Roy Gerrard is a rare talent. The charming text, the masterful watercolor illustrations (as an advertising creative, I see a LOT of illustration. Few illustrators hold a candle to Roy) come together in a wonderful book. The rhyming text entertains my kids and I at storytime

With dashing flare and tuneful rhymes, Roy Gerrard brings us a colorful tale of the old west, where the good guys are the good guys and the villians just can't catch a break! We all loved the spirit of the old west, "Bonanza-style" and this is your chance to recapture it with and for your child. You will read it a hundred times if you read it once...I try for an accent that is early Walter Brennan. The art is second to none, the length just right for bedtime...in today's fast paced world, it is a pleasure to share this with your children! 5 STARS ONLY BECAUSE 6 ARE NOT AVAILABLE!

It's a great story with lots of action and coyboys andhorses. My mother used to read it to me every night and I can recite it by heart. To me it's a classic!

This book is a touching story with some of the most amazing watercolor illustrations I've ever seen. The detail of the illustrations provide a depth to the book which allows a reader to return to it again and again. The story is about a timid caveman who befriends a mammoth who teaches him to be bold. I would highly recommend it.

This is a great book for introducing rhyme or poetry to your child. Mik's Mammoth teaches ingenuity and perseverence in the face of incredible odds.

This is a 100% classic Roy Gerrard picture story book. The books story and unique full color picture artwork instantly carried me away to the world of ancient Egypt. The main characters, two children and their crocodile friend, kept me anticipating what would happen next with the turn of each page.
Gerrard writes his stories in a wonderful poetry form that is fun to read out loud. The only part I did not like was that this book should be read with someone and not alone because the pictures are fun to talk about and share with children.

Telling the story of a gentleman and his family in Victorian England, this book charmingly combines English history, intimate family relationships, and colorful pictures. Illustrations (especially of costumes and interiors) are detailed, yet the characters are lovable. Rhyming text is excellent for reading aloud to K-3. Children want to hear it again and again, especially the part about the honeymoon: "I hope you will not think it rude, to see them paddling in the nude". (not an exact quote). The heads of the people are large, but their bodies are quite small, giving them a squished look, which children seem to like. All in all, a quiet, charming look at another time and place.

Vanilla and Maximus were twins in ancient Rome. They lived as slaves with their grumpy master. One day their master bought a horse. It was too wild for HIM to ride, but when the slaves got on the horse, he was gentle. So the grumpy master decided to kill the horse for meat. What can the slaves do to save the horse?

I like this book because it's a really exciting story of ancient Rome. It has a happy ending and creative illustrations.

This was the first book by son "begged" me to let him own. He connected with Buckskin Dan, the leader of the wagon train. The wonderful illustrations and flow of the rhyming text hooked him. My son declared Roy Gerrard to be "the most talented author and illustrator on Earth". (What mom could deny a pitch like that)?

I stumbled across Sir Cedric in my school library and found it so captivating I memorised it. The illustrations are striking, different and yet perfectly complementary to the tale. A joy to read and share.

Sir Cedric has been a favorite with parents, children and employees in my Boulder, Colo children's bookstore. We are all so sad to find it currently out-of-print. Roy Gerrard deserves to be a better-known author-illustrator than he is in this country. Customers who purchase any Gerrard book,particularly Sir Cedric, are sure to return for the further adventures of Roy Gerrard's heroes and heroines. The illustrations are rich and detailed, if charmingly distorted. The prose is delightfully British and makes for a fun family read-aloud. My son was introduced to Roy Gerrard and Sir Cedric at age five (he ate cucumber sandwiches ever after)and has since come to enjoy all of Gerrard's other treasures. My other two children (both teenaged girls) have enjoyed the book as well, and all three have memorized most of his books. When parents ask for book recommendation for children who are reluctant or slow readers, I always recommend Roy Gerrard's books. The rhyme and delight of the story helps children to easily memorize it and they are surprised to find themselves reading such big words as flabbergasted, consternation and many more. Let's all hope Sir Cedric will be back in print soon.

I don't know which I enjoyed more, the illustrations (which are lush and complex and delightfully distorted) or the text. After hours and hours of reading tripe, this book is just the break I need. My sons love the knights and horses and bad guy - I love the irony the subtleties and the humor.

"Sir Francis Drake: His Daring Deeds" is certainly a different sort of juvenile biography, simply because Roy Gerrard draws Drake and all the other characters with what looks to me to be the same proportionality of head to body that you find with babies. Young readers may well find this rather interesting, since it makes everybody look more like children than adults, but it might creep some adults out. Despite this odd affectation, Gerrard's artwork is quite stylized (he does especially nice work with sea water) and he extends his artistic talents to the overall graphic design of the volume as well. Young readers will enjoy finding Drake's cat in most of these pictures. Drake's story is told in simple rhyming couplets of two sets per stanza, focusing mainly on his explorations in the New World and the battle against the Spanish Armada. One thing we can all agree upon is that this is a most unusual juvenile biography of Drake. On balance, I think this one comes out ahead of the game.

My daughters love biographies, especially those done by Diane Stanley. This is not really a biography. It has some historical information in it, but really it is just some facts strung together in an annoying rhyme. My oldest (7) thought the illustrations were absurd. The figures look like they are being viewed in a carnival mirror, wide and short with very large heads. Sir Francis Drake is an interesting and controversial character in history and deserves a better telling of his story.

"Sir Francis Drake: His Daring Deeds" is certainly a different sort of juvenile biography, simply because Roy Gerrard draws Drake and all the other characters with what looks to me to be the same proportionality of head to body that you find with babies. Young readers may well find this rather interesting, since it makes everybody look more like children than adults, but it might creep adults out. Despite this odd affectation, Gerrard's artwork is quite stylized (he does especially nice work with sea water) and he extends his artistic talents to the overall graphic design of the volume as well. Young readers will enjoy finding Drake's cat in most of these pictures. Drake's story is told in simple rhyming couplets of two sets per stanza, focusing mainly on his explorations in the New World and the battle against the Spanish Armada. One thing we can all agree upon is that this is a most unusual juvenile biography of Drake. On balance, I think this one comes out ahead of the game.

Like all of the Gerard books I have seen, these one is excellent reading. The poetry of the text is well paced and engaging, and makes reading aloud easy and entertaining. The illustrations remain superb. This book is more factually based, telling Drake's life story in vignettes that are imaginative but accurate. The book succeeds on many levels - my son loves to hear it, and I love to read it!