I appreciate that it's dyslexia-friendly. And while the plot is promising and the lessons are great, the storytelling needs a little work.

A sweet, empowering story for little children (or those just beginning to read) about kindness, bravery, the difficulty of reading and the necessity of sometimes doing the hard thing to succeed - but it is also full of reassurance that we have the strength in us to do those hard things. It takes place in a magical kingdom with all kinds of magical creatures, like dragons, unicorns and giants.
I have been an admirer of Kimberli Johnson's art for a long time. The art in this little comic was simplified a great deal and to be honest, it was a little too simple for my taste. But I think small children will definitely treasure it.

I thank Oni Press and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review.

The book format is a graphic novel illustrated in a soft watercolor style in pastels. Set in a magical place where knights ride mythical creatures and a few friends are training to be knights. Emiline, on her trusty unicorn Fluffkin.

Young readers who have struggled with reading will identify with Emiline. She learns how important it can be for a knight to know how to read--whether it is a book helping identify plants, being able to read inscriptions to unlock barred gates, or finding a safe place to shelter. With the help of a patient teacher, Emiline keeps trying and finds out she has more courage than she knows!

The young knights in training learn that working together and helping others are an important part of learning to be a good knight. A great lesson for young readers as well! This is a great book to encourage reluctant readers to be brave and tackle the things they most fear or struggle with. Watch for it July 2019!



Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of Emiline: Knight in Training from NetGalley for the purpose of review.

Title: Emiline
Author: Kimberli Johnson
Pages: 35
Genre: Children’s, Watercolor,
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

This is an Advanced Readers Copy. That means that this is not the final version of the book therefore some facts and quotes are subject to change in the published book. I snagged a PDF copy of this book from Netgalley. I wish it was in a more mobile or physical friendly manner but this was fine.

Emiline is a knight in training. Only she is having trouble learning how to read. This is a very short Children’s book that contains gorgeous watercolor and fantasy creatures.

Oh No’s
The plot is very considerate but the story writing needed some work. Her art was gorgeous but the flow of the book was very choppy. Settings and story line seemed changed without warning. As one who is very fond of these simple books and manga, I feel there could have been more research done with how to convey more through drawing and writing. The artist really wanted to convey it all through her beautiful work but the language should never be forgotten.

The climax of the book was barely even a page long. I felt we didn’t get to experience her finally reading the words she just said them. I feel this could have been better portrayed than how it was.

Yay’s
What an adorable children’s book. If you just want this beautiful piece sitting around your house waiting to be seen then look no further. I hope this comes out in a hardcover version because I would love to buy this for my future children or visiting children.

This story shows courage, growth, and how to help a friend. I feel this is a great book for younger children to read to see that it’s OK for others to be different than they are. We are living in a time where each person is unique and their uniqueness should be celebrated. Children need to learn how to help others around them as well. Kindness was the major theme of this book and I loved it.

Finally,
As I said, I definitely recommend purchasing this as a present for any beginning reader you have in your life. The art is beautiful as well so maybe it will inspire an artist or two. As I said, I obtained this book from Netgalley and it is an ARC so there will be no favorite quote.

My similar recommendation for this novel would be Tea Dragon Society.

Emiline is a short, thoughtful read that has a great message for children of all ages and abilities. Learning how to read can be difficult, especially for those with Dyslexia. The book uses a Dyslexia-friendly font which features inclined letters, heavy bottoms, and larger openings for letters like a and b. The use of this font helps readers distinguish between different letters which can make text easier to read. The book is not about being Dyslexic; however, it is about how to be persistent, even when things get hard. I think it's incredibly valuable for the book to situate the story in this way. So often those with different learning needs are meant to feel different or left out of the group, Emiline never does this. Emiline is always a part of a caring group with a teacher who doesn't leave her behind. She's praised for what she does well and is encouraged to continue to try at that which remains difficult. It's a great, short story with gorgeous illustrations sure to keep kids entertained. The theme of this book encourages kids to help one another develop their strengths and rely on others when they are in a time of need. That's a lesson we could all do with remembering.

Story is pretty jumpy, pictures were cute, 2yo girl loved the book, 4yo boy liked it but had a lot of questions about story jumps. Would be a much better story if it elaborated a tad more

ARC Copy...beautiful illustrations reminding me of old timey children's fairytale books with simple to follow language.

This was one of the most adorable and beautiful children's graphic novels I've read in quite awhile! <i>Emiline</i> is about a young knight of the same name who must learn the ways of knighthood. I love that Emiline, her fellow knights-in-training, and their mounts are so diverse in appearance. It's such a charming story that I'm sure will appeal to many young readers with the overall moral of never giving up and always keep learning.

