Author: J. Knight Conry
Illustrator: Dominic Port
Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd.
ISBN: 978-1786933973

“The dog nearly fainted, the pong was so bad, but Sir Trump-a-Lot, he just smiled. The knight had no clue of how stinky he was, that the smell  of his odour was wild!” J. Knight Conry writes in her children’s book,  Sir Trump-a-Lot.

First in the Knights of the Pong Table series, this unnumbered forty-one-page over-sized paperback targets children ages four to twelve years old who like stories about knights in armor who help others. With no scary scenes, it is a story about a stinky knight who saves a damsel’s dog. Having expressive, colorful illustrations on every page, the easy-to-read font contains rhyming. The ending includes the author and illustrator’s biographies.

In this short tale, a kind smelly old knight comes to the aid of a girl whose dog has fallen into a pit. When the girl rides horseback with the knight, she notices his bad body odor. The knight rescues the dog, and the canine also smells the stench of a pong. After the dog is safe, the brave knight says he is no hero but admits he smells.

This is a quick read that some will smile and enjoy, especially if they understand body odor and bad smells. I liked the girl and dog’s reaction to the knight for being the one to save the animal.

Those who are sensitive to having body odor themselves may not appreciate the story. Some may feel there was no conclusion to resolving the knight’s body odor issue or do not understand the squeak a pong in the knight’s pants made, but perhaps that is part of the next story. Beginner readers may have trouble reading some of the complicated two- and three-syllable words. Those who are picky regarding punctuation may get frustrated with the errors, but they could be based on English not American rules.

Author Knight Conry loves to write and lives with her two children in the United Kingdom. Illustrator Port also lives in the UK and is also an artist and digital designer.

With this book targeting beginner readers, it would be helpful to make sure it is written correctly, so children do not assume its punctuation errors are acceptable (if promoted in America). It might be easier to read if it was written in rhyming line-by-line format instead of complete sentences.

If you are looking for a children’s book that focuses helping others even if one smells, this may be enjoyed by young ones although it is not perfectly written.

Thanks to Bookpleasures for this book that I am freely evaluating.

All in all, a great book to start the beginner on his/her spiritual journey.

Warmly recommended.