Chivalry? It's more like rivalry as the siblings Holm (the Babymouse series) conjure a medieval brother and sister who can't resist pounding on each other whenever they get the chance. Illustrator Matthew draws the Evil Princess with a crown and a high-collared cape, while the Brave Knight sports a full suit of armor and a hefty sword. The Evil Princess hides behind a stone column, sticks out her foot-she's evil, after all-and the Brave Knight goes flying. Sent to their rooms by the Magic Mirror-a Disney-style inanimate character who serves in loco parentis ("Calm must prevail," it says)-they wait out their punishment. The Evil Princess attempts to work magic on a hilariously stoic stuffed rabbit; the Brave Knight is terrorized by a spider. When the two are released, they unite in a quest, but all too soon they're pushing each other into the bathtub. The sly contrast between words and pictures is the source of much of the story's fun: "He freed the fair maiden from her prison" shows the Brave Knight crossing the bathtub to rescue their cat. It's a droll portrait of the love-hate sibling bond-both medieval and modern. Ages 3-7. (Aug.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

In this domestic take on a medieval castle, two siblings exemplify their titles of Evil Princess and Brave Knight. He, with sword and armor, protects the castle, while she, in cape and crown, actively spites him. After the Evil Princess trips the Brave Knight as he patrols the corridors, the Magic Mirror a clever parental stand-in sends them both to their rooms. A truce is called, and the rivals join forces on a quest. They find a damsel (their cat) in need of rescuing (asleep above a filled-to-the-brim bathtub), and true to form, the princess shoves the knight into the tub, but he pulls her in with him. When the Magic Mirror demands an explanation, the two finally set aside their differences: The cat did it! With a picture-book debut destined for storytimes across the land, the award-winning Holms (Sunny Side Up, 2015) play up the fun side of familial rivalry. The friendly battle will ring true to anyone with a playmate sibling, and young listeners will delight in the hilarious back and forth.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: This first foray into picture books by the best-selling, award-winning sibling duo is sure to draw interest.--Ronny Khuri Copyright 2019 Booklist

PreS-Gr 1--Siblings Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm (co-creators of the Babymouse, Squish, and "My First Comics" series), offer here a fairy tale--tinged look at sibling rivalry. The Evil Princess and the Brave Knight don't get along. When the princess not-so-accidentally trips her brother, she's not sorry, and the magic mirror (the parent figure here), begs the two to get along. The plan works out a little too well, and the royal siblings create a huge, fun mess, leading to yet more blame and a chance for the princess to pull her tripping trick all over again. VERDICT This enjoyable tale, well-illustrated with bright pencil and watercolor cartoonlike illustrations of the siblings getting into mischief, will be a hit where parents need to make quarreling kids see the funny side of their battles. For an unusual storytime, follow up a reading of this book by having the children play the puzzle game Royal Rescue. --Henrietta Verma, Credo Reference, New York, NY

Royal sibling rivalry. The Evil Princess torments her brother in fulfillment of her moniker, going so far as to select a book from the castle library entitled 101 Spells to Torment Annoying Brothers for inspiration. Her brother, for his part, tries to be brave, but the Magic Mirror, who acts in loco parentis throughout the story, sends them both to their rooms when their conflict gets out of hand. Once isolated, both children end up deciding that it's no fun being evil or brave all alone. The Brave Knight suggests a quest, and they go to save "a damsel in distress across the moat" (their black cat, who is "perfectly comfortable," napping in the bathroom). Alas, this brief episode of teamwork can't overpower their historical rivalry: The Evil Princess pushes her brother into the bathtub, and he (finally) retaliates. "Their Magic Mirror was not amused," reads the droll text, and they again must join forcesthis time to clean up. This is sure to elicit laughs from readers through its humorous text and playful, cartoon illustrations that effectively employ such graphic-novel techniques as dialogue balloons and sound effects to amp the chuckles. The princess has light skin and straight, dark hair while the knight has brown skin and dark, tightly curled hair. The text never comments on this, instead focusing on their rivalry; in doing so, it provides a welcome, rare, and inclusive mirror for many children in similar families.The Holm siblings strike again! (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.