Kimberli Johnson's illustrations are a delight to view with a watercolor appearance in lovely light tones. Honestly, this could almost be a children's picture book were it not for the comic page layout. I do hope that Johnson will be creating similar graphic novels in the future or even write more about Emiline's adventures with her knights-in-training. I highly recommend <i>Emiline</i> for young readers.

Its cute, nice artwork but the story fell flat for me and my children (ages 2 and 4). They really didnt care for it. The storyline of Emiline being a knight was exciting but there isnt enough story. The comic book layout I didnt feel was appealing, would have been better as full pages or even half pages. Cute concept though.
(Review was in exchange for an advance copy of the book)

A book that turned out to be more worthy, than quality, if you get my drift. I've read many books that are specifically designed for readers with learning difficulties before, but this is a rare one in that it features that as a subject, namely the inability of a young girl wannabe knight to read as well as her friends and classmates. What we get is a rather lame fantasy, with the end of one quest immediately followed with another. Without giving much of a game away, our heroine gets to read something due to the effort she's put in (oh, isn't dyslexia just so immediately beatable?!), although the visuals don't actually prove her work was the be-all-and-end-all that makes her the saviour her teacher claims her to be. Also, I'm sure her fellow students are a little pissed at the praise she gets – they're just as qualified at being knights, surely? All in all it looks decent for a young reader's comic, with nice art, but the logic of it (a donkey, a dragon, a unicorn and a full-size horse all walking and galloping at the same pace) and the narrative fallibility I mentioned all mean I can't really recommend it. Shame.

Emiline: Knight in Training is simply precious! The art is gorgeous and the font is definitely a perfect choice for children with dyslexia. The story is simple, but younger kids are going to love it so much. I can't wait to put this on my library's shelves!

Find a quiet place to read and enter a watercolor world of spells, dragon eggs, and a challenge that must be faced alone. Emiline, Knight in Training is a fantastic tale that speaks to young readers in a warm, inviting way.

This book has truly lovely illustrations and a good heart. Emiline, a female knight in training, has many talents, but is not learning to read as fast as her peers. Her teacher encourages her to continue to try and it will come in her own time, but it is only when her class faces imminent danger and Emiline is the only one who can save them, that her reading skills emerge and she saves the day.

The premise is good and the nod to those who have reading challenges honorable, but overall the book was not memorable and not one that I would necessarily add to the classroom library.
#Netgalley #Emiline

Loved this! Being dyslexic myself I thought I would check this out. I wish books like this had been around when I was growing up! It was delightful, sweet and had a wonderful message. It highlighted a problem some dyslexics face without bogging down the story so it could just as easily be enjoyed by any child. Along with this the artwork was adorable, the character and stead designs so cute!
Where do I sign up to become a knight?!

I'm not the audience for this book, so I don't know how it would actually be received by young kids with dyslexia. There does seem to be quite a bit of text in a book that's supposed to be for those who have difficulty reading, and some of the fantasy words and names might be kind of tricky.

The illustrations are quite lovely, and I can see why there's the comparison to Beatrix Potter's work in the synopsis. I really don't have much of a complaint with the illustrations. They're much more muted than I'm used to seeing in graphic novels, but they're pretty nonetheless.

I think, though, that I'm hesitating over the plot of the book, which has Emiline and her knight class moving a nest of dragon eggs. I don't think that's a good message to be sending to kids. The dragon laid her eggs in a certain place for a reason; it's presumptuous and kind of arrogant for the humans to think they know better. They go and move all the eggs somewhere warmer. First of all, though we do see the dragon curled up with her eggs at the end, for most of the story we don't see the dragon at all, which leads me to assume that she didn't know where her eggs had gone. Second, maybe dragon eggs need cold to hatch. None of that is explained, and I don't like the idea that kids might come away thinking that they know better than nature's intelligence. I'd hate to see children trying to move bird or sea turtle eggs, thinking they're doing the creatures some kind of favour.

Unfortunately, this egg-moving thing is the main plot of the story. I would've rather seen something else happening. Maybe with the ogre that was mentioned. Or with the ice giants who were throwing rocks. There are plenty of things that could've been part of a story where Emiline needs to use her reading skills to save the day, without messing with the balance of nature.

So, while I can't wholeheartedly recommend this one, I wouldn't mind seeing what else the author can do with this character. Emiline and her friends could potentially have many more adventures. It's an interesting world that's been set up here, with ample opportunities for more stories. Maybe next time, though, they can leave the dragon eggs alone.

Such a beautifully illustrated and writen story, some of the art work reminds me of Christmas cards from the 70s and 80s.