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We'll Be Needing Your Smallest Suit of Armor
April 8, 2008

Today the world's cutest two-and-a-half year-old came into the store with his grandmother, looking for a picture book version of The Sword in the Stone. Alas, the only non-Disney edition our manager Deb and I knew of was Hudson Talbott's, which is now sadly out of print. "We tried to get that one at the library," the grandmother said, "but unfortunately it had been checked out."

She turned to get the approval of her grandson as she suggested that maybe a different book about knights would do. He agreed, nodding vigorously and adding, "And dragons. Dragons are good too."

Five minutes later the boy and his grandmother are seated at the small table in our children's section as she reads to him from our knight and dragon selections and he promptly dismisses a few on the grounds that they are "too little for him."

This in itself was pretty cute, but the comment that earned this little guy the "world's cutest two-and-a-half year-old" title came about this way: His grandmother was reading to him the dedication page of Hush, Little Dragon. The book was written by Boni Ashburn and illustrated by the lovely Kelly Murphy, whose dedication begins, "To a knight in shining armor..."

At these words the boy gasped, asking, "It's for me???"

If someone hadn't already done the deed I'd have knighted this kid right then and there, just for making every one of us feel, at that moment, so awed by the power of books.


Posted by Alison Morris on April 8, 2008 | Comments (12)


April 7, 2008
In response to: We'll Be Needing Your Smallest Suit of Armor
Chris commented:

Beautiful... Thanks for sharing!




April 7, 2008
In response to: We'll Be Needing Your Smallest Suit of Armor
Laura commented:

Thanks for sharing! Stories like this remind us why we keep doing what we're doing, not to mention we're reminded that, despite what the skeptics keep harping about, books really do matter.




April 8, 2008
In response to: We'll Be Needing Your Smallest Suit of Armor
cecil commented:

amazing!




April 8, 2008
In response to: We'll Be Needing Your Smallest Suit of Armor
Kat Brokaw commented:

Tears to the eyes, that was so cute. May the little man enjoy a lifetime of literary knighthood.




April 8, 2008
In response to: We'll Be Needing Your Smallest Suit of Armor
L. Cazin commented:

Allison, I'm glad you took the time to write your feelings about this bookstore incident. It truly validates we writers vocation.




April 8, 2008
In response to: We'll Be Needing Your Smallest Suit of Armor
Boni Ashburn commented:

Great story, Alison! Thanks for sharing it :)




April 8, 2008
In response to: We'll Be Needing Your Smallest Suit of Armor
B Simpson commented:

While I've been moved to post before, I never have. This time, I was moved too much not to! Thanks so much for sharing this story...books and knights and dragons and two year-olds rock!




April 8, 2008
In response to: We'll Be Needing Your Smallest Suit of Armor
Kym commented:

Oh, I hope he comes back in the store so I can see him. Thanks (as always!) for the smiles!




April 8, 2008
In response to: We'll Be Needing Your Smallest Suit of Armor
cgeewriter commented:

As a gramma & a writer, this was a special moment that validates why I read with my grandchildren & why I write. Thanks!




April 8, 2008
In response to: We'll Be Needing Your Smallest Suit of Armor
LISA YEE commented:

Oh man, that is too cute!




April 9, 2008
In response to: We'll Be Needing Your Smallest Suit of Armor
Timothy James commented:

That's a yooper author- oh, you betcha! I love the book and your story! Validation all around!




April 10, 2008
In response to: We'll Be Needing Your Smallest Suit of Armor
Kjersten commented:

That is soooo cute. FYI -- Robert Sabuda has a picture book version of the sword in the stone story, it's called "Arthur and the Sword." It has cool stained glass-like illustrations.





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