Linda Ashman

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Poetry for Children

"Wit meets historical accuracy in a pitch-perfect mix of laugh-out-loud text and entertaining image. When the Earl of Daftwood decides to plan a tournament, everyone from the Steward to the Gong Farmer (also known as “Privy Lord”) is going to say what they think of it—and little is good. Told in rhyming monologues, the story of the tournament contains facts about life within a 13th-century English castle’s walls. Schindler’s pictures are clever odes to the illuminated manuscripts of yore. . . An informative delight bound to find its audience." Kirkus

"What’s bored royalty to do? If you’re the Earl of Daftwood, you throw a party complete with a grand feast and jousting. And if you’re the Earl of Daftwood’s staff, you groan and fret because nothing is more troublesome than a party. Using various rhyming schemes, Ashman begins with the Earl and then shifts the point of view to his various underlings as each describes their preparations, and in doing so give a sense of what it was like to live in a thirteenth-century English castle. The intricate artwork portrays the revelers as a bit grotesque and uses ornate framing and lettering to surround such humorous cutaways as the bedrooms of various social classes and the long drop-tunnel leading to the Gong Farmer (the guy who scoops the poop). Quirky, sarcastic, and rather educational, too." Booklist

"This rollicking take on the Middle Ages is about as tonally distant from Laura Amy Schlitz’s Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! (BCCB 9/​07) as you’re going to get, probing the attitudes of medieval workers with a wink and a chortle. Schindler catches the spirit with illustrations that tiptoe the fine line between tribute and parody, as droll characters interact with illuminated initials (the cleaning staff tidies up a capital B; rats infest an elaborate S; flies buzz around the gong farmer framed by an O), and wasted partygoers litter the courtyard or enjoy one last tipple in a vine- and flower-embellished S. An author’s note highlights each character and adds a tidbit of information about his or her historical role, but that’s just icing on the cake. What better kickoff for a history unit, or even a goofy adjunct to a career-day presentation?" Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"This picture book told in verse depicts life in a medieval castle with its always-fascinating contrasts of grandeur and filth, indulgence and hard work. The perspective shifts from person to person, beginning with the Earl of Daftwood, who enumerates his people and commands them to plan some merriment. They then kick into action, from the herald who must ride "upon these mucky, winding roads" to the servant cleaning up the Great Hall for the banquet: "Leave the old dog waste and bones on the floor. /​ Forget all those meat scraps (we'll soon have some more)." The daughter's suitor dining at the feast takes pride in his manners as he drinks his soup "without removing rodent hair or fly," while the daughter herself concludes that she is destined "to be married to a beast." The text's humor and specific detail are echoed in Schindler's ornate and thoughtful pictures, done in the style of an illuminated manuscript. The embellished first letter on each page adds flavor to the scene but may be hard for young readers to decipher. A closing note explains more about each role in medieval life." The Horn Book