large apple
- Cinnamon Yogurt Dipping Sauce (recipe below)
- Heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
- Wash sweet potatoes and apple and dry. Prick sweet potatoes several times with a fork, and place on a microwave safe plate or bowl. Microwave on high 2 minutes. Allow sweet potatoes to cool until they can be handled comfortably.
- Core apple. Cut potatoes and apple into roughly 1 inch cubes.
- Thread sweet potato and apple cubes onto skewers (we used about 5). Bake kabobs for 20 minutes. Turn oven up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 10 more minutes, until tender and slightly browned at edges.
- Remove sweet potato and apple pieces from skewer before serving to children. Serve with Cinnamon Yogurt Dipping Sauce.
Cinnamon Yogurt Dipping Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 5.3 ounce container nonfat Plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Stir together all ingredients until combined.
You might also enjoy another Tomie dePaola book featured on Off the Shelf, The Art Lesson!
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