Prince Martin and the Thieves: A Brave Boy, a Valiant Knight, and a Timeless Tale of Courage and Compassion (Grayscale Art Edition) (Prince Martin Epic)

A story of true chivalry: not just armed adventure (although there is plenty of it), but also mercy, generosity, honor and self-sacrifice. My eight- (boy) and six- (girl) year olds especially loved it, with both concluding it was even better than Prince Martin Wins His Sword. Like the first installment in the series, this story will keep your kids riveted by the action-packed plot and rhyming scheme, and the lively turn of phrase throughout reward any parent listening in or reading along. My personal favorite: "The Duke spoke of the King, and profuse was his praise. (Seemed he said the same thing in a few different ways.)" And to cap it all off, the illustrations are beautiful.We can't wait for Prince Martin's next adventure and to dive deeper into his world (spoiler: it includes Elves!).

We enjoyed this even more than the first Prince Martin book! My son (4 years old) especially enjoyed the new characters and was incorporating them into his imaginary play the next day. We also really liked the bonus coloring pages that you can download from the Prince Martin website (there is a link at the end of the book). We've printed them twice now, and my son has been coloring the pictures in the evening. As with the first book, this offers an excellent vocabulary lesson for kids. I can't count how many times my son interrupted to ask what different words meant! The ending is also very well done and pulls the entire story together. Again, the underlying messages about courage, compassion, and loyalty come through in such an endearing way for young boys to relate to. We ordered a second copy for my nephew!

This series is a fun, exciting read for all ages. What a good book to read to little pre-readers, and perfect for older children who have a hard time getting excited about books. The vocabulary is accessible, yet challenging enough to retain interest. But the storylines are compelling, and rhyme is universally beloved by the young and old - and it sure makes the reading fun! I plan to use this series as the first book(s) as the opening of a book club for children/youths. Besides, it's good for the soul to see good win for a change.

Brandon Hale has written another wonderful children's book. His first book was great and his second book I believe is just as great or even better. The book is so well written and the illustrations are powerful in helping to tell the story of Prince Martin and the Thieves. The story captured the attention of my seven year old grandson all the way to the end of the book. He listened and stopped me, asking questions if he didn't understand the meaning of a word. Just like Brandon Hale's first book, the story in Prince Martin and the Thieves helps show children that having values such as courage (even though it may be scary and hard for you) and showing an act of kindness may lead to an unexpected friendship of someone that will always be there for you should you need a friend. My grandson, also, was glad to have a coloring book to color after reading the book. We are looking forward to the next book and the continuing story of Prince Martin.Trudy Maxey

My kids (ages 14 - 9) love the Prince Martin series! They all enjoy fantasy literature and they all enjoy history. This series combines those and adds virtue lessons into the mix.Knights, dragons, wizards, royal families, elves. Such a great cast of characters pulled together to tell a great tale of chivalry.As an adult, I enjoyed reading (and listening to my kids read it aloud) this tale. My younger children also listened along. Fun and captivating. Recommend!

Prince Martin and The Thieves is a fast paced swash- buckling read but suited for the child who can handle Tom Sawyer -perhaps 5th grade reader for content and style. As the story opens Prince Martin and his dog-friend Ray are hanging by 2 snares of the peg- trigger kind suspended from trees, but event is really NOT the beginning of the story! Their adventure begins, with a chore- or a quest and this task is from the King- so they must do their best! “To carry a gift to the north- an 80 mile journey on foot, back and forth.” The prose actually becomes surprisingly engaging ( if not always perfect), and the Tale of the quest -duty and honor bound - yields a series of acts & consequences for dog and Prince. ...(Ray defends the honor of a barmaid who was pinched!) The remainder of the story unfolds in delightful fashion and is not to be missed!4 stars for me but maybe 5 for lovers of the bard . Me? I am waiting his falcon stories which are sure to come!

I really enjoyed this chapter book in verse. The story is the kind of story I loved as a kid, and I’m sure my own kids will love it also. I’ll wait a couple of years to read it to my youngest two (all my kids are under 6 years old right now) since I think some of the situations might be too scary for little ones. Having said that though, I think this is the kind of story kids need to hear (and enjoy hearing) because they see scary things around them in the world and know those things are real. This story shows a kid facing scary situations and doing the right thing even when it’s hard or frightening. The situations aren’t so scary that they’re inappropriate for school-age kids, and there is no graphic violence. I would encourage parents to read it by themselves first so they can decide whether their kids are at the right age to deal with the themes, and also so that they can be prepared to answer any questions the story may raise. The themes of courage, loyalty, kindness, generosity and compassion are relevant to every era and every kid. Our kids will face these things in real life. I want to give mine the chance to face them in story form first, so they know what to do when it’s their turn.

My 3 and 5 year old are huge fans. So am I. Great lessons, well written and would highly recommend to parents looking for some values and integrity to share with their children.

The stories are great, written in an easy flowing rhyme. My 7 and 13 year oldd DD grandsons loved the stories. Read 1 book and WANTED to read the others.

Elfic, lobos, pis�ncipes... muito legal! Gostei da simplicidade e das rimas. Gostei de ver o bem vencendo o mal!! Simples!

I have loved to read since childhood and one of my favourite books was The Cat in The Hat. Then as an adult I loved to read the same book to my young daughter. Imagine my delight to find Prince Martin and Sir Ray! This book is wonderful. Not only did I love the pacing and fun of the language but the story itself is an excellent adventure. I look forward to reading this to my grandson!

Bought this for my grandson, highly delighted with it, good price and quick delivery, thanks